2011 GMC Education Conference

Medical education…in a cold climate

The 2011 GMC Medical Education conference was held at the Barbican Centre, Tuesday 1 November.

As the UK’s health system faces unprecedented challenges we looked at how to maintain the focus on quality in preparing the medical workforce of the future. This event examined some of the hot topics in medical education and training in a cold climate.

With audience voting on key questions in medical education, and a stimulating programme of workshop and plenary sessions, this highly participative event will help to shape the GMC’s policies in 2012.

Programme highlights included:

Conference programme (pdf)

Keynote speaker, N. Emmanuel G. Cassimatis, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of the US Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Foundation for the Advancement of Medical Education and Research.  View Dr.Cassimatis' presentation (pdf). 

Debate and discussion on the topic: 'Should every hospital be a training environment?', pitting Professor Gillian Needham, Postgraduate Dean of North of Scotland Deanery, who was for the motion against Bill McMillan, Head of Medical Pay and Workforce of NHS Employers.

Dr Keir Shiels talking about training in the public spotlight during the BBC3 series, 'Junior Doctors: Your life in their hands'. Dr Shreelata Datta, immediate past co-chair of BMA Junior Doctors Committee, reflected on why she thought programmes like this were beneficial for both the public and doctors themselves.  

An illustrious panel responding to audience suggestions on the theme, 'If I were in charge of the GMC for the day, I would...'

Chief Executive and Registrar of the GMC, Niall Dickson, speaking about our recent report, The State of Medical Education and Practice, and also about what is happening in medical education.

View the conference

Catch up with everything that happened on the day by viewing the 2011 GMC Education Conference. You can also check out photographs from the day on the Flickr website.