UHNM consultant awarded senior lecturer title by Keele University
A consultant upper gastrointestinal (GI) and bariatric surgeon from University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) has been awarded an honorary senior lecturer title by Keele University.
Mr Vittal Rao, who is also the surgical lead for Keele University Medical School, was given his award in recognition of the ‘high-level contribution to undergraduate education development and delivery in surgery at UHNM in collaboration with the university’.
Mr Rao, who has worked at UHNM for 12 years, says he is “very proud” to have received the award.
He said: “I have been the surgical lead at Keele Medial School for 18 months, responsible for the smooth running of the surgical curriculum and ensuring there are no gaps in the teaching programme, but I have been involved with teaching at the medical school right from my first appointment a decade ago.
“Having built up my educational portfolio over this time, I was appointed the Year 3 lead two years ago, during which time there was a huge rise in the number of medical students. It’s during this third year of study that students begin their clinical placements, and I was given the responsibility to accommodate them all. We needed to find placements for each student to undertake, so I expanded our existing placements into new areas and clinics, including at County Hospital, Stafford.
“Having seen the positive impact of this, along with my educational portfolio, my senior colleagues at the university decided to award me this senior lecturer post.
“I’m very proud. Many people involved in medical education are not recognised for their efforts, but I am keen to encourage my colleagues to apply to be recognised for the work they put in. It’s a massive responsibility to train tomorrow’s doctors, and as I am getting older myself, I want to make sure that when I need the NHS that I’ve got equally competent and qualified people to look after me.
“I am very grateful to the university for awarding me this honour, and I hope to continue with my work.”
Mr Rao is a regional surgical advisor of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and member of the Bariatric Committee of the Association of Upper GI surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. He is a national faculty for laparoscopic and surgical critical care courses of the Royal College of Surgeons and is an examiner for the General Medical Council (GMC) and the membership and fellowship examinations of the Royal College of Surgeons.
He has also presented over 100 abstracts in various national and international conferences and has published over 25 papers in peer reviewed journals.