Hopeful medics at Solihull Sixth Form College got a taste of undergraduate study last week, when doctors from Keele University visited to deliver problem-based learning workshops.
Students from the College’s Pre-Medical School enrichment attended to discover a particular teaching style in Higher Education medical schools. Dr Andrew Morris, Dr Rebecca Makenzie and medical student Nivetha Kalarani from Keele University introduced the students to problem-based learning, in which they explored how medical conditions are diagnosed. They problem-solved a case study for an infectious disease, which turned out to be Dengue fever. A follow-up session at Keele’s state-of-the-Art labs is planned later in the year, which builds on the work done last week.
This specialist enrichment is offered to those students who have serious ambitions to study Medicine at university. It is a popular option for students to pursue alongside their main programme of study because it gives them an opportunity to take part in valuable activities related to the profession and supports them in making what is a challenging application into a highly competitive field. The problem-based learning (PBL) structure of the workshop is a more common learning technique at Keele University than other universities that favour a lecture-style approach to learning.
Assistant Principal Trevor Irving commented:
“We are grateful to Drs Morris and Makenzie from Keele University for taking time out to visit the College and work with our students. Having a current medical student in the shape of Nivetha present was also incredibly valuable, as she was able to offer a very useful insight to our students, who hope to be in her position in a few years’ time. The College’s relationship with Keele University has been strong for a number of years and their sessions always inspire our budding medics. We had to move to online events during the pandemic, but it was great to have their staff back on campus in person.”
As well as a Pre-Medical School, the College offers many other specialist academies that are aimed at boosting students’ university chances in particularly competitive fields of study. They include a STEM Programme, Psychology Research School, English Academy, Social Sciences Academy, Teaching Academy, Visual Arts Academy and a new option called CSI Solihull for those interested in criminology and forensics.
28 March 2022