Dr Neil Harrison

Dr Neil Harrison is Co-Director of the Dundee Institute for Healthcare Simulation and Director of Clinical Skills at the University of Dundee.  In his clinical role he is an Honorary Consultant and General Practitioner with NHS Tayside and Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners. 

Initially training as a general practitioner, Dr Harrison has worked in both rural and inner-city primary care settings.  His clinical work now sees him working as a general practitioner in NHS Tayside, combined with some work for the world governing body of cycling, the Union Cycliste Internationale. 

Dr Harrison’s educational expertise lies in simulation-based education.  He has a particular interest in the use of simulation for assessment through innovative work with the OSCE and new assessment metrics in Dundee.  In his role as Director for Clinical Skills, he runs the Scottish postgraduate ward simulation assessment, supporting junior doctors across Scotland.  In 2019/20 he acted as the educational expert in assessment for the Union Europeene Des Medecins Specialistes (UEMS) to establish the first European wide Diploma for Medical Genetics.  Dr Harrison also has particular expertise in simulation curriculum design.  Endorsed by the Scottish Foundation Programme, he led the successful development and integration of the first national simulation programme for all junior doctors across Scotland. 

In his role as Co-Director for the Dundee Institute for Simulation, Dr Harrison is passionate about the development of simulation faculty.  As well as delivering faculty development courses in the UK and internationally, he worked on the Kuwait Scotland Health Innovation Network delivering the simulation aspect of a Masters level programme in Diabetes Care, Education and Management for health care professionals in Kuwait.  He now co-leads the simulation teaching for the Centre for Medical Education’s Masters programme in Dundee.  Additionally, in 2018 he was a member of a team of experts developing the national Scottish faculty development strategy and training programme.

Dr Harrison is passionate about promoting and supporting research and scholarship in medical education, with a particular focus on simulation.  In recognition of this work, he was appointed as chair of the International Clinical Skills Conference, run by Monash University in Australia.