I joined Aston Medical School in April 2017 as the Dean of Medical Education, from the University of Edinburgh Medical School.  I was attracted to Aston Medical School by the challenge of setting up new education programmes including a new MBChB, within a new School. I also admired the international vision, the aim of widening participation through the Sir Doug Ellis Healthcare Pathway and the excellent support the University offers to its students from all backgrounds and cultures. 

I am particularly interested in how best to prepare medical students for clinical practice; and use assessment and feedback to enhance learning, especially self-regulated learning.

During my time at Edinburgh I led and taught on the Assessment and Standard-setting module within the MSc in Clinical Education.

My research interests focus on medical education and include

• Preparedness for practice of medical graduates
• Assessment, academic feedback and self-regulated learning
• Curriculum outcomes and mapping
• Widening participation within medical education

• BSc MBChB (University of Edinburgh)
• FRCPE
• FHEA
• FAcadMedEd

• Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Fellow of the Academy of Medical Education
• Member of the Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME)
• Member of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) – in practice a fully international association

• 2016 (December): £14,930 awarded by the Principal’s Teaching Award Scheme in support of the project: Formative Assessment: how useful is it, who does it help the most, and how can we improve it further? Co-investigator with Dr David Hope et al.
• 2016 (May): £36,060 awarded by the Medical Schools Council Assessment Alliance (MSCAA) in support of the project: Applying Rasch Modelling to Evaluate Passing Standards and Identify Common Strengths and Weaknesses. Co-investigator with Dr David Hope et al. (Joint project between Universities of Edinburgh and Leeds.)
• 2015 (May): £9,812 awarded by the Scottish Medical Education Research Consortium (SMERC) in support of the project: How ready is Scotland to adopt Entrustable Professional Activities in supporting transition to the early years of clinical practice? Co-investigator with Dr Alan Jaap et al.
• 2015 (May): £8,350 awarded by the Higher Education Academy in support of the project: Faltering at Transitions: Defining Optimal Support. Co-investigator with Dr David Hope et al.
• 2015 (April): £5,000 awarded by the Principal’s Teaching Award Scheme in support of the project: Exploring feedback-seeking behaviour in workplace education using Feedback Postcards. Co- investigator with Dr Michelle Arora et al. 
• 2015 (April): £7,871 awarded by the Principal’s Teaching Award Scheme in support of project: Entrustable Professional Activities – a new way to ensure Edinburgh graduates in medicine are prepared for practice. Co-investigator with Dr Alan Jaap et al.
• 2013 (October): £15,000 awarded by the Principals’ Teaching Award Scheme in support of Early Warning Project. Co-investigator with Dr David Hope et al.

Currently supervising 4 MD students on a range of topics around peer teaching, assessment and feedback, Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs), and human factors in prescribing.

Two previous MD students have completed. 

• Telephone: 0121 204 4585
• Email: helen.cameron@aston.ac.uk