Professor Hilary Neve

Professor Hilary Neve recognised the profound impact that education can have on the health of patients and communities whilst working as a volunteer doctor in Tanzania. This inspired her to make education an integral part of her career. She worked for seven years in GP education before joining the Peninsula Medical School in 2002. Hilarys passion, as a GP, for providing high quality ethical, equitable and patient-centred health care, underpins her educational work, along with a deep interest in pedagogic ideas and scholarship. Hilary has championed and developed the small group learning activities which are central to the Plymouth University Peninsula School of Medicines undergraduate curriculum, particularly as a setting for students to reflect on and make sense of their clinical experiences. She has led major re-designs of the professionalism and Problem Based Learning (PBL) programmes, including unique professionalism assessment processes, innovative PBL cases reflecting doctors' broader roles and an updated PBL scaffolding process. She has developed approaches to successfully engage learners in traditionally 'hard to teach' subjects, such as population health and reflective practice. She established a forum for senior faculty to co-construct a pedagogic strategy that now guides and informs the medical undergraduate programme. She ensures that learning activities prepare students for practice in increasingly complex and global healthcare environments. Impact of work These initiatives have dramatically improved student feedback and students understanding of professionalism. Hilary's support and training of a team of over 80 small group facilitators has been key to this success. Hilary regularly presents at local, national and international conferences. Her publications include papers on professionalism, teaching for capability and the use of pioneering audio-diary methodology to research threshold concepts in medical education. Her introduction of the hidden curriculum as a tool for empowering medical students was identified as good practice in supporting students towards a generalist career. She facilitates the sharing and development of good practice through a University-wide PBL expert group, as co-chair of the UK Council for Teachers of Professionalism and co-lead of an international Threshold Concepts in Health special interest group. Plans for the future Hilary's future aims include improving the integration and understanding of social accountability within medical and dental education programmes and working with other medical schools to research threshold concepts for early years' medical students.