Topping out for new Medical School building

On Monday 9 December a topping out ceremony marked an important milestone for the new Kent and Medway Medical School building (KMMS) at the University’s Canterbury campus.

The building, which is due to open in July 2020, will provide students with an inspirational learning and study environment containing a 150-seat lecture theatre, seminar rooms, IT suites, social spaces and a GP simulation suite.

KMMS is a collaboration between the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University. It will offer first-class medical education and research, combining the existing high-quality clinical teaching and research strengths of the two universities. From 2020, it will offer a five-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (BM BS) degree with medical placements in Primary, Community, Mental Health and Secondary Care settings across Kent and Medway. Based at the universities’ Canterbury campuses, ihttps://kmms.ac.uk/study/t is Kent and Medway‘s first medical school and aims to be first choice for all those aspiring to achieve excellence in person-centred medical care in the UK. In October, it received more than 1500 applications for its 100 places.

Among those attending the topping out ceremony were Kent’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Karen Cox, Christ Church’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Rama Thirunamachandran, and Professor Chris Holland, Founding Dean of KMMS.

Professor Cox provided the welcome and thanked all those who have been involved with KMMS since it was announced by the government in March 2018. This included the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) and Medway and Canterbury councils, among others. She also thanked construction company Willmott Dixon for their work on the building so far.

Adam Worrall, Operations Director from Willmott Dixon, provided an update on the building’s development and sustainability, as well as offering his thanks and appreciation to all those involved with the project. These included Hazel McCormack Young ArchitectsWestec EngineeringLyons O’Neil and the University of Kent’s Estates team.

Other guests included: Colin Carmichael, CEO Canterbury City Council; Christian Brodie, Chair of the South East LEP; Susan Acott, CEO, East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust; Dr Afifa Qazi, Executive Medical Director, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust; Graham Gibbens, Kent County Council, Robert Thomas, Leader of Canterbury City Council, and Richard Collins, Chair of the Foundation Campaign Board.

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Medway Council offers scholarship for Medway student to study at KMMS

Medway students with aspirations to become a doctor have been given an extra boost with the announcement of a full-fees scholarship funded by Medway Council.

The scholarship will cover the course fees for a Medway student for the full five years of the Bachelor of Surgery, Batchelor of Medicine course at the Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS).

KMMS is a collaboration between the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University and will welcome its first students in 2020.

This  offers an amazing opportunity to support a local student and is an example of how Medway Council is supporting its residents to achieve their full potential.

The scholarship will be open to students from Medway who have a confirmed place at KMMS.

Cllr David Brake, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Adult Services, covering Public Health, said: ‘We are delighted to announce this scholarship which will give a Medway resident the chance to become a doctor. We are proud to be supporting the learning and development of our students who aspire to become doctors. We are committed to supporting people to achieve their full potential and this scholarship is a prime example of our commitment.

‘The Kent and Medway Medical School is not only a fantastic opportunity for students but it will also benefit our local health care system and help to increase the number of medical students and GPs across Kent and Medway.

‘We’re looking forward to continuing to work with the Medical School when it starts to teach the first class of students next year.’

Professor Chris Holland, Founding Dean, KMMS, said: ‘This scholarship is a powerful example of how Medway Council is supporting the ambitions of the Kent and Medway Medical School. It is great that this scholarship will support a student from Medway throughout their five years studying with us.”

Full details of the criteria for this scholarship will be published on the KMMS website.

For further information on how to support KMMS please email giving@kmms.ac.uk.

 

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FIRST APPLICATIONS AT KENT AND MEDWAY MEDICAL SCHOOL EXCEED EXPECTATIONS

Prospective student applications to study medicine at KMMS next September 2020, closed on 15th October 2019.

The region’s new medical school received 14 applications for every one place, with student applicants from Kent leading the way.

Professor Chris Holland, Founding Dean of the Kent and Medway Medical School, said: “We’re delighted that applications to our medical school are so high, and it’s particularly encouraging to see so many from our region.

“KMMS and its students will play a significant role in supporting the NHS in Kent and Medway and help to address some of the issues the region has with attracting and retaining medical professionals by offering training and development opportunities.”

The medical school will open in September 2020 and will offer 100 undergraduate places on a yearly basis.

In March 2018 the Government and Health Education England announced that a joint bid by Canterbury Christ Church University and the University of Kent to establish a medical school had been successful, making the KMMS the first ever medical school for Kent and Medway.

The five year undergraduate programme will be taught at the Canterbury campuses of both university partners with medical placements within Primary, Community and Secondary Care across Kent and Medway, resulting in Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (BM BS*) jointly awarded by the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University.

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Dizziness linked to depression – Emma Denby’s PhD (funded by a KentHealth scholarship)

One of the main outcomes from Emma Denby’s PhD (funded by a KentHealth scholarship) was “Dizziness linked to depression”, which was reported by The Times newspaper.

Link to full story: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/6ad8d1ce-621f-11e9-99ae-5ebf638762d3

Dizziness caused by brain injury may be one cause of long-term depression, a study of military veterans has found.

The report discovered that balance disorders appear to be linked to anxiety, depression, forgetfulness and headaches in former forces personnel.

David Wilkinson, of the University of Kent and the director of the study, said: “Many of the symptoms [of long-term mental distress] may be driven by an underlying balance disorder which raises the intriguing possibility that if we treat the balance disorder then many of the long-term psychiatric symptoms will also recede.”

Balance function is not routinely assessed in military veterans, he added. The study, in the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, found up to 75 per cent of veterans suffering from long-term mental distress were…

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Information Day: NIHR Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) and Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR)

Wednesday 8 May 2019, 13:00 – 16:30

Location: The Royal College of Anaesthetists, 35 Red Lion Square, London, WC1R 4SG

The NIHR Research Design Service South East is hosting a half day event to provide you with key information about applying for NIHR funding. The afternoon will consist of a mixture of talks by key speakers from the funding programmes, successful grant holders and interactive workshops.

This event aims to create opportunities for budding and/or experienced researchers in medical/health, social care and public health to discuss and develop their research ideas to help increase their chances of developing a fundable research proposal.

This is also a great opportunity to network with other research and support colleagues in the region.

This event is free to attend. Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.

For more information and to register, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nihr-rfpb-and-pgfar-information-day-tickets-55757785036

 

 

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NHS Health Event – Kent and Medway Medical School

Tuesday 26 March 2019, 6pm, Universities at Medway, Pilkington Building Lecture Theatre

This is an opportunity for members to find out about the new Medical School for
Kent and Medway. You will hear about the experiences of medical students on
placement at Medway Maritime Hospital, and understand what patients can expect
from being treated by our trainee doctors.

Also, if you are looking at a career in medicine, please come along and find out
about the excellent training opportunities at Medway NHS Foundation Trust.

CONFIRM YOUR PLACE
Telephone: 01634 825292
Email: met-tr.members-medway@nhs.net

 

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Kent & Medway Medical School Update

In June 2018 Dr Peter Nicholls, Dean of KentHealth at the University of Kent gave a presentation update about the new Kent & Medway Medical School. To listen to the presentation please click on the link below:

https://www.kent.ac.uk/health/kmms-update.html

 

 

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Oncology Meeting of Kent Researchers and Clinicians – Tuesday 24th July 2018

The aim of this meeting is to bring together clinicians and researchers from across Kent to discuss both cancer research and treatment.

When: Tuesday 24th July 2018, 6pm
Where: Stacey Lecture Theatre 1 (SLT1)
School of Biosciences, Stacey Building
University of Kent, CT2 7NJ

Programme:
6.00pm: Refreshments, Howard Rogers Room, Stacey Building
6.30pm: Short talks from cancer clinicians and researchers in Kent:

Andrew Nordin (East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust)
Karina Cox (Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust)
3rd Clinical Speaker TBC
Tim Fenton, Martin Michaelis and Chris Toseland,
(School of Biosciences, University of Kent)
8.10pm: Discussion
8.30pm: Refreshments, Howard Rogers Room, followed by a tour of the labs.

If you would like to attend, please RSVP to: E.Harrington@kent.ac.uk

Hosted by: Michelle D. Garrett (School of Biosciences, University of Kent)
Tim Doulton (East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust)
Peter Nicholls (KentHealth, University of Kent)

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Parkinson’s Disease Conference – University of Kent – Tuesday 12th June 2018

Join the Parkinson’s UK Canterbury & District Branch at this free research conference in the University of Kent.

  • Tuesday 12th June 2018, 5.30pm, University of Kent Canterbury Campus
  • Address: Sibson Building, Park Wood Road University of Kent Canterbury CT2 7FS
Hear about and discuss research, treatments and therapies for Parkinson’s with top researchers and practitioners.The event will start with refreshments in the foyer, followed by 2 speaking sessions with refreshments inbetween.

There will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and the speakers will join us in the foyer for refreshments and further discussion.

Session 1 (6pm)

  • Prof Peter Jenner (Kings College London), ‘New ideas about Parkinson’s and its treatment’.
  • Claire Bale (Parkinson’s UK), ‘Research supported by Parkinson’s UK’.
  • Dr Neil Munro (East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust), ‘Sleep difficulties in patients with Parkinson’s’.
  • Refreshments in the foyer (approx. 7.10pm to 7.50pm).

Session 2 (7.50pm)

  • Prof David Wilkinson (University of Kent), ‘Stimulation of the inner ear to reduce symptoms of Parkinson’s’.
  • Trish Vella-Burrows (Christ Church University), ‘Sing to Beat Parkinson’s: a pleasant recreation or scientific treatment?’.
  • Helen Madzokere and Michal Widyma (physiotherapists working with Parkinson’s patients in Canterbury), ‘Exercise and Parkinson’s: how much and how strenuous should it be?’.

How do I attend?

This event is free to attend but places must be booked in advance.

Book your place here.

Get in touch

For more information on the event or venue please contact Beatrice Shire, Chair of Parkinson’s UK Canterbury & District Branch:

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The Changing Face of Medicine Presentation- Monday 18th June 2018

The Changing Face of Medicine at the Sun Pier Café on the evening of Monday 18th June 2018

 

Professor Treasure is currently Honorary Professor of the Clinical Operations Research Unit at University College, London and has chaired, participated and advised numerous initiatives and organisations and was a Director of the British Heart Foundation between 1996 and 2001.

He has wide ranging interests in medicine in general and surgery in particular and, after more than two decades as a world-renowned expert cardiac surgery, broadened his scope to cover both heart and lungs.

His fascination with the history of medicine led him to rescue documents from parts of

Guys Hospital which were scheduled for demolition in the course of its refurbishment in the 1990s. Among these were meticulously-kept records belonging to ‘The Heart Club’ a group of surgeons at Guys who pioneered heart surgery in 1940’s Britain. Inspired by this he wrote a book of the same name which detailed the bravery of surgeons who dared to challenge and overturn centuries of dogma using the evidence of treating injured WW2 service personnel to do so.

This enthusiasm for medicine’s past, present and future will be foremost in his presentation on The Changing Face of Medicine at the Sun Pier Café on the evening of Monday 18th June 7-9pm.

 

 

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