St George’s is an independent College of the University of London delivering outstanding Medical and Healthcare Education both in its own right and in partnership with Kingston University and Royal Holloway, University of London. Based in Tooting, south London, the University shares a site with St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust, with which it collaborates closely on a wide-ranging portfolio of basic scientific and applied clinical research. St George’s continues to be a leader in research in epidemiology, cell signalling, cardiovascular sciences and infection and is building on its strengths in mental health, genetics and health and social care sciences. In 2006, funding of some £18 million from the Research Councils, major charities and industrial sponsors supported 150 active researchers in permanent positions, 200 research assistants and 140 PhD and MD students.
The recently formed South West London Academic Network (SWan) with Kingston and Royal Holloway builds on an established, successful and still unique partnership with Kingston in the joint Faculty of Health & Social Care Sciences. Our programmes in nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, radiography, and paramedic science focus on interdisciplinary learning for students who will join and contribute to the inter-professional teams working within the NHS. Through these developing partnerships, St George’s is now introducing new and expanded programmes in biomedical science, pharmacy and biomedical informatics, and significantly expanding opportunities for postgraduate study.
Medical education, once the core business of St George’s, is being transformed. Expertise developed in delivering its pioneering and highly successful four-year Graduate Entry Programme (GEP) for doctors, is helping to develop a new medical curriculum that will, ultimately, see the merging of the 4- and 5-year programmes. The GEP initiative is just one element in a determined drive on Widening Participation that has brought much greater diversity to the student population and, with it, awards and wide recognition for its architects.
Through all the changes, St George’s has maintained a warm, friendly environment in which staff and students are encouraged to achieve their fullest potential. Its unique combination of this supportive learning environment and a wealth of clinical experience may be one reason why St George’s is so popular.