I graduated in medicine from Bristol University in 1983. I worked as a doctor on Pemba Island, Tanzania from 1987-89 and qualified as a GP in UK in 1991. I subsequently trained health workers in Southern Sudan, worked for UNICEF in NE Kenya and gained an MEd in Primary Health Care. Since 1995 I have worked as a General Practitioner and a medical educator in Plymouth. I worked as a GP Tutor and GP Appraisal Lead before joining the Peninsula Medical School in 2002, where my initial role was as a small group facilitator. Since 2012 my roles included Associate Head of School (Medical Education), Director of Professionalism, Small Group Learning and Social Engagement. I have recently stood back from these roles and remain an Honorary Professor, continuing to contribute to teaching and education research.  I currently also work as a voluntary refugee doctor in UK and Europe, undertake actions related to the climate and health emergency, and deliver education related to both of these issues.

I am a National Teaching Fellow, Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a GP at the Adelaide and St Levan DeepEnd Surgeries in Plymouth.

My research and publications have focused on using Threshold Concepts to understand the learner experience, the hidden curriculum, capability, shared decision making, multi-morbidity consultations and Problem Based Learning. I have particular interests in professionalism learning and assessment, leadership, global and planetary health, inequalities in health and gender equality.

British Medical Association                                              

Full Registration with General Medical Council (since 1984)

Curriculum development

At the Peninsula Medical School:

• I have previoulsy led evidence-based reviews of our 5 year professionalism curriculum, our Enquiry-based Learning programme and cases and, most recently, our Year 1 and 2 undergraduate curriculum. This has involved consultation with staff and reviews of the literature to establish underpinning pedagogic principles, ordering of core concepts and a more detailed curriculum, as well as designing and delivering training for staff. I led the development of a new social engagement programme and have established innovative five year motivational interviewing and clinical reasoning pathways as well as reviewing and updating our medical student biannual reflective ‘portfolio analysis’. I recently led our successful application for FMLM Leadership accreditation of our undergraduate programme. During the Covid pandemic I became confident in online teaching, successfully combining software such as Zoom, Miro and MentiMeter to ensure high levels of interaction in both small and large (over 200 students) group sessions.

My teaching work has included:

• Undergraduate: Academic Tutor for individual students, including those in difficulty. Delivered induction sessions, PBL/EBL and professionalism ('Jigsaw') small groups and interactive workshops (e.g. on motivational interviewing) as well as teaching students in my general practice. I lead regular workshops on reflective practice and 'thinking like a doctor'. I also facilitate clinical reasoning ammall group sessions for Year 3 and 4 students. 

• Faculty development: I led annual Small Group Facilitator Induction days and annual conference, trained Academic Tutors and Reflective Writing Assessors, ran workshops at Clinical Teacher events and School Away days

• Postgraduate: Professionalism: Assessment Opportunities and Challenges day on UoP FoH CertEd Programme; The Principles of Primary Health Care and global anaemia session on UoP FoH Global Health MSc

• National and international: I have run workshops and seminars at other medical schools and at a range of education-related conferences. I run an annual session on Social Accountability for Cardiff School of Medicine IBSc in Medical Education

• Member of Plymouth Cycling Campaign committee
• Member of Health for XR
• Worked with Plymouth Museum and Plymouth University to erect a blue plaque and name Peninsula Medical School lecture theatre in honour of the life of the pioneering Dr Rosa Bale, the first female GP in Plymouth