Welsh Medical Students Committee Update

An update from Tom Combellack, Chair of the BMA Welsh Medical Students Committee.

The past three months have been very productive for the BMA Welsh medical students committee.

We have been focusing on finance, medical education, welfare and administration, as well as developing topics for debate at next month’s BMA annual medical students conference.

And we have successfully established a good working relationship with the new dean of medicine at Cardiff. At our regular meetings, it is clear that our opinions are being listened to and that our suggestions have been followed up and acted upon by the medical school.

These include having a clearer administrative structure, improving communication, addressing teaching inconsistency across Wales, and highlighting the importance of internet access for students on placements.

Throughout our exchanges the dean has been explicit about the issues leading to last year’s examination problems and the changes that have been made to ensure such a scenario does not happen again.

We are actively feeding into the Welsh healthcare funding review, and are working closely with the key stakeholders to ensure that medical students are not taken for granted and that any myths about medical student finances are dispelled.

The MSC’s Need for Change report on medical student finance and results from the focus groups for the English NHS bursary consultation have been instrumental in sending a clear message about our plight.

Medical student placements are currently financed through a funding stream known as the service increment for teaching. This helps the NHS meet the extra costs associated with teaching medical students. The WMSC believes it lacks accountability, and we intend to push for a more transparent system. In 2006, we used the Freedom of Information Act to ask trusts in Wales how the money was spent. Their answers showed it was not always spent the way it should be. We have now asked the same question. We will compare the results, and that analysis will influence our policy.

WMSC vice-chair Rob Seal, has been developing a finance questionnaire for graduate students.

Financially, these students form a very vulnerable group, and the results of the questionnaire will also shape our future work.

If you would like to raise any issues or enquire about our work, then please contact us via Lynn Steer by emailing LSteer@bma.org.uk.

2010 for Medical Students in Wales

In 2010, the Welsh Medical Schools Committee (WMSC) will be working hard to forge better standards for medical students across a broad range of tough issues. Our priorities include improving standards of education and reducing the financial burden on medical students.

In September 2009, Swansea medical school welcomed its first cohort that will complete all four years of the graduate entry programme at Swansea University. As the course evolves and grows, so too does the WMSC. We have one of the strongest committees I have had the fortune to be a part of so I have great optimism for a successful year.

Last year Cardiff University appointed a new Dean of Medicine. Over the course of the year we hope to build a strong working relationship with him with the goal of improving education and administration for medical students. The work we have done together so far has been very encouraging and we are very grateful for his frankness and willingness to discuss our concerns. The change in administration and exam mark processing protocols are of paramount importance, as we never want to see a repeat of last year's debacle.

Financial issues are a continuous cause for concern for medical students. The average debt upon graduating is approximately £37,000 and with the proposed lift of the cap on tuition fees as well as the reform of the NHS bursary system this could lead to student debt mounting even further. This not only penalises students across the board but will almost certainly disproportionally reduce applications from students of a lower socio-economic background. This is unacceptable. As the WMSC we are in the unique position to lobby for a fairer system that will benefit medical students across Wales. We also hope to implement initiatives to encourage Widening Participation.

We look forward to working with you and for you.

Tom Combellack
WMSC Chair 2009/2010