Clinical Teachers' Day

This presentation examines how rethinking traditional placement models can improve efficiency and increase placement capacity through multi-disciplinary working. Rob Waterson shares insights into innovative approaches that support sustainable, high-quality practice learning across professional groups.

In this talk Dr Dhairyawan explores who gets heard and believed in medicine and who doesn’t, and how this leads to a pervasive culture of silencing that impacts patient safety and health equity. She will focus on what medical educators can do address this issue.

Part 1: In this brief introduction we will pose a series of questions for educators informed by the current evidence on effective teaching and learning strategies within practice-based settings.

Part 2: This interactive small group session will prompt you to draw on existing experience to share and test out teaching ideas and approaches that work well in your setting. You will also be encouraged to identify enablers and challenges to teaching that can be further explored through theoretical lenses about learning and used to shape future educator development.

Four presentations of projects and initiatives on the theme of psychological safety in clinical learning.

Join the Programme Director for an update on the Medicine programme, reflecting on recent achievements, challenges, and key developments across the course. This plenary will outline current priorities and future directions, highlighting how we are working together to shape the education and training of tomorrow’s doctors

This plenary will explore practical ways to develop an interest and expertise in medical education throughout your clinical career and highlight the diverse opportunities available to get involved in teaching, assessment, and educational leadership within the University’s medicine programme. The plenary will be followed by a Q&A with senior clinical academics.

This workshop explores the role of allyship in medical education and how educators can actively foster inclusive, equitable, and psychologically safe learning environments for all students and colleagues. Participants will examine the principles of allyship, recognise the impact of conscious and unconscious bias, and develop practical strategies for challenging discrimination, addressing microaggressions, and advocating for learners from underrepresented groups. Using real clinical education scenarios, attendees will gain the confidence and skills to become effective allies, promoting belonging, fairness, and inclusion across clinical placements and educational settings.

This interactive workshop will explore practical applications of generative AI across clinical education. We will introduce the broader possibilities of AI-mediated roleplay, drawing on projects across several professional disciplines before presenting the development of an AI-patient initiative for Psychological Wellbeing Practioner training as a practical case study – from an initial module-based activity to an interactive virtual clinic and structured clinical skills resource. Participants will have an opportunity to engage directly with AI-mediated roleplays. Drawing on this experience, the case study and participants own contexts, the workshop will create space to reflect on where this approach may be useful, what educators might need to consider before introducing it and how it could sit alongside existing clinical skills teaching. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for possible applications within their own educational settings.

Escape rooms (ERs) are popular and engaging team games, used from corporate team building to stag nights. At their core, ERs feature puzzles that, when solved, unlock the next puzzle and so on, eventually allowing ‘escape’. These puzzles are very varied in nature and ERs can range from table-top exercises to immersive adventures. ERs are calibrated to the participants, set around themes, and feature solo tasks or complex puzzles needing a diverse team to work together. In medical education settings, they have been used primarily to help groups working, rather than deliver educational content. Some areas of the curriculum are naturally engaging, and some less so. Some are vital to learn but lean towards rote-memorisation e.g. anatomy, biochemistry and prescribing. Other areas are hard to engage with as they are outside a student’s normal world, including patient safety, safeguarding, medical law and ethics. Escape Room (ER) methodology can be used to deliver all of these curriculum elements. The practice of medicine is a team game: large groups work together to safely and effectively treat patients. However undergraduate courses model solo learning and assess students individually. This gives students little opportunity to learn from each other, cherish each other’s skills and experience teams that function. ERs are a setting where this has to happen, if the team are ever to ‘escape’ at all! Healthcare courses would benefit from ERs alongside other forms of curriculum delivery but are rarely used. This session attempts to change this. It looks at what an ER does and how they are constructed. ERs are puzzles, and the session looks at how these can be adapted to healthcare, driving integration of knowledge. Approaches that foster teamwork and collaborative working are discussed and we conclude by exploring incentives, and how competition can, sometimes, drive learning.

This workshop will present the development and implementation of Academic Psychiatry in Clinical Practice (APIC), a structured biweekly teaching programme established within Sutton Community Mental Health Teams. Developed in response to increasing service pressures and diminishing opportunities for formal teaching, APIC demonstrated how academic learning can be sustainably integrated into routine clinical practice without significant additional resources. We will explore the rationale behind the initiative, its practical structure and key components, including evidence-based updates, trainee-led presentations and discussions focused on clinical application. Participants will learn how the model supports trainee development, encourages in audit and quality improvement activities and strengthens multidisciplinary learning across community mental health services. Drawing on real world experience of implementation, the workshop will share lessons learned, measurable outcomes and practical strategies for balancing educational priorities with service delivery demands. The approach is transferable across specialties and healthcare settings, offering clinical educators a framework for creating a sustainable culture of learning within everyday practice

In this workshop, we will outline important MBBS curriculum developments and explore how your placements fit into the wider student learning journey. The session will include opportunities to discuss strategies for helping students become more independent and proactive learners in clinical settings, including through the use of the digital curriculum map (George).

An informal opportunity to meet with members of the MBBS senior leadership team. Discuss matters important to you as clinical educators and raise questions or suggestions relating to the programme.

Hanin is a Lecturer in Medical Curriculum Management and Innovation at City St. George’s, University of London, where she also serves as the Academic Lead of Year 1 on the MBBS5 programme. She holds postgraduate qualifications spanning Clinical Neuroscience, Higher Education and Business Administration. She has extensive experience in teaching clinical sciences across medical and allied health programmes. Her professional interests include educational leadership and curriculum design, with a particular focus on how both can be used to promote student engagement and improve overall outcomes. She is also actively involved in staff development, supporting colleagues to enhance their teaching and drive forward educational practice.

Dr Hena Ahmad is a Neurology Consultant at St. George's Hospital and Honorary Senior Lecturer at City St George's, University of London. She is currently the Lead for Undergraduate Clinical Neurosciences on the MBBS programme at City St George’s, University of London and as of August 2026, the Academic Lead for the Penultimate Year of the programme. She was an MRC funded Clinical Research Fellow at Imperial College, London. She was awarded a PhD in 2016 for her research in visual vestibular interaction using non-invasive brain stimulation techniques and the Hallpike prize for her research in visual cortical excitability. She regularly teaches on neurology courses and has established an acute vertigo course at City St George’s. Her clinical interests include dizziness, balance and eye movement disorders and she leads the neurovestibular service, has set up an acute vertigo pathway in ED and is part of the traumatic brain injury rehabilitation service at St. George’s hospital.

Shehla is an active clinician and educator at City St George's and influential at national level in influencing the aims and purpose of medical education in the UK. She is fluent in the exceptional breadth of approaches required for curriculum design in medical education, encompassing scholarly, education, technical, scientific, humanistic, professional and leadership discourses and part of stakeholder groups that influence this debate nationally. She is a General Practitioner at Balham Park Surgery, Reader in Medical Education at St George's, and an Education Associate for the General Medical Council. She is currently Director of MBBS Development and a member of the senior education team for MBBS at City St George's, University of London.

Debasish (Debu) is a passionate teacher, researcher, and an NHS consultant at St George's Hospital. Educationally, Debu has held a number of key positions within City St George's, University of London including P Year Medicine Lead, Course Director for the International MBBS programme and more recently as Academic Lead for Quality. Debu is currently the Head of Department of Medicine. He received his academic promotion to Professor of Clinical Practice in 2021. At St. George’s (hospital) Debu was Chair of the Board of Medical Education and the trust Undergraduate Sub Dean for nearly ten years. Clinically, he is a Consultant in Renal Medicine, having trained internationally in India and the US, as well as here in the UK. He has established specialised clinics for Kidney Failure - Heart Failure & Cardio-Kidney-Metabolic conditions. His research, funded by organisations such as NIHR and BHF, focuses on cardiovascular complications of chronic kidney disease. He has influenced kidney research in the UK as member of Kidney Research UK cardio-renal study group; and co-chairs the International Society of Nephrology's patient engagement group.

Laura is an Honorary Senior Lecturer and one of the Academic Directors for Practice for Medicine and Physician Associate Studies. Working closely with colleagues across programmes and practice partners, she supports the development, quality and capacity of clinical placements in secondary care. Laura is also a personal tutor and SSCT supervisor. Her previous roles at City St George’s have included MBBS Admissions Tutor, Academic Lead for Learning on Secondary Care Placements and T Year Module Lead. Clinically, Laura is a Consultant in HIV Medicine at St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, with specialist interests in women living with HIV, pregnancy and young people with HIV. She is Chair of the BHVA National HIV and Pregnancy Guidelines Writing Group.

Nicola is a Senior Lecturer in Primary Care and Medical Education and one of the Academic Directors for Practice for Medicine and Physician Associate Studies. She is the Academic Lead for the MBBS Final Year GP Assistantship placement and co-lead of the Literature and Medicine SSCF1. She is committed to supporting clinical teachers, with extensive experience of developing and leading Primary and Secondary Care placements, including the MBBS Early Years Clinical Experience hospital placements. She is passionate about innovation in medical education, including the integration of humanities and creative enquiry into curriculum design and collaborates with colleagues at a national level. Clinically, Nicola practices as a GP in Clapham and is a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners Creative Health Special Interest Group. Having trained in paediatrics she is also a member of the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health.

Tripti is a qualified physician associate and has over a decade of experience in primary care. She is Programme Director for the Master’s in Physician Associate Studies (MPAS) at City St George’s, University of London, where she leads programme’s strategic development and curriculum delivery. As previous Clinical Placements Lead, she has extensive expertise in clinical education, placement quality assurance and faculty development. Passionate about innovation in healthcare education, Tripti has led the development of simulation-based primary care teaching for which she received a university award recognising excellence and innovation in clinical education. She is also Chair of the Education Committee for the UK Physician Associate Schools Council (PASC), where she works collaboratively with colleagues across the UK to advance PA education and support national education standards.

Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan is a doctor, researcher and writer. She qualified in 2004 and is an NHS Consultant in HIV Medicine at Barts Health NHS Trust and Deputy Director of the SHARE Collaborative for Health Equity, Queen Mary University of London. Her clinical work, research and advocacy focus on improving health equity, particularly at the intersections of gender and ethnicity. She has held numerous national charity and policy positions and regularly works with patient organisations. She is currently Chair of the British HIV Association Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Group, chairs the steering group of 4M Mentor Mothers CIC and is a medical advisor to NAZ. Rageshri is a Wellcome Collection x Spread the Word non-fiction awardee and author of Unheard: The Medical Practice of Silencing (Trapeze, 2024) nominated for the Bread and Roses prize for Radical Non-Fiction

Jacqueline is a salaried GP and Clinical Lecturer in Primary Care Education at City St George's, University of London. She is Departmental Lead for Simulation, where she designs and evaluates innovative simulation-based learning across undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. Her work focuses on creating authentic, psychologically safe learning environments that support professional identity formation, clinical reasoning, feedback, and the management of uncertainty. With an MSc in Medical Humanities, her research combines simulation pedagogy with qualitative and participatory methodologies to explore inclusive approaches to healthcare education, including co-design with patients and simulated participants.

Abbas is the Care Group Lead for Renal and Transplant Surgery at St George’s University Hospitals, London, and an Honorary Reader in Clinical Practice of Transplant Surgery at City St George’s, University of London. He is also Section Head for Clinical Teachers at St George's University of London. He sits on the NHSBT Organ Utilisation Committee and the NHSBT National Kidney Advisory Group. Clinically, he excels in high-risk kidney transplantation, including complex live donor surgeries, dual kidney transplants, and advanced vascular access. His expertise focuses on expanding treatment options for patients with challenging anatomy and high BMIs. Academically, Mr Ghazanfar has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers and abstracts on organ utilisation, recipient risk stratification, and post-transplant care. He serves as a peer reviewer for top journals like the American Journal of Transplantation and BMJ. He is also a reviewer for NIHR research grant applications. His global standing is reflected in an online PG Certificate in Renal and Transplant Surgery for underdeveloped and developing countries, in collaboration with the University of Lahore, Pakistan, where he holds an adjunct professorship.

Ban is Senior Lecturer in Primary Care. She has led and contributed to a range of university wide projects aimed at fostering inclusive learning environments within healthcare education. From 2021 to 2025 she served as Associate Dean for Culture & Development where she has helped to support diverse student and staff committees. She has contributed to the development of national guidance on supporting faith and decolonising curricula within medical schools as part of her role on the Medical Schools Council EDI Alliance. She has been involved in cross-institutional work on developing an Inclusive Education Framework to support courses to provide an equitable learning experience for all students and has worked with colleagues in the coordination and delivery of training workshops on allyship and addressing inequalities in clinical practice and healthcare science research. Clinically, Ban works as a GP based in South West London.

Hamed is the Divisional Lead for Medical Education within the City St George’s, University of London School of Health & Medical Sciences. As a senior academic with extensive experience in clinical skills teaching and curriculum development, he has led wide-reaching curricular transformation, particularly around inclusive clinical teaching. His work on this was developed in partnership with students, has been recognised through a university Excellence in Education Award and was presented at the AMEE (AMEE – The International Association for Health Professions Education) Annual Conference. He has also been a reviewer for the Don’t Forget the Bubbles (DFTB) Skin Deep resource and has a longstanding interest in improving diagnostic accuracy and equity in clinical education. Clinically, he works as a GP in a practice in Croydon as well as the St. George’s hospital Urgent Treatment Centre, bringing broad and current frontline insight into his teaching.

Sarah is Programme Director for the MBBS programme at City St George’s, University of London. Since joining the university in 2011, she has held several educational leadership roles, including Undergraduate Emergency Medicine Lead, Academic Lead for the Transitional Year, and Academic Lead for Learning in Secondary Care. She is also a Consultant in Emergency Medicine at St George’s Hospital, combining clinical practice with a passion for undergraduate medical education.

Alice is an Emergency Medicine trainee at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells, having previously spent a year as a Clinical Teaching Fellow at Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust during which she undertook a PG Cert in Medical Education. Alice is passionate about delivering learner centred education at undergraduate and postgraduate level with a particular interest in multidisciplinary education through simulation. She has experience in delivery of multidisciplinary training days for trauma and care and emergency paediatric cases.

Valentina is a simulation support officer at East Surrey Hospital, with extensive experience in the running of simulation and supporting undergraduate students in their development. She ensures the smooth running of all simulations at the trust, keeping safety at the forefront and provides a wealth of expertise, continuously striving to improve simulation for students.

Ashmal is an Internal Medicine trainee at University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust with particular interest in medical education and simulation-based learning. She previously worked as an Education Fellow at Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust where she designed and delivered undergraduate medical simulations and supported the development of student’s clinical skills. Ashmal holds a BA in Medical Humanities, which has informed her interest in social and cultural dimensions of medical practice. She is particularly interested in development of safe and supportive experiential learning opportunities in clinical education.

Hamid is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Associate Clinical Director for Sutton Community Mental Health Services. Alongside his clinical leadership role, he has a strong interest in medical education, workforce development, quality improvement, and the integration of academic learning into routine healthcare delivery. Dr Rahmanian has led several initiatives aimed at enhancing trainee experience, strengthening multidisciplinary learning, and promoting evidence-based practice within community mental health services. He developed Academic Psychiatry in Clinical Practice (APIC), a biweekly teaching programme designed to create sustainable educational opportunities within busy clinical teams while supporting service priorities. His work focuses on bridging the gap between academic knowledge and everyday clinical practice, fostering a culture of continuous learning, reflection, and quality improvement. Through teaching, mentorship, and service leadership, he supports the development of medical students, postgraduate trainees, and multidisciplinary professionals across mental health services. Dr Rahmanian is particularly interested in practical, scalable educational models that can improve patient care while supporting staff development and organisational learning.

Stian is a Professor of Psychology and Behavioural Science at City St George’s, specialising in judgement and decision making, examining how people evaluate options and learn from experience. He is also Director of Digital Education and Innovation for the School of Health and Medical Sciences. In this role he has developed an approach to building AI-driven activities to help students improve their communication skills and confidence, run in parallel with more traditional training approaches. He has led over 20 AI-mediated roleplay projects in Law, Medicine, Allied Health and in the Business School. He has published on the potential and pitfalls of AI-enabled communication and skills training and has given keynotes on AI in education at a range of events include the UK Council of Clinical Communication in Undergraduate Medical Education’s annual conference.

Jonathan is a Consultant Paediatric Intensivist and Medical Educator. He has held numerous leadership and management roles in healthcare and education including Children’s Clinical Director, Director of Medical Education and Head of the London School of Paediatrics. He was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2023. He has authored several books and a wide range of academic and research articles, exploring paediatrics, oncology, the delivery of medical education, teaching innovation and the use of technology in how doctors learn. He leads the METRO research group. Jonathan’s vision is to see the best possible outcomes and experience for patients and families through improving medical education. His passion is to train the next generation of health care professionals to be better than their predecessors.

Richard is a Lecturer in Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy on the MSc Psychological Therapies with Psychological Wellbeing Practioner training at City St George’s and a BABCP-accredited High Intensity CBT psychotherapist. His teaching is informed by extensive experience across clinical, supervisory and senior roles within NHS Talking Therapies services, alongside his continuing clinical practice. Richard’s specialist interests include clinical skills development; adapting therapy for people with comorbid long-term physical health conditions; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; and CBT-based group interventions. At City St George’s, Richard leads teaching on working with long-term health conditions. In collaboration with Professor Stian Reimers, he has developed AI-mediated patient roleplay profiles and an interactive virtual clinic to provide students with flexible and repeatable opportunities to rehearse clinical conversations. He is particularly interested in how thoughtfully designed simulations can complement peer roleplay, supervision and clinical practice while supporting inclusive and experiential learning.

Ariadna has been a clinical midwife for over 22 years. She has worked across all clinical areas of maternity care, with particular interest in continuity of care and supporting vulnerable women, especially women with severe mental health conditions. For five years she was a Practice Development Midwife, leading the education and training of maternity staff. For the past 16 months, she has been working as a Midwifery Lecturer at City St George’s, University of London, where she leads two undergraduate modules and one Continuing Professional Development (CPD) module. She also works as a Professional Midwifery Advocate for midwifery students, organising PMA days to promote psychological safety, peer support and emotional wellbeing through restorative clinical supervision.

Elizabeth has been a Reader in Higher Education Practice and Development within the School of Health and Medical Sciences (now at City St George's) for the past five years and is an Associate at the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Oxford. She has worked as an education specialist within higher education for over 30 years, leading and teaching on postgraduate education programmes, and shaping her own expertise through further studies in ethics, philosophy, and psychology of education along with associated research.

Adam is a General Practitioner, medical educator, and Senior Lecturer in Primary Care Education at City St George’s, University of London. Alongside his academic role, he works as both an NHS and Private GP in South West London. He is Academic Lead for the new Penultimate Year Primary Care Placement, designing innovative clinical learning experiences for contemporary general practice. Before returning to the UK in 2025, Adam lived and worked in Perth, Western Australia, where he combined clinical practice with senior leadership in undergraduate medical education as Clinical Dean of General Practice at Curtin University Medical School. He previously served as a General Practice Training Programme Director in the West Midlands. Adam’s educational interests include assessment, career choice, simulation-based education, learner self-efficacy, and authentic workplace learning. His MA in Medical Education dissertation explored factors influencing medical graduates’ career choice, and his current research investigates unobserved simulated GP consultations.

Mathavi is an experience physician associate lecturer and former radiology trainee. She has a decade of NHS clinical experience across paediatrics, gastroenterology, radiology, surgery, obstetrics & gynaecology, general practice, emergency medicine and trauma & orthopaedics. She is currently a lecturer with the MSc Physician Associate Studies programme and has over five years of experience in higher education. An Advance HE Practice Grant Award winner, she is recognised for her work in reflective practice and has presented nationally through workshops, posters and conference presentations. She is the module lead for Foundations of Clinical Medicine module and the sub-module lead for Reflective Practice and Professional Practice workshop. Mathavi also serves as an external examiner and contributes to Physician Associate National Examination (PANE) assessment development.

Zoi is a midwifery lecturer and Programme Director for the MSc Enhanced Midwifery Care at City St George’s, University of London. She teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and is undertaking a PhD at the University of Hertfordshire, exploring how UK maternity services support out-of-guidance birth choices. As an Academic Professional Midwifery Advocate, Zoi promotes reflective practice, wellbeing and professional development through PMA days, restorative clinical supervision and facilitated team reflection. Her wider interests include physiological birth, midwifery-led care, waterbirth, advocacy, global maternal health and clinical education. She is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and co-founder of the Hellenic British Midwifery Association.

Robert Waterson joined the University of East London in February 2020 and is the Vice Provost (Health), and Executive Dean of the School of Health Sport & Bioscience. Since joining the University of East London in 2020, Robert has made significant contributions to the University’s reputational and strategic success in health, including the development and launch of the Neighbourhood Health Hub and the creation of Europe’s first end-to-end simulated Hospital and Primary Care Training Hub. In parallel, he has grown the School and is accountable for academic quality and student experience across Sport, Allied and Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery, and Bioscience. Robert draws on his extensive academic and vocational experience in high-level partnership development and in establishing and leading practice centres, with a focus on building primary health and social care education and delivery models aligned to the University’s ambitions.

Saranne is a Reader in Higher Education Practice and Development and Programme Director for the Postgraduate Certificate in Healthcare and Biomedical Education in the School of Health and Medical Sciences at City St George's, University of London. For over two decades, she has been dedicated to supporting both practice-based and university teachers in their professional growth as educators. She is the author of Academic Practice: Developing as a Professional in Higher Education (2019), a key textbook for higher education teaching and learning qualifications in the UK. She is also co-leading the NHS England funded Genomics Pedagogy Scheme to develop a genomics education package to upskill NHS workforce educators.

Meron is a resident doctor in Surgical Gynaecological Oncology at the Royal London Hospital. She recently completed a year-long role as Education Fellow at East Surrey Hospital, where she developed and delivered undergraduate teaching, simulation and OSCE preparation programmes across multiple medical school curricula. She also served as an MMI interviewer for undergraduate and graduate entry medicine at City St George’s, contributing to the selection of future medical students. Meron has a particular interest in medical education, simulation-based learning and women’s health. She has presented educational research at regional and national conferences and serves as Public Health Lead for Mind the Bleep. She is passionate about creating engaging, learner-centred teaching that bridges the gap between theory and clinical practice.