Education

Litchdon has been at the forefront of General Practice education in Devon for many years. We feel that having a strong educational commitment helps to maintain the high standards of excellence that we aspire to continue in the future.

The Doctors and Nurses at Litchdon have to keep themselves very up to date to maintain the high standards that the local Deanery and Peninsula Medical School expect (and to answer the clever questions from bright young medical students all day long!!!). We are visited by both organisations on a very regular basis to ensure that these rigorous standards are maintained.

What type of Students do we have at Litchdon?

We have up to 3 GP Registrars. These are fully qualified local Doctors who spend their final apprentice year at Litchdon before becoming fully qualified General Practitioners in their own right.

We also take 3rd - 5th year Medical Students from the Peninsula Medical School. Students come for 3 - 6 week attachments from the University in Exeter to learn what life in a busy General Practice is all about.

What Doctors are involved with GP Education?

Dr Simon Jones is responsible for the medical students at Litchdon. He has previously taught at the Peninsula Medical School, and has a Diploma in Medical Education. He has also eligible to be a GP Registrar Trainer but is currently concentrating on the large number of students at Litchdon. He is the Royal College of General Practitioner Post-Graduate Tutor for North Devon.

Dr Angus Jeffries is now a lead for 4th year Medical Students. Dr Jeffries is also the lead for research in the practice. We are hoping to develop more links and opportunities between education and research in the near future for any trainees who are research minded.

Dr George Gardner has been a GP Registrar Trainer for 2 years. His first trainee finished his year at Litchdon and then promptly decided to row across the Atlantic and climb Everest! We try not to have this effect on ALL our trainees from Litchdon!

Dr Mark Sanford Wood together with Anne Ward (our Practice Business Development Manager) is running a medical student course on management in General Practice for the first time in 2010. This will draw on their extensive management and business background which many trainees are interested to learn more about given the changing face of the NHS.

Dr Sally Hunt has been involved with medical student teaching for many years and has developed this passionately. She has also been a GP Registrar Trainer since 2006 and has a Certificate of Medical Education.

Dr Brian Malcolm is the longest serving GP Registrar trainer in North Devon, having taught 17 successive Trainees. He also runs a Medical Student course in Dermatology, and in his capacity as the Treasurer of the British Dermatological Society is very involved with Dermatology post-graduate education.

Dr Penny Smith has been involved with Palliative Care teaching for many years and also has a Certificate in Medical Education and a Diploma in Palliative Care.

Dr David York-Moore has been a GP Registrar trainer for many years and has also organized the local Vocational Training Scheme for Registrars. Since becoming Executive Partner he has stopped actively taking on new trainees.

Dr Lucy Dallimore is involved with medical student teaching. She also spends one day each week teaching at the Peninsula Medical School and has taught in other capacities at the medical school.

Do we take medical students from medical schools other than the Peninsula Medical School?

We have a long tradition of taking medical students from London and Bristol. Unfortunately, as we are now hosting so many students from Exeter (we are one of the largest providers of community education for them) we are unable to accommodate students from other Universities.

How do I find out more?

You can contact any of the doctors above for further advice.

The Peninsula Medical School can be found at www.pms.ac.uk.

Further details of post-graduate Registrar Training can be found at the Peninsula Deanery.