A programme documenting the first six months of the University of Sunderland’s new School of Medicine is set to be broadcast tonight.
BBC1’s Inside Out, which documents stories from across the North East, has been filming at the new School since its opening in September last year.
Following the doctors of the future as they begin their medical training, the programme comes at a time when the need for more frontline NHS staff is greater than ever due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The School’s initial cohort is made up of 51 students from all types of backgrounds.
With state-of-the-art facilities now in use and dedicated partnerships with the region’s NHS trusts, the School is the final piece in the University’s ambitious plans to offer 360° healthcare via its graduating students.
The University now offers a full cycle of health programmes from paramedic training and nursing to pharmacy and, now, medicine. In total, 2019/20 has seen more than 2,000 health professionals of the future going through the University’s doors.
As well as providing the opportunity to study medicine to students with the required talent and capability, the School will be well-placed to address the region’s chronic shortage of doctors, which, as recent events have shown, will be more needed than ever before.
Professor Scott Wilkes, Head of School of Medicine and Professor of General Practice and Primary Care at Sunderland, said: “We are very proud of our first cohort of medical students who have demonstrated their enthusiasm for medicine and their chosen career.
“They have worked incredibly hard since arriving in September and have demonstrated their ample ability in their first set of assessments.
“As testament to their ability and tenacity they are all now engaging with their studies using our virtual learning environment and web-based platforms meeting their learning outcomes in the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our medical students, staff and institution.”