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University bosses bid for med school to gut UEA amongst the elite By JAMES GOFFIN, News Editor UEA COULD soon be home to a state of the art new medica l school under rad ical plans being put together by University bosses. If successful, the move could see UEA rocket into the top ten universities in the country as funding and sponsorship pour into the school's coffers. Under the prestigious bid 400 medical students would be trained at the Government's new nagship hospital currently being built at Colney - with the first students enrolling as early as next year.
Revolution UEA Vice Chancellor, Vincent Watts. is promising the plan will revolutionise the way British doctors are trained. "We've in the process of creating a bid with the various health trusts in Norfolk. We have an innovative approach and believe we are well positioned," he said.
Qualification "We believe that we can reduce the medical qualification time from its current five years to about four, and that is the basis on which we're bidding," he added . And in a move that would break the
mould of medical training. students will be working on the wards from day one. watching patients to help them learn. Dean of the Schools of Health, Shirley Pearce, explained, "There is a huge amount of evidence that shows that problem-based learning is much more effective than more formal lecturing programmes. "Medical students can lose interest. so seeing patients keeps them interested." she continued.
Confident And Professor Pearce is confident that UEA will win backing for the scheme. "We are putting together an excellent programme and it should do well - we have the infrastructure and the experience to do it. " she said. UEA's bid has also been given a huge boost by Norwich North MP, Dr fan Gibson, who has thrown his weight behind the plans.
''it's wonderful. it is radical and it offers new ideas and new approaches. The University is ideally positioned to develop a new training for medical students.
Top league '' It would put UEA into the top league of universities. Combined with the research park, and the Schools of Science and Health, UEA would be really attractive,'' he added. Many current students at UEA have already been won over. "A new medical school would be great for the University, it would really help to raise its credibility." said Vicky Page (810 3).
Enthusiastic Lindsay Bowskill (LAW I) is also enthusiastic, although her reasons are slightly different. "The prospect of having lots of sexy doctors on campus is good'"
VALENTINE'S SPECIAL
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