The launch of a new medical sciences course at The University of Central Lancashire’s (UCLan) Westlakes Campus is bringing a fresh jobs boost to West Cumbria.
UCLan’s School of Medicine will offer the BSc (Hons) Medical Sciences Foundation Year course to international students, at the new West Cumberland Medical Education Centre (WCMEC) from January 2017.
The decision has created openings for part-time teaching and support staff at the University, with a focus on maths and science teachers, as well as English language teachers and in particular those with experience of teaching English as a foreign language.
In addition to paid roles, UCLan is also seeking volunteers and collaborations from the local community. These range from organisations in the healthcare and charitable sectors who can offer work experience opportunities for students, to patients willing to allow students to practice talking to them and learn about the NHS in the UK.
The University also hopes to create a ‘buddy system’ between the new residents and current, local students and their families to provide cultural support and enrich the students’ stay in the region.
"The medical sciences course is part of the WCMEC strategy to meet local healthcare needs and its delivery, while not only bringing new jobs to the region, is vitally important to improving service provision in West Cumbria in the longer term."
Professor Cathy Jackson, Head of the UCLan School of Medicine, said: “The medical sciences course is part of the WCMEC strategy to meet local healthcare needs and its delivery, while not only bringing new jobs to the region, is vitally important to improving service provision in West Cumbria in the longer term.
“The experiences of these students will allow us to spread the word globally about what a great place West Cumbria is in which to study and work. We need the community to help us provide that experience for them, showcasing the region for future recruitment and attracting the best international students to the area to benefit patient care.
“We want to encourage our newcomers to give back to the community as we continue to develop leading-edge students, doctors, teaching staff and research opportunities in Whitehaven and West Cumbria for years to come.”
In total, 15 to 20 self-funding international students will begin their study on the Foundation Year to Medical Sciences course in January 2017, the majority of whom are intended to progress onto degrees at UCLan and study in the region.
The WCMEC is a collaboration between the University, North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust, NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and the Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. It will offer opportunities to deliver innovative improvements in rural healthcare, develop new integrated models of care for the area, and provide a local facility to train West Cumbria’s clinical workforce.
For further information about the positions or volunteer opportunities available, please contact the UCLan School of Medicine on 01772 893780 or email: cjackson19@uclan.ac.uk