University of Warwick launches new £4.2m Clinical Education Hub

The University of Warwick has unveiled its new Clinical Education Hub, set to provide training and learning opportunities to medical students and healthcare professionals.

Located at The Beehive, on Westwood Way, the hub boasts a wide range of facilities, including clinical anatomy labs, worth £4.2 million. The hub’s unique status as a Human Tissue Authority-licensed space allows students to learn clinical anatomy using plastinated (preserved) human specimens from von Hagens Plastination.

The hub also contains a surface anatomy lab, in which students can examine living people to learn living anatomy relevant to clinical practice and diagnoses made via ultrasound.

The facility offers various spaces for group learning, and a realistic hospital ward, so that learners can practice ward activities with mock patients.

We are now able to offer some of the most progressive training in the world

Prof. Richard Tunstall, Warwick Medical School

Professor Richard Tunstall of Warwick Medical School emphasized that the new facility would enable Warwick to offer “some of the most progressive training in the world”.

He added: “Our new facility is specifically designed to enable the use of cutting-edge evidence-based educational practices in clinical anatomy and skills training.”

Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor of Warwick, echoed this sentiment, describing the hub as a “testament to Warwick Medical School’s commitment to pioneering medical education”.

He said: “This facility represents a significant investment in the future of healthcare, providing our students with unparalleled opportunities to develop their skills in an environment that mirrors the realities of clinical practice.

“By integrating advanced technology and innovative teaching methods, we are ensuring that our graduates are exceptionally well-prepared to meet the challenges of modern medicine, and that we continue to deliver an excellent educational experience.”

Students have already begun to experience the benefits of the new facility, which opened its doors to some students in November last year.

I wanted to get stuck in, and I have been able to do so in a really supportive environment

Kylie Maisey, first-year student

Kylie Maisey, a first-year MB ChB student, said that the facility bridged the gap between theory and practice, and praised being able to work with real patients in the first week of her medical degree.

She said: “I wanted to get stuck in, and I have been able to do so in a really supportive environment.”

Students were also enthusiastic about the plastinates, with Tom Scott, a first-year student, describing them as “incredible” as they turn “the theory into reality”. Nico Orr, another first-year, felt the plastinates allowed a “deeper level of learning that can’t be provided by textbooks.”

The new hub will undoubtedly increase the attractiveness of doing a medical degree at Warwick to prospective students, allowing Warwick Medical School to stand on the cutting edge of anatomy, and allowing students to interact with real patients.