Aberdeen - Association for the Study of Medical Education, P&J Live, July 2022

Aberdeen Art Gallery. © Visit Aberdeenshire / Damian Shields
The Association for the Study of Medical Education Annual Scholarship Meeting is an event that discusses the methodology of how to teach medicine.
Scotland has a large healthcare sector that is facing ever greater pressures and challenges. As populations age, acute healthcare issues are becoming more prevalent and serious challenges like Covid-19 have put an enormous stress on our healthcare services. Like in many other parts of the UK, the healthcare sector in Scotland has also seen recruitment challenges and a shortage of key workers.
There is a clear need to support and engage with these professionals who study the best methods of delivering an education for a medical role. And not just doctors, but all healthcare workers. In the area of nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals, the Scottish government has a clear policy to help attract and support new entrants into those professions.
The quality of the workforce produced is linked to the quality of the education they receive. The Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME) Annual Scholarship Meeting is an excellent opportunity to further that goal in Scotland and for practitioners, scholars and policy leads to engage with the latest thinking as we continue to advance the healthcare profession. The country also has a clear policy to attract senior school pupils into medical careers, something which is being directly advanced by ASME in Aberdeen.
This year the ASME Annual Scholarship Meeting will be hosted at P&J Live in Aberdeen. We spoke to Kim Stephen, Head of Sales at P&J Live, about the impact the event will have:
"Aberdeen has been in discussion with ASME since August 2019. The bid has been supported by NHS Grampian, Opportunity North East and the University of Aberdeen - showcasing a strong regional and city wide support for the bid.
"I originally reached out to ASME to share more information about P&J Live, and the conversation grew from there. I visited their offices, before they visited us for a show round to see the venue in person. Although there were no LOC requirements as part of the bid process, we do have one set up now, drawing its membership from supporting organisations. Support from those local organisations outlined in the bid was key, and the facilities P&J can offer work so well for their needs too in terms of space and size.
"ASME was impressed by the world class facilities we had at our disposal, along with the flexibility and number of rooms available to them. The University of Aberdeen is one of the oldest medical schools in the UK, with medical education one of the main research themes in the institute - so there was a strong connection to the city and its medical traditions and current research output.
"There will be an international audience for the conference, with delegates attending from around the world, including Canada, Pakistan, USA, Australia, Sudan, South Africa, Republic of Ireland, Germany and more. The event is a fantastic boost for the city of Aberdeen and a great way to showcase Scottish research to an international audience."
We also spoke to ASME about their outreach plans, and specifically their policy aligned plan to engage with local senior pupils:
"We are working with the University of Aberdeen. Some of our directors are based there, and three lecturers from the university are members of our local organising committee. We are currently offering tours to the university and its research units to delegates.
"We will also be inviting high school students (based in Aberdeen) from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend the conference.
"ASME ENRICH Opportunities offer an exciting experience for a selected number of pupils in S5 or S6 to attend the conference for free. This national initiative is designed to actively support young people interested in developing their interests and insight into the field of medical and healthcare education. This year we are collaborating with REACH hosted at the University of Aberdeen."

P&J Live, Aberdeen. © Visit Aberdeenshire / Damian Shields