Faculty Focus - Supporting Medical Educators in Leicester

Rebecca Searston, Conference Manager in Postgraduate Clinical Education, joins host Pip Divall to demystify how UHL plans and delivers courses, study days and conferences—from locking in dates and venues to managing last‑minute curveballs with calm and practical checklists. In this episode: Why the date is the first critical decision—before any other planning Choosing venues (in‑house vs external)...

In this episode, we debrief the AMEE 2025 conference in Barcelona, focusing on key themes such as feedback and debriefing, error-based learning and the role of AI in medical education. We share insights on how to create a safe learning environment, the importance of managing errors as in the clinical environment and the evolving landscape of AI in education. Mylopoulos M, Steenhof N, Mickleborough...

In this episode I talk to Rikesh & Tobias, two anaesthetic residents who have set up an anaesthetic skills course for Foundation Doctors. We discuss some of the challenges of setting up a course from scratch including space to host it, finances, contacts and support available locally. Lots of tips here for anyone thinking of doing similar. Next Anaesthetic Skills for Foundation Doctors course ...

In this episode I speak with Internal Medicine Resident and TASME Vice-Chair, Dr Neil Thakrar and local FY1 and JASME Co-Chair, Dr Natasha Singhal about ASME and their rolesin it. They discuss how early career educators can get involved and find support for their development and some of the benefits of ASME membership. ASME is the umbrella organisation for the committees Neil & Natasha were di...

In this episode of the Faculty Focus podcast, Dr Aleem Ahmed (Consultant in Infectious Diseases and General Medicine but also Clinical Tutor for Locally Employed Doctors) and I discuss the support offered to Locally Employed Doctors (LEDs) at University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL). We explore the various titles of these doctors, the development of the ClinicalFellowship Programme, and the unique...

In this episode, Andy and Hussein debrief the AMEE 2024 conference held in Switzerland. They discuss the use of AI in medical education, the concept of adaptive expertise, and the importance of struggle in learning. They also highlight the need for collaboration in faculty development and offer tips for attending. Takeaways • AI is being used in medical education for content creation, question gen...

In this episode of the Faculty of Focus podcast, I speak with Laura Taylor, the GP Clinical Tutor at UHL, aboutthe evolving landscape of GP training, particularly in a hospital environment. We discuss the structure of GP training, the role and benefits of GP residents in secondary care, and the importance of tailored supervision and support for these trainees. Laura emphasises the collaborative na...

Episode Recorded: 2nd August 2024 We chat with Joanne, Head of Medical Education Management at UHL, about: 🩺 How the survey captures crucial feedback from doctors in training 🛡️ How urgent safety concerns are addressed swiftly 🔍 The importance of using these results to improve training environments 📊 What goes into analysing this massive dataset, and how leaders like Kirtley sift through the re...

Faculty Focus aims to showcase education work being done in UHL by inviting people to talk about projects they are doing in the Trust. In this episode we speak with Dr Tom Walters, Anaesthetic Registrar and Educational Fellow, about an interesting project that he’s been working on to improve MDT training in theatres. Flashcard training is an initiative advocated by the Royal College of Anaesthetis...

In this podcast I talk to Dr Harj Kaul, one of UHL’s Occupational Health Consultants. Dr Kaul has aparticular interest in neurodiversity and advises regional and national bodieson how to identify and support those with neurodivergent abilities. In this fascinating discussion we learn about the range of conditions within this field and howthey can manifest in healthcare. It becomes apparent how the...

HEA Fellowship is an international recognition of a commitment to professionalism in teaching and learning in higher education and demonstrates that your practice is aligned with the…” Professional Standards Framework (PSF) [ref]In this episode I interview Pip Divall (DCE teaching faculty and UHL clinical librarian) about the FHEA application process: what it is, why bother and what’s involved. Li...

Widening Participation PodcastWith Andrew Hughes and Monika Kaushik In this episode I speak to Miss Monika Kaushik, Consultant Breast Surgeon and Clinical Tutor, about the Widening Participation Programme we have in Leicester. She describes why it’s important, how she got involved, how it’s delivered and next steps. Widening Participation is about helping a broader range of school leavers consider...

Educator Day 2023In this episode we talk to some of the leaders in medical education locally including and here are some of the nuggets discussed:Prof Mark McCarthy (Director of Medical Education)The importance of having an off-site conference that allows people to switch-off clinically, connect with other educators in the organisation and hear about changes on the horizon. There is a new educatio...

Hussein and I debrief this year’s AMEE conference held in Glasgow - Hussein’s first AMEE in-person attendance - and how our preconceptions of Glasgow as a city couldn’t have been more wrong! The Association for Medical Education, Europe annual conference is one of the largest medical education conferences in the world and has expanded to cover education in several fields of healthcare all around t...

Today I am joined by Hussein, Max (our resident DCE Learning Technologist) and Kash Makam (Consultant Anaesthetist and regional Final FRCA teaching lead) to discuss the emergence of AI in medical education and how we can begin to use some of the tools available in our teaching. There are certainly big time saving benefits for educators.  However, there are pitfalls and caveats worth knowing about....

“Faculty members demonstrate clinical skills, model and articulate expert thought processes and manifest positive professional characteristics” (Passi 2013)In this episode Hussein and I discuss role models and related subjects. Role modelling is known about in medical education but difficult to define and implement. It’s often left to the ‘hidden curriculum’ where learners look to mimic actions an...

In this episode we discuss self-determination theory. Based on the assumption that human behaviour is driven by the need for growth, and intrinsic motivation is important, there are three basic needs according to this theory: competence, relatedness and autonomy. We use the theory as a lens through which to interpret or modify teaching and ask if it holds true in all examples or are there gaps? Th...

In this episode Dipti, Paras and myself discuss a paper describing a training intervention around referral communication. We examine the methods and what level of Kirkpatrick’s model of training outcomes is demonstrated. We reflect on the findings and consider whether there are other conclusions which can be drawn. And of course we each share our ‘take-home’s’ to improve our own practice and help...

In this episode I interview Dr Chandra Ohri, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine, and Phase 2 Director of Clinical Studies at University of Leicester Medical School. This was recorded in March 2022 - which gives you an idea of how tricky it’s been getting the pod up and running! Even though it’s a bit dated, there are some interesting points and nuggets of advice for budding educators out there. A...

In this episode Paras, Dipti and I review a paper on Cognitive Load Theory. To set the scene I quickly outline the Human Memory Model and then focus on ‘Working Memory’. We then discuss how Cognitive Load Theory has a real impact on teaching and touch on how this is related to effective learning strategies. Expertise reversal effect, congruence, split attention principle and the modalities of work...