Publish date: 21 October 2021
Cardiology registrar at Northumbria Healthcare to receive teaching medal
A cardiologist in training has won a prestigious award for medical teaching for his efforts while at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
Dr Raheel Ahmed, a cardiology registrar, will receive the John Munro Medal for excellence in teaching from the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) at a ceremony on Friday, December 10.
The prize, named in memory of the late Dr John Munro, was created to recognise the significant contribution of trainees and SAS (staff grade, associate specialist and specialty) doctors to teaching and training. The RCPE describes Dr Munro as ‘a passionate teacher who inspired and influenced the clinical practice of countless doctors worldwide over a career spanning more than 40 years’.
A registrar is a doctor undergoing advanced training to become a consultant in a specific field and during his time with the cardiology team at Northumbria Healthcare over the past 14 months, Dr Ahmed visited several primary and secondary schools in Newcastle as well as mentoring pre-medical school and undergraduate medical students on life as a doctor and cardiologist.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience of working as a cardiology and general medical registrar at Northumbria,” he said. “I was provided with a plethora of teaching opportunities by Dr David Ripley, my cardiology supervisor, and other consultants, which I am very grateful for.
“The word ‘doctor’ comes from the Latin word ‘docere’ which means to teach. I believe every doctor should have the skills of teaching, whether this is younger colleagues or one’s patients to better understand their condition and its management, so I thank Northumbria Healthcare for the wonderful training experience they have provided me.”
Dr Ripley, a consultant cardiologist who is also Northumbria Healthcare’s research and development director, nominated Dr Ahmed for the award.
“Teaching is a really important part of what we do here at the Trust, as it supports better patient care as well as providing a fertile environment for career development for staff,” he said. “Therefore, I was delighted with the enthusiasm Raheel showed for the opportunities on offer to pass on his knowledge to others while he was here with us.
“Those still training are often best-placed to teach as they know what works and what doesn’t, so hopefully the experience he has gained at Northumbria on his chosen pathway as a cardiologist not only helped him but also inspired others following in his footsteps.”
Media contact
Ben O’Connell, media and communications officer
Benjamin.O’Connell@northumbria-healthcare.nhs.uk or 07833 046680.