Hi I’m Debbie and I am the Director of the Clinical Educator Programme and a Senior Lecturer in Medical Education at Edinburgh Medical School, but I’m also a member of the Student Wellbeing Team!
Who am I?
I am a qualified teacher with a background in humanities and social sciences. I spent a number of years teaching in primary and secondary schools before moving into higher/professional education, first as a Medical Educationalist at the Royal College of Physicians of London, and then in my current role at Edinburgh Medical School, where I am currently working on developing active bystander intervention training for all senior medical students and staff. I also recently co-developed and run the Undergraduate Certificate in Medical Education (UGCME).
In the wider University, I am a member of the Edinburgh Race Equality Network, an Associate of the Institute for Academic Development (IAD) and a member the Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology. I am also the disability rep for the Staff Pride Network.
I’ve lived in Edinburgh for the last ten years (commuting to Cambridge once a week for half of that time), but I’m originally from Glasgow, and have lived in Stirling, Bordeaux, Durham and London in between. I recently completed my PhD at Cambridge whilst working full-time, so I can relate to the stresses of intensive study! My current research interests include teaching and learning in medical/surgical education; medical student experiences of clinical attachments; equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and ethnography. I am passionate about EDI, particularly in relation to ensuring we have diverse role models in the medical school for BAME, LGBTQ+, disabled and widening access students.
How did I cope with lockdown?
I can be quite introverted at times, so I found lockdown life easier than life as it was before. I also have Crohn’s Disease, so the slower pace of (social) life meant that I didn’t get so much FOMO! I’ve been enjoying reading more – my favourite authors are Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Bernardine Evaristo, Jackie Kay, Khaled Hosseini and Haruki Murakami. I also started learning Scottish Gaelic on Duolingo and have managed to keep up a 305 day streak so far! Like most people, I’ve been watching lots of Netflix etc. – my favourite tv/films are This Is Us, Years & Years, Gentleman Jack, Shrill, The Handmaid’s Tale, What We Did on Our Holiday, The Farewell, Pride, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, The Theory of Everything, Black Panther, Song of the Sea… I also secretly love Gogglebox.
I also love to hike, do easy yoga, run (slowly!) and occasionally swim outdoors (mostly on the west coast where the water is clear and lovely). In non-lockdown times I coach beginners’ running for Edinburgh Frontrunners (LGBTQ+ running club). I’m really passionate about helping people with chronic illnesses to access sport and running/walking in particular. I’m a big advocate of “lifestyle medicine” and brought Dr Rangan Chatterjee (BBC Doctor in the House) to speak to the medical education community in Edinburgh a few years ago
Student Wellbeing and Support
Apart from medical education and research, I have always loved supporting students pastorally and this is what led me to join the Student Wellbeing team. I am really happy to offer support to ALL students, particularly those from underrepresented groups, including those who need a listening ear around disability and chronic illness. Some of the best support I have had myself has been from friends and colleagues who remind me that they understand the challenges of unseen disabilities and encourage me to keep going even when times are tough! Get in touch if you need any support or just a bit of encouragement!
Visit the Student Wellbeing and Support pages
