PhD student to develop medical education links with Taiwan

A PhD student is developing international links in medical education after winning an exclusive award from the Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME) and publishers, Wiley.

Dr Jamie Read, from the University of Plymouth, will be travelling to Chang Gung Medical Education Research Centre in Taiwan next year after receiving the ‘Medical Education’ Travelling Fellowship.

Working as part of the University’s Collaboration for the Advancement of Medical Education Research and Assessment (CAMERA), Jamie is the sole recipient of the award in 2018 and his research interest is in the cultural differences in medical education – particularly how students respond to, and recover from, failure.

As an Elderly Care Registrar at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, his working life balances clinical practice, teaching and research, and he will be learning from the Taiwanese institution, as well as sharing learning practice from the University of Plymouth.

Jamie, who graduated from Peninsula Medical School (then Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry) in 2010, said:

“A medical degree is one of the most challenging and rewarding things a student can undertake, and it’s vital that these degrees are taught well to give students the best grounding possible. Most students at medical school excel in their study with the support available, but occasionally there are those who fail an exam first time, or need reviewing for patient safety.

“My area of research is looking at the cultural differences in how students in the UK and beyond respond to failure, so they can be better supported. A team at Chang Gung also has expertise in how medical students are taught, and so I’m delighted to have the opportunity to go and work alongside them to research further into students’ experiences, thanks to ASME. I’m set to travel there in February 2019, and I’m really looking forward it.”

Professor Hilary Neve, Professor in Medical Education in Peninsula Medical School, said:

“Being a doctor is a hugely responsible job, so it’s vital that medical students are taught in the most effective ways possible for both their own understanding, and patients’ safety. With modules on community engagement and inter-professional learning as well as anatomy, we at Peninsula aim to develop the best rounded professionals we possibly can and we’re delighted that Jamie – as a graduate and current PhD student – has the opportunity to share with and learn from Chang Gung. This travelling fellowship is the only one awarded and very prestigious, so we’re very proud of his achievement.”

Karen Mattick, Director of Awards at ASME, said:

“ASME and Wiley are delighted to have awarded Jamie Read the Medical Education Travelling Fellowship in 2018. This prestigious fellowship aims to enable recipients to gain further experience that will strengthen health professional education research efforts. Jamie’s visit to Taiwan shows clear potential to achieve this.”