Sandra Nicholson

I graduated with a medical degree from Leicester University in 1988 and have worked as a general practitioner since 1992.  My interest in medical education began when I started working for Barts and The London medical school in 1995.

I gained a MSc Medical Education from Cardiff University and then later a PhD from the Institute of Education, University of London, in 2013.  Both degrees have enabled me to knowledgably contribute, locally and nationally, to the fields of curriculum development, student support and medical selection. I gained recognition by the Higher Education Academy as a Principal Fellow and was promoted to Professor of Medical Education in 2016.

I have sustained a successful track record of strategic educational leadership alongside continuing to practise as a clinician. I chaired the Board of UKCAT (2008-14) a national aptitude entry test for undergraduate medicine and dentistry.

I successfully work at both medical postgraduate and undergraduate levels, with doctors, multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals, students and patients, in primary and secondary care contexts. I co-chaired the Society Academic Primary Care Heads of GP Teaching (HOTs) group from 2013-16 which provided a national platform to champion the educational value of community-based learning experiences for medical students.

I have developed a portfolio of educational research interests, particularly in medical selection and widening participation. I have published across a range of peer-reviewed journals including books and book chapters. I currently Chair the Research Group of the UKCAT Consortium, am a member of the UKMED Development Group, an Associate Editor for BMC Medical Education, and regularly review for other medical education journals as well as the BMJ.