Staff from Kent recently visited the University of Lille to learn about its medical school offerings and discuss the potential for a cross-continent partnership with the Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS) being developed by Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University.
The visit took place on Monday 14 January with Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Karen Cox, Dean for Europe Professor Jeremy Carrette, Dean of KMMS Professor Chris Holland and Dean of Kent Health Dr Peter Nicholls given a tour of the University of Lille’s School of Medicine to learn more about its operations. The University of Lille medical school is the largest in France.
This included a visit to its Medical School building, the Biology Pathology Center, Laboratory of Anatomy and Simulation Centre (PRESAGE) to see its facilities for student teaching and learn about the research taking place across its campuses to explore research links for the University of Kent.
There were also presentations from staff at the School of Pharmacy and the Pasteur Institute of Lille to discuss its research focus into areas such as Alzheimer’s, nutrition and vaccination and how this links in with work at the University of Lille and other medical partners across the world.
Professor Holland delivered a presentation outlining the development plans for KMMS and the benefits it will provide by bringing together the expertise of both Kent and Canterbury Christ Church for both teaching and research.
Kent’s Dean for Europe Professor Jeremy Carrette said: ‘The visit was a fantastic chance to learn more about the work being done at a leading medical school in Europe and underlines our commitment to retain strong cultural, academic and civic connections to institutions on the continent whatever the future holds.’
The KMMS will be Kent and Medway’s first ever medical school, bringing together the existing centres of excellence in health and medical education provided by the two universities, and local healthcare organisations, to offer a new model of patient-focused medical education. It will also be an essential part of the solution to the challenge of recruiting and retaining medical professionals for the region.
The medical school will open in September 2020, offering 100 undergraduate medical places on a yearly basis. The five-year undergraduate programme will be taught at the Canterbury campuses of both university partners with medical placements within Primary, Community and Secondary Care across Kent and Medway.