The King’s Sierra Leone Partnership (KSLP) is a long-term capacity building partnership between King’s Health Partners in London and key partner institutions in Sierra Leone. KSLP aims to help strengthen Sierra Leone’s health system by improving training, clinical services, policy and research. Key partners include University of Sierra Leone Teaching Hospital Complex Connaught Hospital, the College of Medicine & Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) and the Ministry of Health & Sanitation (MOHS). Support for undergraduate nursing, pharmacy and medical education at COMAHS started in 2012. Since then our team have worked alongside colleagues to develop curricula, assist in their implementation and provide educational skills training. For the medical school this has included updating the curriculum, supporting the implementation of OSCEs as a new assessment method, establishing a clinical skills training room, and development of a medical emergencies course for both medical students and junior doctors. KSLP is also helping to support postgraduate training at the University of Sierra Leone Teaching Hospital Complex, of which Connaught Hospital is the principal site.
The Role
The primary focus is to support COMAHS, which is the lead institution for health professional education within the AQHED-SL (Assuring Quality in Higher Education – Sierra Leone) project. The main activities within this project are stakeholder engagement to inform curriculum review and pedagogical reform as well as developing quality assurance processes. The post holder will also provide specific support to the Faculty of Clinical Sciences in developing undergraduate medical education.
Responsibilities will include
- Providing educational input into AQHED-SL activities across different healthcare disciplines at COMAHS and other higher education institutions.
- Support for ongoing curriculum review and implementation within medicine, with a particular focus on strengthening the development of practical skills among medical students.
- Support for faculty staff and clinicians in developing their skills in the areas of teaching, assessment (particularly OSCEs), and educational research.
- Support for the delivery of postgraduate medical training.
- Provision of educational technical advice for the KSLP clinical team alongside the education lead.
- Oversight of visiting international elective students and COMAHS students wishing to apply for electives at KCL.
Person Specification
Qualifications:
A medical degree. Professional registration in home country.
Experience:
At least 5 years post-registration experience. Experience in delivering medical education for an academic institution is essential. Previous experience of travelling or working in a low resource setting is desirable. Previous experience in stakeholder engagement, curriculum review, pedagogical reform and/or quality assurance processes within higher education is desirable.
Personal characteristics:
Excellent interpersonal and intercultural skills, as well as confidence working within a multicultural team and with senior staff from partner institutions; skilled at multitasking and prioritising, working independently with minimal supervision, and leading and designing projects autonomously; an appreciation of the philosophy behind a long-term co-development health partnership.
It would be advantageous if the candidate had:
- An educational qualification or diploma in tropical medicine (or equivalent)
- More than 6 months’ experience of work experience within Africa
- A keen interest in health and education systems strengthening, audit and quality improvement and research.
Support Provided to Volunteers
This is a 12-month unpaid voluntary position but the post holder will be provided with:
- Return flights to and from initial post, plus two paid leave flights to and from Freetown
- £500 monthly stipend for living expenses, paid in local currency
- Multi-entry visa, residency permit & professional registration
- Vaccinations & antimalarials
- Insurance
- Accommodation in a shared KSLP house
How to apply:
To apply, please follow this link to the King’s Sierra Leone Partnership Opportunities page, where you will find a downloadable link to the job description in full, including exact details of the application process. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
For an informal discussion or to find out more about the role please email [email protected]
More Information
- Job City Freetown
