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Dr Jo Harris – New Deputy Director of Primary Care Education

Dr Jo Harris has been appointed as the Deputy Director in Primary Care Education in the Department Primary Care & Public Health at Imperial College London. Dr Harris comments on her new role:

"I am excited to be taking on the post of Deputy Director in Primary Care Education at Imperial College London, although quite daunted to be filling the shoes of Graham Easton who has been ably performing the role for the last three years.

I am a general practitioner in Hammersmith and although quite new to the department I have been teaching Imperial students for 15 years. In fact I attended this medical school as a student myself so the Reynolds Building has felt like home longer than I care to remember! I am also Deputy Head of the Final Year Undergraduate Teaching at Imperial College London and together with roles in clinical communication and admissions, feel ideally placed to link the work of the Department of Primary Care with the medical school as a whole.

I have recently completed my MA in Medical Education with my research project looking at Foundation doctors acting as near–peer tutors on a transition course for final year medical students. I balanced the work for my MA with training for my first half marathon in which I raised £1600 for the Stroke Association.

These are fast-changing times for our department with the medical school keen to follow a national initiative to increase the proportion of undergraduate teaching occurring in the community. This also offers great opportunities. I am looking forward to working with you and facilitating these changes."

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