Dr Alison Overend

My role is to lead the MBBS teaching team at Westlakes Campus (NCRRM).

My personal journey began at St Hilda's College Oxford, as a classicist, where (amongst other subjects) I studied the Pre-Socratic Philosophers, who first postulated the existence of the atom. I became interested in science and turned to medicine as a career in my mid 20's - training at Bristol. Dr Sandy Macara was my most influential teacher there, developing my interest in the importance of the Inverse Care Law and the positive influence a GP can have on a population's health. After starting as a GP partner in Cumbria in 1993, I was able to develop my interest in Evidence-Based Medicine; I completed an innovative course in Therapeutics, under the auspices of Professor Michael Rawlins. As a result of this, I introduced a collaborative practice formulary from 1995. I gave a short presentation showcasing the Maryport’s quality improvement in prescribing at the National Conference for Clinical Effectiveness in Ayrshire in April 1999, entitled "A Practice Formulary Without Tears". I was a Registered Trainer for the Faculty of Reproductive and Sexual Health from 2002 until 2018 and provided a clinic to help people needing help with misuse of drugs and alcohol from 2000 until 2022. I left the RCGP in 2022 after being a full member throughout my clinical career.