Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) has been recognised in the Higher Education Academy 2018 Teaching Excellence Awards.
Dr Claire Smith, Head of Anatomy at BSMS, has received a National Teaching Fellowship and the Time for Dementia Team has won a Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE). These highly competitive awards are supported by the University of Brighton’s Centre for Learning and Teaching.
National Teaching Fellows (NTFs) have demonstrated through a rigorous and competitive peer reviewed process that they have made a significant impact on both student outcomes and the teaching profession in higher education. What they have achieved is inspiring and contributes significantly to the sector's efforts to continuously improve learning and teaching for the benefit of students and society.
Dr Claire Smith is an innovative educator in the field of anatomy, including being the first in the UK to begin printing 3D anatomy body parts for students scanned from a donated human cadaver. She has been described as creating a ‘can do’ attitude by enthusing students and fellow teachers. Dr Smith said: “I am thrilled to win this award and would like to dedicate it to all the students who continue to inspire me and to the team at BSMS who continue to enhance and push the boundaries of our students learning experience.”
The Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence celebrates and recognises collaborative work that has had a demonstrable impact on teaching and learning, gaining an award provides teams with national recognition and a profile for developing their collaborative work.
Commenting on the CATE award, Juliet Wright, Professor in Elderly Medicine, Director of Undergraduate Teaching and Learning at BSMS, who leads the team, said: “The Time for Dementia project is a wonderful example of how we can enable the healthcare professionals of the future to be better at understanding and empathising with people with dementia. Winning the Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence is a huge tribute to the entire Time for Dementia team, our families living with dementia, our colleagues at partner institutions and our students, all of whom have formed an incredible partnership to make the initiative and its impact so very special.”
Professor Malcolm Reed, Dean of BSMS, said: “I am delighted that both Claire and the Time for Dementia initiative have been recognised in the UK Teaching Excellence Awards. These richly-deserved awards are a clear indication of the high-quality educators we are privileged to have at BSMS who continue to improve and enhance the learning experience and our students’ prospects on a daily basis.”