Rising numbers of junior doctors choose to train in North Wales

19 June 2009

Record numbers of medical students are choosing to train as doctors in North Wales.

The North Wales Clinical School has enabled North Wales’s NHS trusts to virtually treble the number of medical students undertaking fourth and fifth year placements in North Wales, as compared to 2002/3.

More potential North Wales junior doctors have just arrived in the region to start nine-week projects at Glyndŵr University.

Each of the third year medical students, all studying at Cardiff University School of Medicine, will be supervised by academics from Glyndŵr University, studying subject areas of their choice.

Between them the students will tackle topics including disaster management and rescue strategies, music and health, and sports science. The assessed placements form part of the practical training aspect of their five-year university degree courses.

Pauline Warner, Undergraduate Manager for North Wales Clinical School (East), said: “More and more Cardiff students who undertake clinical placements under the auspices of the North Wales Clinical School are applying to do their foundation year as doctors in North Wales. We take medical students from years two, three, four and five for clinical placements in Wrexham, and these include health-related projects at Glyndŵr University.

“Not only do the students gain good clinical experience in the hospital, but on placements such as this they’re also able to see what the area has to offer. The proximity of Liverpool and Manchester, together with the opportunities for outdoor pursuits and recreation, makes the experience a positive one, encouraging them to apply for posts as doctors here when they graduate after five years as medical students.

“In addition, their time as medical students and as foundation programme doctors means that they return to the area subsequently to undertake specialist training and ultimately for more senior posts. This development can only be good for healthcare in the region.”

Nikki Lloyd-Jones, Senior Lecturer in Nursing at Glyndŵr University, said: “The placements are an opportunity for the students to broaden their academic expertise and pick up valuable transferable skills – critical thinking, creativity, and self-motivation and direction for example.

“It’s vital that students preparing to work in healthcare have a rounded education, and the expertise which Glyndŵr University can offer in this and other fields is a valuable resource for them.”

The North Wales Clinical School (NWCS) is a partnership between the higher education institutions and NHS trusts based in North Wales, operating across the region at Glyndŵr University, Bangor University, Cardiff University, North Wales NHS Trust and North West Wales NHS Trust.

It consists of two main parts, which work integrally together: the facilities and infrastructure for teaching medical students and a background of vibrant research to create a coherent academic backdrop for students.