Glasgow 2003 - Themes, selected presentations and reports

|  Glasgow 2003 home  |  The Discipline meetings  | Inter-professional learning  |  Inter-disciplinary workshops  |

The two-day meeting comprised combined sessions and parallel disciplinary meetings and interdisciplinary workshops. Selection, Building Research Capacity, Health Informatics, and Inter-professional Learning were the major themes covered in the keynote lectures, associated commentaries, group discussions and workshops.

Selection

Keynote –Medical Student Selection – Rationale, Processes, Effectiveness (John Cairns)
The presentation [PDF 35 kB]

Topics

• The goals of selection
• The selection process
• Selection tools – the interview
• A survey of the selection process across U21 medical schools
• Key Issues
• The number of applicants vs available places
• Discriminating between applicants
• Identifying and measuring core academic and non-academic qualities
• Establishing a correlation between admission criteria and a range of outcomes including graduation from medical school, and skill and humanity in the care of patients

Commentary – Selection (Mary Ann Lumsden)
The presentation [PDF 140 kB]

Topic

• The Scottish Universities’ Admissions Project 2001 – 2002

Key Issues

• Defining and measuring the necessary/desirable attributes and characteristics  
• for studying and practicing medicine
• Psychometric Testing
• Categorisation of applicants as ‘types’ utilising NACE and MOJAC scores
• Targeted Access
• The need for fairness

Discussion

• The need for fair and transparent processes
• The need to promote equity and diversity
• The universality of skills and attributes such as communication skills and an ethical approach
• The interface between government and education
• The need for more research on the correlation of admission criteria to student career outcome
• The potential for cross-institutional and inter-disciplinary collaboration

Building Research Capacity

Keynote – Building Research Capacity  (John   Savill)
The presentation [PDF 50 kB]

Topics

• Broadening the research paradigm
• The iterative nature of clinical research
• The research-led clinician
• The Academy of Medical Sciences Working Party on Career
• Structure and Prospects for Clinical Scientists in the UK
• The tenure track clinician scientist

Key Issues

• Level of interest in research fellowship vs. available clinical academics
• The need to train and sustain clinical researchers
• Overcoming disincentives – general and specialty-specific
• The role of clinical lectureships
• The need for a clear, flexible and secure career pathway

Commentary – Building Research Capacity (S Bruce Dowton)
The presentation [PDF 90 kB]

Topics

• Health services research
• The interface of research with the demands of clinical service
• The macro-climate for research building
• New areas of collaboration

Key Issues

• The need for effective communication with government and the
• health sector to demonstrate the value of research
• How to promote and support research capacity
• Maximising research opportunities and the need for innovation

Discussion

• Participants identified a range of challenges, opportunities and suggestions, including the need to:
• Consolidate the student experience
• Support staff as clinicians, teachers and researchers
• Work with government/the health sector to strengthen and broaden clinical research opportunities
• Enhance the clinical academic pathway
• Suggestions for moving forward included:
• Lobby and liaise with government on the value of research
• Focus on research capacity, not just research profile
• Further develop the undergraduate intercalated research year
• Strengthen the relationship between Faculty and the health sector
• Utilise a project-based approach to research
• Link projects to clinical centres