MEDU welcomes new management team from Kassel
The Faculty Medical Education Development Unit (MEDU) was delighted to welcome Karsten Honsel, the new CEO of the German healthcare provider, Gesundheit Nordhessen Holding (GNH), to Southampton last Friday 6 March. GNH is the parent company of the Kassel School of Medicine (KSM) with whom the Faculty of Medicine is running its five-year European Bachelor of Medicine programme, the BM(EU).
The GNH delegation also included the HR Director, Birgit Dilchert, Professor Irina Berger, Managing Director of KSM, and Professor Michael Tryba, the Assistant Clinical Sub Dean.
In the morning the group met with Associate Dean, Professor Chris Stephens, the BM(EU) Programme Leader, Dr Clare Polack and Marcus Parry, Head of MEDU to discuss progress to date and the next steps required before the GMC visits Kassel in April.
They also discussed preparations for the first cohort of BM(EU) students to transfer to Germany this September. Like their BM5 counterparts, they will begin Year 3 with a 16-week Research Project and after Christmas will undertake clinical modules in Medicine, Surgery and Primary Medical Care. Some sessions will be held at the main hospital, Klinikum Kassel, but clinical experience will be mainly gained from time in smaller community hospitals, general practice and also with community specialists.
At the end of the morning the visitors were taken on a short tour of the Highfield Campus before meeting current Year 1 and Year 2 BM(EU) students over lunch.
In the afternoon the visitors toured some of the educational facilities at Southampton General Hospital, including the Centre for Learning Anatomical Sciences and the Clinical Skills Department. They then spent time with the Director of BM Programmes, Dr Louise Dubras, before leaving for Kassel.
The main picture shows in the front row (l-r): Birgit Dilchert, Karsten Honsel and Chris Stephens; Back row: Michael Tryba, Marcus Parry, Irina Berger and Clare Polack.