A Think Tank was set up on 10 July 2018 to discuss the topic ‘How can education and training of the healthcare team involve, reach and benefit patients?’ The Day was set up in honour of our eminent colleague Professor Karen Mann, who passed away in November 2016.

The purpose of the Think Tank was to spend a day exploring this question, inform our own curriculum, produce an editorial and support ongoing research. The nine themes related to this question were identified by Prof Dornan, who conducted a thematic analysis of Karen’s work. The topic was chosen as it linked to a major four-year study funded by the Department of Health and led by Prof Jan Illing. Prof Mann was an external consultant on the study.

The day involved participants being allocated to one of nine small groups. Nine national and international facilitators hosted a question for discussion. Each question was discussed in the small groups and each facilitator fed back to the Think Tank at the end. In addition Prof Kevin Eva, Editor-in-chief of Medical Education, gave a plenary focus on Why do we need to consider patients more in medical education?

The feedback received on the day and since has been amazing! Attendees have commented that it was the best event they had attended for several years. Others said how they intend to take (and already have taken) some of the ideas forward. The students were particularly blown away by meeting the actual people they were referencing in their work!

The Think Tank contained patients, patient representatives, Public and Patient Involvement reps., undergraduate and postgraduate medical students, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, undergraduate and postgraduate educators, members from the General Medical Council and Health Education England, academics and researchers from UK Universities (Durham, Edinburgh, Exeter, Keele, Lancaster, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Northumbria, Queens Belfast, Sheffield, Southampton, Sunderland, Warwick, York and UCLA and North East and London NHS Trusts. International delegates came from RCS Ireland, NUMed Malaysia, Harvard US, Calgary and Dalhousie’s Canada, Utrecht The Netherlands, Taipei Taiwan and Griffiths Australia.

We are grateful to ERDP for providing £1000 to support free places for staff and students to attend.

Prof Jan Illing, School of Medical Education