News

Selecting tomorrow's doctors

(12 May 2003)

The University of Durham is seeking to recruit community representatives from the region who can help academics and clinicians select tomorrow’s doctors.

People interested in training as interviewers are invited to attend an introductory open meeting at Bishop Auckland Town Hall on Wednesday 14 May at 6.30 p.m.

The University’s new Phase 1 Medicine course currently recruits 95 students per year onto the course at Queen’s Campus, Stockton through a structured interview process which assesses a range of personal qualities, attitudes and skills that are desirable qualities to be a doctor. A wide range of community representatives are currently involved but more volunteers are required.

Interview panels comprise of two people drawn from a group of academics, clinicians and community representatives and all interviewers undergo a common training programme. Interviewers will need to be available to help with student selection for at least 2 days each year during the January to March period.

Dr Jackie Spence, Widening Access Officer for Medicine at the University of Durham said:”student selection for entry to Phase 1 Medicine is not only through gaining the required entry grades but also through the structured interview. The approach to student recruitment is that while academic competence is required, academic brilliance should not take precedence over personal qualities”.

There is currently a shortage of doctors in the North East region and the University of Durham is hoping to attract many of its medical students from the local area. It is hoped that students from the area will be familiar with its particular health and social problems and will consequently make better doctors if they stay in the region to practice.

As part of their commitment to the economic regeneration of the Durham Dales and Wear Valley area, the Durham Dales Primary Care Trust and the University of Durham Phase 1 Medicine are collaborating to encourage community involvement in recruitment of health care staff.

Dr David Landes, Director of Public health at Durham Dales PCT said:”the involvement of community members in recruitment of health care staff should ensure a future supply of high quality people to supply health services. Those currently involved find it a very rewarding and worthwhile activity”.

For more information contact

Dr David Landes, Durham Dales PCT on 01388-458-835 or e-mail David landes@durhamdalespct.nhs.uk

Dr Jackie Spence, Widening Access Officer for Phase 1 Medicine, University of Durham on 0191-334-0330 or e-mail jacqueline.spence@durham.ac.uk

1. There is currently a shortage of doctors in Britain. In the North East, medical education is delivered through a partnership between the Universities of Newcastle and Durham, together with a region-wide NHS infrastructure of acute hospitals, general practices and public health units, serving a patient population of 3.5 million.
2. The first Phase 1 Medicine students were admitted to the University of Durham’s Queen’s Campus at Stockton in October 2001. 95 students per year are currently admitted onto the course which is a joint venture with the University of Newcastle. Students spend the first two years at Stockton before completing the remainder of their training with the University of Newcastle.
3. 57% of the current cohort of Phase 1 Medicine students are from the region and it is hoped that students who are familiar the region’s particular health and social problems and will consequently make better doctors if they stay in the area to practice.
4. The Phase 1 Medicine teaching programme is distinctive, providing an innovative programme of medical education, aimed at producing more doctors with a deeper awareness of the social context of medical practice. Training is designed to help students respect and relate well to patients and colleagues from a wide range of backgrounds, maintaining the ’community-centred’ approach to medicine in their future careers. Students team up with activities in voluntary services, covering issues at grass-roots community level, beneficial and responsive to the needs of the local community, which is backed up by classroom debate and analysis.