Plymouth Science Park is providing a high-tech training facility for students studying medicine and other health-related degrees at the University of Plymouth's Peninsula Medical School.
The medical school, which is committed to outstanding clinical education, strong social engagement and world-class research, has significantly expanded its cohort. Just three years ago, the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (BMBS) had 86 students, whereas this year, there are 206 students in the first year of the programme.
In response to this increase in student numbers and to accommodate COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, the medical school has found it necessary to expand its learning environment.
The newly-acquired space at the Plymouth Science Park will provide a multi-purpose learning environment for training future healthcare professionals, as well as enabling new models of healthcare delivery through ground-breaking technological innovations.
Professor Hisham Khalil, Head of Peninsula Medical School, said:
"We are delighted to be working in partnership with Plymouth Science Park, which shares our vision for world-class medical teaching. Together, we look forward to developing a hub of excellence for healthcare teaching and learning. Over the past year, strict infection control has restricted students gaining vital clinical placement experience. Our partnership with the Plymouth Science Park has provided us with the space to provide socially distanced clinical teaching and to facilitate interprofessional clinical education. The introduction of Microsoft Hololens technology enables medical students to access essential clinical learning experiences, including ward rounds, clinics and surgery, from the secure Plymouth Science Park environment. The Park has already been used to provide valuable additional clinical skills teaching for Peninsula Medical School students, led by Dr Jamie Read, Lead for Clinical Skills."
The use of technology at Plymouth Science Park supports a new approach to learning human structure and pathology and the School's ambition to use technology to enhance learning.
Peninsula Medical School already boasts three human Anatomage tables, which allow for virtual learning of human structure and pathology for students at Plymouth Science Park with other teaching taking place in Portland Square on the University campus.
An 'Ultrasound Trainer' and 'BodyWorks simulator' will also be used at the Park to facilitate hard-to-learn basic and advanced ultrasound scanning skills, allowing medical, radiography and physician associate students to learn in their own time and at their own pace in a low pressure, non-clinical environment.
Fay Davies, Business Development Manager at Plymouth Science Park, said:
"Plymouth Science Park is committed to supporting innovative organisations and University of Plymouth graduates. Our partnership with the Peninsula Medical School is extremely exciting; it will benefit graduates, who will be able to access state-of-the-art healthcare and teaching technology, and will also benefit the region by providing highly trained medical professionals to work in local hospitals, including our University of Plymouth Hospitals NHS partners at Derriford."
Dr Jamie Read, Lead for Clinical Skills, Peninsula Medical School added:
"The new facility at Plymouth Science Park has made a huge difference to the education we are able to provide to students and has ensured that we can graduate the next generation of doctors to support the NHS at this critical time. I look forward to the ongoing development of this important area."
