Ninewells Hospital, Where it all happens
Ninewells Hospital and Medical School is one of 4 clinical medical schools in Scotland. Always an innovator in the field of medical education, the University has a strong reputation for producing high quality, well trained, well prepared, junior doctors. Times are changing: decreasing junior doctor numbers, permanent reduction in junior doctor hours, increasing reliance on senior doctors for service provision – all putting pressure on those who teach, mentor, and supervise our medical students. Ninewells is not alone in facing these problems; the challenge is to be met by all medical schools in the UK, and further afield.
In September 2009, DundeeChest was set up to help support the phase 2 students within Ninewells during their respiratory medicine block. Essentially a blog to provide extra information after lectures, the site swelled to become a resource repository, question and answer forum, guideline dissemination site, and locus for student interaction. Within 1 month of launching the site had received over 8000 visits, and the support of the student body. On the back of DundeeChest came DundeeHeart, DundeeGP, DundeePsych and CancerDundee. Soon we will see DundeeBones join the Dundee Blogging Network.
The Original DundeeChest
The original DundeeChest site was an experiment; a trial run. DundeeChest 2.0 was another try to make a more functional site. It didn’t work as well as I’d hoped, but did allow me to experiment with the podcasting, and some resource management. Finally I took the decision to get some dedicated hosting space, and control the website a little more. Hence DundeeChest 3.0. It continues to be largely an experiment. I know the students are used to a web based format for their social interactions, so I know they have the access, the hardware, and the understanding to access this form of content for learning. As with everything, content is king, so now I have to put my content where my concept is, and provide a useful resource for the students.
So the short term plan is to plump out the pillows of DundeeChest 3.0; fill up with content, and sort out the technical aspects. Every day a new technical issue, every day something learned by me. The site needs to be fully operational (much like the deathstar) by the start of September, when the next phase 2 chest block is. Ideally some more contributors would be a nice addition.
Rome wasn’t built in a day – every day another brick in the wall of DundeeChest 3.0
