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Biography
Sarah graduated with an MBChB from the University of Aberdeen in 1997 and after gaining her MRCP(UK) in 2001, she undertook an MD. This period of dedicated research with a supervisor who was active in medical education helped her to identify teaching and research as an important element of her future career. She undertook her training in General (Internal) Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology as a lecturer at the University of Aberdeen along with an MSc in Clinical Pharmacology, gaining Certificate of Completion of Training in 2007.
Following this she spent two years as the British Pharmacological Society Prescribing Initiative Fellow where she worked on the BPS Core Curriculum for Clinical Pharmacology and the Prescribing Safety Assessment. She has found a clinical home in Stroke Medicine and is currently a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Dundee. During this she also found time to complete a Masters in Creative Writing.
Research
Sarah’s MD was in patient and doctor attitudes to hypertension. From this point her pedagogic research has had two main strands, the first in methods of teaching prescribing and reducing error, with related work around the teaching/development of Non-Technical Skills, collaborating with colleagues from medicine and psychology and undertaking work to evaluate the introduction of the WHO Patient Safety Curriculum.
She was a co-investigator on a national Scottish project funded by the Chief Scientist Office investigating Prescribing Errors made by Foundation Doctors (PROTECT) where she was closely involved in the design, funding application, recruitment and supervision of the research fellow and research assistant for the project and had a key role in its day to day running.
The second strand has examined how students and doctors manage their own health and how disability/long term illness impacts upon their professional identity formation and career. This was the topic of her Master’s Degree in Medical Education from the University of Dundee in 2011 and continues to be an area of interest. She is currently actively re-invigorating this work in collaboration with colleagues.
Teaching
After more than twenty years in medical education in two highly rated medical schools, Sarah possesses an extensive knowledge of the field. She has worked across all years, in many longitudinal curricular strands and a range of disciplines. She has undertaken numerous roles in delivering and developing curriculum threads; leading curriculum management, quality assurance and evaluation; performing and overseeing all aspects of assessment, and providing student support. Notable roles in the University of Aberdeen included Year 3 MBChB Coordinator and Assessment Lead for Medicine, Dentistry and Physician Associate Studies.
Following a move south, Sarah took on a full time clinical post but soon realized that she missed medical education. A role as Professional Values and Behaviours Lead in the University of Dundee medical school led back to life as a clinical academic. Her current role is as Longitudinal Curriculum Convener, within the senior leadership team of the MBChB in Dundee.
She is a tutor for the Centre for Medical Education in the University of Dundee on the Masters in Medical Education programme having previously taught on the PG Certificate in Medical Education in Aberdeen.
She has experience as an external examiner in Undergraduate Medicine, Post Graduate Nursing and Post Graduate Medicine.