Lecturer in Medical Sciences (Welsh language delivery and promotion)

Fluency in written and spoken Welsh is essential. 

The successful candidate will be expected to commence as soon as practicable and will be responsible to the Medicine Programme Lead and NWMS Dean. The post is based at our campus in Bangor, with occasional travel to clinical training sites and our Wrexham campus. 

Through our ‘Dynamic Working framework’ there are options to spend some time working remotely within the UK to support work-life balance. *Fractional part-time appointments and Job Sharing arrangements will be considered and will be discussed at interview.

This post is subject to a satisfactory Disclosure &; Barring Service check. 

Applications will only be accepted via our on-line recruitment website: jobs.bangor.ac.uk. However, in cases of access issues due to disability, paper application forms are available by telephoning 01248 383865. 

Informal enquires can be made by contacting Professor Mike Larvin, NWMS Dean: [email protected] . 

Closing date for applications: 10 April 2024
Committed To Equal Opportunities.

Bangor University

Our mission is for a research-led University of and for North Wales, providing transformative learning experiences and nurturing a positive impact on society regionally, nationally, and internationally driven by our ‘Strategy 2030’.

In 2022 the University was rated as the Top University in Wales in the ‘Student Crowd’ awards, Top 5 UK University in the ‘WhatUni? Student Choice Awards’, Top 20 in the National Student Survey, Top 20 for Teaching Quality in the Sunday Times Good University Guide, and 10th of 153 UK Universities in the ‘People and Planet’s Most Sustainable Universities’ ranking.

Across the University, research and teaching are closely inter-linked: almost all academic researchers teach, ensuring that our students benefit from the knowledge created by our research. In REF2014, 77% of Bangor’s research was scored as 4* or 3*. In the most recent REF2021, this increased to 85%, with 40% of research considered 4*/world-leading and 45% rated as 3*/internationally excellent.

College

The College of Medicine and Health comprises of the North Wales Medical School, School of Health Sciences, the School of Psychology and Sports Sciences. The College has long established formal links with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. This enables an integrated approach to developing research, training, medical and healthcare education that serves the needs of North Wales.

North Wales Medical School

The School is the focus for medical education and research at Bangor University, and offers a career-spanning portfolio of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes including C21 Medicine (Cardiff University franchised until Sept 2024), Physician’s Associate, Biomedical Science, Medical Science and Pharmacology. The School’s portfolio continues to expand, with the independent North Wales Medical School programme planned to commence in 2024 and a new Pharmacy MPharm programme is due to commence in 2025 subject to General Pharmaceutical Council approval.

We hold an Athena SWAN Silver award in recognition of our commitment to and progress towards gender equality within the University's policies, practices, and culture. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. All members of staff have a duty to ensure their actions are in line with the overall environmental aims of the University and minimise their environmental impact.

The School’s mission is to champion and promote excellent interprofessional medical, health and social care, research, scholarship, teaching and learning, quality and values with people who use services, practitioners, and stakeholders; to promote language and cultural competence relevant to local, national and international partners, and to provide an inclusive culture and environment for staff and students within the School. Building on the strengths of Bangor University and Cardiff University higher education provision, the Cardiff C21 North Wales Medicine programme is delivered at Bangor University through a collaborative approach, creating an excellent medical educational environment that exploits the unique characteristics of the region. The programme includes state-of-the-art campus facilities for basic science, clinical simulation and skills training. Clinical exposure is gained across an extensive network of General Practices, primary, community and secondary care facilities across North Wales in close collaboration with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Students gain a rich experience across urban, rural and remote healthcare settings that reflect the spectacular geography of the region.

Plans for the successor, independent North Wales Medical School programme are progressing well, aiming to commence from 2024 onwards. The new programme will closely follow the current Cardiff C21 North Wales programme, with Cardiff University School of Medicine acting as the contingency partner required by the GMC. At present, we deliver Years 2 to 5 of the Cardiff C21 programme, and our intake consists of a mix of graduate entrants who complete a ‘catchup’ summer school before joining by direct entry students who have successfully completed Year 1 studies in Cardiff. From 2024 all 5 years of the North Wales Medical School programme will be delivered at Bangor University. During Years 1 and 2, students build a solid foundation of medical science using a case-based learning approach, along with clinical skills and simulation training and early patient contact sessions. This prepares students for Year 3, which consists of an innovative longitudinal integrated clerkship based in a General Practice, with students living within and contributing to a local community. Years 4 and 5 comprises clinical rotations in hospital and primary care, in preparation for initial employment as NHS employment as Foundation House Officers. The C21 North Wales programme commenced in 2019, and the first class will graduate in June 2023.

The main purpose of the role is to be primarily responsible for delivery of preclinical science teaching and student support and promotion of Welsh language activities within the C21 North Wales Medicine programme delivered at Bangor University in conjunction with Cardiff University, and in planning and implementing the successor, independent North Wales Medical School programme from September 2024. The postholder will be expected to engage with and undertake a range of academic, administrative and professional roles within the School, for example, personal tutorship, module leadership and dissertation supervision. Partnership is a key theme within the School and successful candidates will work with colleagues, students, service users and providers across the NHS and other key stakeholders. There will be opportunities to contribute to improvements in health and social care provision for the people of North Wales and beyond.

Teaching related:

• Delivery of all aspects of medical education through the medium of Welsh.

• Plan, prepare and deliver lectures and tutorials responding effectively to a variety of student backgrounds, learning styles and class size.

• Lead small group case-based learning tutorials for Year 1 and Year 2 students through the medium of Welsh

• Demonstrate relevant knowledge and appropriate experience to apply scientific education for students on current medical and related programmes.

• Motivate students to proactive engagement in learning and provide meaningful and constructive feedback on the quality of their work.

• Provide students with meaningful and constructive feedback on the quality of their work.

• Supervise undergraduate and postgraduate projects.

• Contribute to developing and marking student assessments.

• Deliver and develop new Inter Professional Educational activities within the school, college and wider university.

• Act as personal tutor to several undergraduate and postgraduate students, providing advice, guidance and support.

• Actively engage in strategic and project-related activities that maximise student engagement, and that mitigate the risks of attrition.

• Undertake the role of module coordinator and/or contribute to module co-ordination procedures (if module co-ordinator).

• Contribute to the development of new programmes and modules.

• Undertake other educational administrative duties and responsibilities (e.g. membership of School boards and task groups, addressing/supporting undergraduate and postgraduate student experience, contributing to community engagement).

• Keep abreast of new professional, educational and related social, economic and technological developments.

• Maintain and develop scholarly activities in line with University and College strategies. • Publish evidence of scholarship related to learning and teaching in books, articles and/or papers in academic journals.

Administrative and wider contribution:

• To support and contribute to the work of the school and its links with Coleg Cenedlaethol Cymraeg

• To contribute to the promotion and external profile of the School

• Contribute to the marketing of programs by participating in School and College link activities and other marketing initiatives and the Welsh medium offer.

• Participate in the student recruitment and induction procedures, e.g. School and University Open Days

• Contribute to School management and participate in the administration of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes e.g. organisation of exams, contribute to accreditation/QA procedures (if module co-ordinator)

• Undertake other administrative duties and responsibilities as directed by the Dean, e.g. membership of School boards and task groups, addressing/supporting undergraduate and postgraduate student experience

• The post holder will be expected to participate in performance review and developmental activities.

• The post holder will be expected to comply with the University’s equality policies and statements, Dignity at Work and Study Policy and the University’s Welsh Language Scheme.

• Ensure continued development of personal knowledge and skills to ensure that teaching reflects current best practice.

• The post holder has a general and legal duty of care in relation to health, safety and wellbeing and must take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for him/her self and for other members of staff, students and visitors affected by his/her actions or inactions.

• The post holder is also required to comply with all applicable health and safety policies, procedures and risk assessments.

• The post holder must comply with relevant legal and financial policies and procedures and be aware of their responsibilities in terms of the legal requirements of their posts.

Qualifications

Essential:

• Postgraduate degree in a subject area relevant to medical sciences, e.g. Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Neurosciences or Medical Education.

Desirable:

• PhD or equivalent in a subject area relevant to medical sciences

• Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PG Cert HE) or equivalent or recognised by Advance HE as a Fellow (UK Professional Standards framework Descriptor 2 (or a minimum of 3 years substantial teaching experience for conversion to HEA Fellowship within 3 years of appointment)

Experience/Knowledge - Teaching

Essential:

• Sound knowledge of a relevant subject area e.g. Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology or Biochemistry

• Evidence of teaching in clinical or academic settings

Desirable:

• Experience of module development and delivery in Higher Education

• Experience of supervising undergraduate and postgraduate projects

• Evidence of scholarship relating to learning and teaching through publication of books, articles and/or papers in academic journals

• Evidence of Conference and/or seminar presentations on pedagogy

• Evidence of good / innovative pedagogical practice

Experience/Knowledge – Scholarship

Essential:

• Capability to develop and manage projects, and to disseminate results through presentation at relevant conferences, publication in relevant journals, social and other media

Desirable:

• Capability to publish scholarship in peer-reviewed journals of international standard, conferences, social and other media.

Skills/Abilities

Essential:

• Ability and commitment to innovate in clinical teaching and learning.

• Demonstrate workload prioritisation and working to deadlines.

• Work effectively as part of a team and on own initiative.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Demonstrable digital skills, including use of Microsoft Office suite or equivalent.

• Experience with virtual learning environments and learning management systems e.g. Blackboard.

Other

Essential:

• Ability to speak and write Welsh effectively in a wide variety of situations.

• This post is subject to a satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service check.

• An appreciation of the bilingual context of health and care delivery and Higher Education in North Wales.

• Able to travel between campus locations in Bangor, Wrexham and the clinical sites if required

Desirable:

• Understanding of the local socio-economic and cultural landscape

The University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds.  We strive to develop a workforce from all sections of the community regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. We promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language through our progressive Welsh Language Policy. We comply with the Welsh Language Standards and are committed to equality of opportunity. You are welcome to apply for any job in English or Welsh and all applications submitted will be treated equally. 

We are a member of Advance HE's Athena SWAN Gender Equality charter and hold a Silver award in recognition of our commitment to and progress towards gender equality within the University's policies, practices, and culture. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. 

All members of staff have a duty to ensure their actions are in line with the overall environmental aims of the University and minimise their environmental impact. 

All offers are made subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK and receipt of satisfactory references.  

We have a legal responsibility to ensure that you have the right to work in the UK before you can start working for us.  When you apply for this post you will be required to explain the basis upon which you believe you will able to live and work in the UK legally on the commencement date of the role should your application be successful.   If you do not have the right to work freely in any position in the UK already, any offer of employment we will make to you will be subject to you obtaining a right to work visa.   The following link provides information on the various visa routes into employment and the eligibility requirements (including switching visa status where permissible) https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas .   If you are successful in your application we will discuss visa options with you at the time of making the offer of employment.   

Please note that, in the event of applications being received from candidates on the University's Redeployment Register with a reasonable skills match to the post specification, these applicants will be given prior consideration.

Disclosure & Barring Service

This post is subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check.
As Bangor University meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions. DBS checks will be updated every 3 years. 

Candidates should note that the University uses an external Umbrella body to process  DBS checks.   As such you should be aware that, if successful in your application, your name and e-mail contact details will be shared with the Umbrella body in order that they may contact you to start the application process.