Reputation for medical teaching cemented

Monday 3 March 2003

The University of St Andrews’ role in the education of the next generation of doctors will be highlighted to politicians, local health professionals and fellow medical schools tonight (Monday 3 March 2003).

A dinner – which will be attended by MSPs, the Deans from the Universities of Dundee, Edinburgh and Aberdeen and various local health board representatives – will celebrate the University’s commitment to transforming medical education – specifically, the reinstatement of the St Andrews MD and the new Bute Medical School.

The event, to be hosted by Principal and Vice-Chancellor Dr Brian Lang, follows the appointment of Professor Hugh MacDougall as Bute Professor and Dean of Medicine who aims to combine his significant clinical, research, teaching and management experience to give creative leadership to the University’s current and future medical teaching and research programmes.

The Faculty of Medicine and MD degree were relinquished in 1966 as part of the process of establishing a separate Medical School at the University of Dundee. The MD was reinstated by Act of the Scottish Parliament at the end of 2002 and will provide opportunities for medically qualified candidates to undertake research projects in association with St Andrews scientists and making use of the University’s extensive state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. Medical research leading to submission of a thesis for the MD degree will further strengthen the established ties between the University of St Andrews and the NHS, in Fife and beyond.

St Andrews alumnus Professor MacDougall hopes to maintain the long-standing reputation of the distinctive St Andrews medical education, with its strong emphasis on the scientific foundations of medicine while increasing clinical interaction for students. He also hopes to enhance medical research opportunities for young doctors by providing clinical research fellowships in the highly rated research facilities at St Andrews. A new medical building is envisaged, to extend facilities for teaching and research, ensuring that they continue to meet the highest contemporary standards.

The University also offers a three- year general and four-year honours BSc degree in Medical Science as part of a long-established, joint BSc/MBChB course which is completed at the University of Manchester.

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITORS – You are invited to send a photographer to take a group photo of the guests at Lower College Hall, St Salvator’s Quad, North Street, St Andrews at 7pm on Monday 3 March 2003. The event will commence at 7.30pm.

Issued by Beattie Media on behalf of the University of St Andrews For more information please contact: Claire Grainger on 01334 462530, 07730 415 015 or email cg24@st- andrews.ac.uk View University press releases on- line at http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk Ref: medicine3march/standrews/chg/3march 2003


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