Student programme

We will be announcing details of the 2010 student programme shortly. 

Niall Dempster, 4th Year Medical Student at Edinburgh University, Scotland speaks about his experience at the 2009 Forum.

Student Report on the 2009 International Forum

I am a fourth year medical student at Edinburgh University; I’ve always enjoyed the challenges of research and the opportunities it presents for improving patient care. I was fortunate to be awarded a student scholarship from the organisers of the 2009 International Forum on Quality and Safety in Health Care, allowing me to attend the conference and give 2 poster presentations.

Although there are opportunities to get involved in research projects whilst studying medicine, there is little emphasis on Quality Improvement work in the undergraduate curriculum. However, a clinical manager sparked my interest in the subject whilst discussing improvements to the patient pathway in my local Day Surgery Unit. As a result, I arrived in Berlin with a little knowledge and a lot of enthusiasm.

The conference opened with a plenary session given by Dr Donald Berwick, who is President and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. He presented his vision of truly patient-centred care, revealing the tremendous scope for improving healthcare around the world. It was refreshing to listen to his unapologetic drive for healthcare improvement, which was in marked contrast to the passive acceptance of the status quo that is sometimes evident in hospitals. The former attitude is of course more challenging to adopt but is rewarded by greater improvements in patient care. Dr Berwick’s ideas encouraged me to rethink the standards of care possible within health care systems that too often dehumanise patients in their efforts to improve efficiency.

I then headed into group sessions eager to learn about practical ways of implementing positive and sustainable change. Given my limited knowledge about Q.I. work prior to the conference, I was encouraged by the opportunities available to contribute to discussions with other enthusiastic Forum attendees. I was assigned a mentor, who helped ensure I was maximising the Forum experience, and I soon met numerous inspiring health professionals and students from around the world.

A social programme was arranged for each evening, providing further opportunities to meet students and experience Berlin. I learned about the developing network of Open School Chapters, which are designed to equip future healthcare leaders with the skills to do so effectively. It was really interesting to learn about the ambitions and experiences of students from other countries.

Following dinner and drinks on Thursday night, I set up an elaborate system of alarm clocks to ensure I was prepared to present my posters the next morning. This chaired session began at 7.30am(!) and the previous 2 days of the Forum had given me a clear idea of how to present my projects and their key messages. Presenting this work provided me with valuable experience and opportunities to meet healthcare professionals with similar interests.

After the closing plenary session, I took some time to explore the sights of Berlin before flying home. The Forum provided an intense but extremely enjoyable introduction to Q.I. work, and on my return I have built on this by enrolling in the IHI Open School. I am incredibly grateful for this fantastic experience and will be spreading the word about next year’s Forum back in Edinburgh!

If you are interested in participating in the student programme, please email us to register your interest.