Mr Christopher McCurry, Senior Dental Officer/Specialty Dentist (Restorative Dentistry) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde SAS Project supported: MMEd (Masters in Medical Education)

I am employed by NHS Glasgow and Clyde as a Senior Dental Officer/Specialty Dentist working between the Royal Alexandra Hospital and Glasgow Dental Hospital. A significant proportion of my working week involves teaching undergraduate and postgraduate dental students.

In order to support my personal development plan in relation to clinical teaching, I decided to pursue the Masters programme in Medical Education offered by Dundee University.

I commenced study and, with the support of the SAS Development Fund, I completed the programme within 3 years.

The research module element of the programme focussed on the interface between undergraduate and postgraduate training. I looked specifically at the impact of curriculum design in relation to the development of clinical skills and preparedness for vocational training.

There is an increasing recognition of the need for health care professionals working within the National Health Service to obtain validated training for their teaching duties and this has been one of the main benefits of completing the Masters in Medical Education. Developing and improving the quality of training given to dental students can serve only to improve the quality of care given to patients.