FURTHER PARTICULARS FOR UNDERGRADUATE SECRETARY, LANCASTER MEDICAL SCHOOL

Lancaster University’s collaboration with the University of

Lancaster University was a partner in the ’s bids for additional medical student numbers in 1999 and 2001, which resulted in 90 new places. Lancaster’s role was to provide Special Study Modules and opportunities for intercalated masters degrees in areas of the sciences, social sciences, statistics and management with relevance and application in the medical curriculum. Lancaster has distinctive research and teaching strengths in these areas which complement Liverpool’s biomedical offerings. The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust was also a partner in these bids, and has worked with Liverpool over the last few years to establish increasing numbers of high quality practice placements in its hospitals in Lancaster, Barrow and Kendal, and the community in the Morecambe Bay area.

The Cumbria and Lancashire Medical and Dental Consortium (consisting of the University of Liverpool, Lancaster University, the and the University of Central Lancashire) made a successful bid in 2005 to HEFCE and the Department of Health to expand undergraduate medical education in Cumbria and North Lancashire. The University of Liverpool was awarded an additional 50 places from September 2006 for students to study the full five years in the region, with Lancaster University as their academic base. These students are admitted to a discrete route following the internationally acclaimed Liverpool MBChB programme, with their clinical experience based in the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust and in North Lancashire Teaching Primary Care Trust. The bid was conceived in response to the Review of higher education provision in Cumbria (the Fender Report, 2003) as a way of developing the provision of undergraduate medical education in Cumbria and North Lancashire, which in turn will address NHS recruitment and retention problems in the area (as locally trained medical graduates often settle where they trained).

The students are based on the University campus, where facilities include the Clinical Anatomy Learning Centre. A Clinical Skills Centre is based at the nearby Royal Lancaster Infirmary. The Universities of Central Lancashire and Cumbria also have a role in the provision of Special Study Modules (SSMs) in their specialist areas, and through contributions to some areas of teaching. The University of Liverpool is currently responsible for the curriculum and for quality assurance; Lancaster University is working towards GMC approval to award its own medical degree, with an independent curriculum.

The Centre for Medical Education in the Lancaster Medical School

The Lancaster Medical School (headed by Professor Anne Garden) is one of the four constituent parts of the Faculty of Health and Medicine. The Medical School forms the base for Lancaster’s activity in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education and its partnership with the University of Liverpool and others, and will complement and strengthen the research activity of the other Lancaster departments which are involved in health and medical fields. It is the conduit for liaison with the local NHS Trusts, who are keen to develop closer links; these can take the form of joint and honorary appointments. Within Lancaster Medical School, the Centre for Medical Education has been set up specifically to run all aspects of the delivery of the MBChB undergraduate medical degree (Director of Medical Studies Dr Gill Vince). The other part of the Lancaster Medical School is the ‘CHICAS’ research group led by Professor .

The administrative base for the Lancaster Medical School is in the Faraday Building, adjacent to the Clinical Anatomy Learning Centre (CALC) which provides resources for the undergraduate medical students to study anatomy (no human tissue on site) and also has a drop-in space with PCs. Other parts of the teaching take place in seminar rooms and lecture theatres around campus, and at the Clinical Skills centre at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, with clinical placements in the hospitals and primary care centres across the region. The Faculty of Health and Medicine expects to move to refurbished space in Furness College in 2012-13.

There have now been five intakes of 50 students and the first intake will graduate in 2011. The current complement of staff associated with the undergraduate degree is 14 academic, 7 administrative, and some ‘hot-desking’ staff e.g. secondees from the NHS, and part-time tutors delivering parts of the curriculum.

The role of the Undergraduate Secretary

The Undergraduate Secretary will work closely with the Director of Medical Studies, the Director of Special Study Modules, MBChB Administrator and Year Directors in the day-to-day delivery of the undergraduate medical degree.

Most of the duties will relate to Special Study Module, Electives, Critical Thinking Module, Professional Reflective Document and the clerical support of years 3, 4 and 5. Other duties will include committee servicing of the Learning and Teaching Meeting, diary management and clerical support to the Director of Medical Studies.

The post will be pivotal to the smooth running of the degree, and will require flexibility as new administrative systems develop, the Medical School develops in new directions and the number of staff involved grows. Attention to detail and accuracy will be very important. The post will also involve a high level of external interaction because of the nature of the Consortium responsible for delivering the degree i.e. the other academic partners and NHS staff.