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Undergraduate Psychiatry Survey
What is the title of the project?
Exploring the teaching and assessment of undergraduate psychiatry in the medical schools of the United Kingdom: a mixed-methods approach.
What is the project about?
The project aims to find out how psychiatry is being taught to medical students in universities across the United Kingdom. We are using a mixed-methods approach, asking undergraduate leads of psychiatry at each university to fill in a written survey and attend subsequent semi-structured interviews.
What is the project timeline?
As of October 2021, just over half of UK medical schools have filled in our written survey. We plan to conduct interviews between January - February 2022. We are due to present our findings at the RCPsych International Congress in June 2022.
If you have any questions or comments, please email
Ms Deepika Sharma (project co-lead) at dmsharma1@sheffield.ac.uk
Who can I contact to find out more?
Meet the Research Team
Dr Sridevi Sira Mahalingappa - Project Co-Lead
Sridevi has a Diploma in psychiatry (NIMHANS, India). She has an interest in medical education and global mental health. She has been involved in an educational link project between India and UK to increase the capacity of trained medical educators in medical colleges in India.
She has been to Zambia to contribute actively in the M Med teaching programme. She currently works as a Clinical Teaching Fellow teaching medical students in Derby.
She has been to Zambia to contribute actively in the M Med teaching programme. She currently works as a Clinical Teaching Fellow teaching medical students in Derby.
Ms Deepika Sharma - Project Co-Lead
Deepika is a graduate medical student at the University of Sheffield and president of the University of Sheffield Psychiatry Society. She previously qualified as a mental health nurse from King's College London in 2015 and worked at South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, specialising in psychiatric intensive care and places of safety (136 suite) coordination. Her research interests include medical education and leadership.
Dr Thomas Hewson - Core Researcher
Dr Miriam Stanyon - Core Researcher
I studied my BSc (Hons) in Psychology at the University of Reading before completing my MSc in
Rehabilitation Psychology in 2010 and my PhD in Applied Psychology in 2014 at the University of
Nottingham. Throughout my studies I have combined my academic work with clinical experience
both as a care assistant in social care facilities and as a rehabilitation support worker in a NHS
hospital. Since my PhD I have completed a number of NHS England, local council and National
Institute of Health Research funded projects as well as supervising MSc student projects and
supporting undergraduate medical teaching at the University of Nottingham. More recently I have
taken up the Research Project Manager post at Derby Psychiatry Teaching Unit seeking to evaluate
and improve psychiatry education. My research interests combine my love for mixed-methods
research with interpersonal communication, excellence in healthcare provision and patient and
public involvement in research and healthcare.
Rehabilitation Psychology in 2010 and my PhD in Applied Psychology in 2014 at the University of
Nottingham. Throughout my studies I have combined my academic work with clinical experience
both as a care assistant in social care facilities and as a rehabilitation support worker in a NHS
hospital. Since my PhD I have completed a number of NHS England, local council and National
Institute of Health Research funded projects as well as supervising MSc student projects and
supporting undergraduate medical teaching at the University of Nottingham. More recently I have
taken up the Research Project Manager post at Derby Psychiatry Teaching Unit seeking to evaluate
and improve psychiatry education. My research interests combine my love for mixed-methods
research with interpersonal communication, excellence in healthcare provision and patient and
public involvement in research and healthcare.
Dr Seri Abraham - Core Researcher
Dr Declan Hyland - Core Researcher
I am a Consultant in general adult psychiatry working in an inpatient unit in Liverpool. I was awarded by Certificate of Completion of Training in August 2016. Having studied at Sheffield Medical School, I then completed by Foundation Training in Liverpool. I always knew I ultimately wanted to pursue a career in psychiatry (since I was in my third year of my Medicine degree). I completed my Core Training in psychiatry in the Mersey region and then my Higher Training in general adult psychiatry, again in the Mersey region. I have been in my current Consultant post since August 2016.
I have always had a keen interest in medical education. This started in my Foundation Training, when I would enjoy providing bedside teaching to Liverpool medical students. My interest in medical education continued to grow throughout my postgraduate training and since I became a Consultant. My interest lies not only in undergraduate medical education, but also postgraduate.
In November 2018, I was appointed as the Deputy Director for Year 4 of the course at Liverpool Medical School and as the undergraduate psychiatry lead for the medical school. I continue in both roles to this day. As well as writing exam questions for Liverpool medical finals, I also write and review questions for the Medical Schools Council Assessment Alliance (MSCAA). I represent Liverpool Medical School on the Royal College of Psychiatrists Undergraduate Education Forum. I regularly supervise both Year 4 and Year 5 Liverpool students and really enjoy offering an optional placement (SAMP) to those Year 5 students who have a keen interest in psychiatry.
I first heard about the Association of University Teachers of Psychiatry (AUTP) in 2019 and quickly signed up to be a member of the organisation and attended their excellent annual conference in Birmingham that year. My interest in and involvement with the work of the AUTP has grown over the last couple of years and I was delighted when I was informed I had been elected to succeed Prof Subodh Dave as Chair of the AUTP.
My goal is to, not only raise the profile of psychiatry in the undergraduate curriculum, but also more fundamentally to try to help create more psychologically-minded junior doctors as they progress through their medical training.
As AUTP Chair, I aspire to grow the membership of the organisation, increase its diversity of membership and to continue the excellent work achieved by Prof Dave during his tenure as Chair.
I have a fantastic team working alongside me at the AUTP and very much look forward to helping the organisation go from strength to strength.
I have always had a keen interest in medical education. This started in my Foundation Training, when I would enjoy providing bedside teaching to Liverpool medical students. My interest in medical education continued to grow throughout my postgraduate training and since I became a Consultant. My interest lies not only in undergraduate medical education, but also postgraduate.
In November 2018, I was appointed as the Deputy Director for Year 4 of the course at Liverpool Medical School and as the undergraduate psychiatry lead for the medical school. I continue in both roles to this day. As well as writing exam questions for Liverpool medical finals, I also write and review questions for the Medical Schools Council Assessment Alliance (MSCAA). I represent Liverpool Medical School on the Royal College of Psychiatrists Undergraduate Education Forum. I regularly supervise both Year 4 and Year 5 Liverpool students and really enjoy offering an optional placement (SAMP) to those Year 5 students who have a keen interest in psychiatry.
I first heard about the Association of University Teachers of Psychiatry (AUTP) in 2019 and quickly signed up to be a member of the organisation and attended their excellent annual conference in Birmingham that year. My interest in and involvement with the work of the AUTP has grown over the last couple of years and I was delighted when I was informed I had been elected to succeed Prof Subodh Dave as Chair of the AUTP.
My goal is to, not only raise the profile of psychiatry in the undergraduate curriculum, but also more fundamentally to try to help create more psychologically-minded junior doctors as they progress through their medical training.
As AUTP Chair, I aspire to grow the membership of the organisation, increase its diversity of membership and to continue the excellent work achieved by Prof Dave during his tenure as Chair.
I have a fantastic team working alongside me at the AUTP and very much look forward to helping the organisation go from strength to strength.
Dr James Fallon - Core Researcher
Dr Subodh Dave - Core Researcher
Dr Shentong Wang - Research Collaborator
Shentong has always been interested in psychiatry and started off her medical degree application with a work experience placement in old age psychiatry. Since then, she has sought out placements in child and adolescent, forensic and deaf psychiatry and undertook a placement on a specialist personality disorders unit. She has previously been involved in music therapy research.
Dr India Lunn - Research Collaborator
India is currently a FY2 doctor and Psychiatry Foundation Fellow in Sheffield. She has a particular interest in older adults mental health and is currently involved in research at Sheffield Institute of Translational Neuroscience on a project about digital tools to monitor cognitive impairment.
Dr Jinal Patel - Research Collaborator
Jinal graduated from Imperial College London, where she obtained a First-Class Honours degree (BSc) in Neuroscience and Mental Health in 2016 and worked closely with faculty to improve student mental health as the President of Psychiatry Society. She was a Pathfinder Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists from 2016-2019. Jinal has extensive research experience in psychiatry, and has presented at multiple conferences. She’s interested in medical education, student and physician mental health, working with underserved and minority populations, and consultation-liaison psychiatry.
Dr Matthew Twohig - Research Collaborator
Matthew is currently a RCPsych Foundation Fellow and also completed an MSc in Neuroimaging during his intercalated year at medical school. His first rotation was in inpatient psychiatry for 8 months after finishing medical school and since moving to general medicine he found that the appreciation of psychological processes and basic psychotherapeutic skills he had learnt were invaluable to providing the best care. He is passionate about medical education and developing ways to more widely impart these skills to health care professionals in order to provide better care.
Dr Kiera Roberts - Research Collaborator
Kiera was elected as one of this years Royal College of Psychiatrists Foundation Fellows. She is passionate about mental health, with her interest igniting during university and strengthened by her own lived experience of mental illness. At university, she undertook a student selected component in Gender Dysphoria/Transgender Health and an elective at Arnold Lodge, a medium secure unit in Leicester. In addition, she took 9 months out of university in her final year to work as an HCA in a low secure unit in Nottinhamshire. She describes this as an incredibly challenging, enlightening and humbling experience that further fuelled her curiosity.
Dr Rahul Mehta - Research Collaborator
Rahul is a FY2 doctor and Psychiatry Foundation Fellow currently working at QEQM Hospital in Margate. He developed an interest in psychiatry while at medical school, organising Mindfulness workshops and contributing to an anthology on BAME mental health. He is also involved in educating junior doctors on common psychiatric conditions and management. His research interests include delirium, social psychiatry, and medical education.
Dr Megan Buoey - Research Collaborator
Megan is a junior doctor working in Sheffield with the hopes of becoming a psychiatrist in the future. She is part of the RCPsych Foundation Fellowship and is keen to access opportunities and mentorship within the field of mental health.
Dr Amy Mills - Research Collaborator
Amy is currently a RCPysch foundation fellow at Ipswich hospital, and as part of this she has had clinical experience in both liaison psychiatry and the crisis teams. She has a keen interest in a career in psychiatry which started during her time at medical school. She completed a BSc in psychology during her intercalation year and was president of her university medical research society. She is passionate about teaching medical students and making their experience of psychiatry the best it can be.
Research Associates
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