Medical and Dental Education

The Western Trust is a vibrant and exciting place to pursue a medical career. Part of the NHS, the health and social care system in Northern Ireland provides ample opportunity to make your career stimulating, challenging and rewarding. The Western Trust has a long standing tradition of providing excellent education and training for medical students, doctors in training and continuing professional development for consultants.

The Trust has close links with Queens University Belfast and University of Ulster and has teaching hospital status on both Acute Hospital sites. The Trust also has educational links with Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) and National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) with teaching status in South West Acute Hospital for RCSI.

The Trust provides a full range of services from two acute hospitals, Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry and South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen. The Trust also provides psychiatric services from Grangewood, Londonderry and the Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital in Omagh along with the Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex with supporting community services.

Education and Training Facilities

In Altnagelvin Hospital, the Medical Education Office in the Centre for Medical and Dental Education and Training provides help and support for teaching sessions as required. Rooms can be booked for teaching sessions and have a variety of equipment for education and teaching sessions. There are also simulation rooms and a 4 bed ward area specifically for training use. Information on the facilities available in the Centre.

Medical and Dental Education (MDE) App

The MDE app was launched in August 2016 and is a Mobile App to help medical educators, doctors and students gain instant access to up and coming courses, events, documents and information.

Simulation

Simulation is a recognised learning methodology allowing participants to ‘LEARN BY DOING’ in a training environment that does not expose patients or staff to risk. Medical and Dental Education have invested in equipment and developed the centres extensively over the past few years and a number of additional simulators have been purchased for the Centres.

Teaching Medical Students

In Altnagelvin, Grangewood, South West Acute and Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospitals teaching medical students is an integral part of working in a teaching hospital. The Education Centres are designed to facilitate teaching and training in all phases of undergraduate and postgraduate education and offers a suite of teaching and training facilities.

Postgraduate Education

Any trainee coming to Western Trust can expect to work in an environment that is busy with great support from Consultants and all members of each team. All staff are approachable, listen and will do all that they can to help. Clinical and educational supervision is considered of the upmost importance within the Trust.

We are deeply committed to the highest standards of postgraduate education and each department has a structured educational programme in addition to the hospital wide opportunities – More information.