RDME Seminar Series

Join the RDME Seminar Series!

We are pleased to invite you to an insightful online seminar.

Join us for an engaging discussion with Prof. Susanne Lindqvist, during which she will discuss how supervised Healthcare Assistant (HCA) placements can transform medical students’ confidence, empathy, and readiness for clinical practice.

Who: Prof. Susanne Lindqvist is Professor of Interprofessional Practice, Chair of the UK Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education (CAIPE), and Director of the Centre for Interprofessional Practice (CIPP) at the University of East Anglia (UEA). She has recently taken on the role of Head of Year 1 for the MBBS programme at Norwich Medical School. In addition, she is a qualified coach part of the UEA Coaching Scheme since 2014.

Susanne has recently completed her tenure as Associate Dean for Learning and Teaching Quality, Admissions, Recruitment and Marketing within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMH) at UEA. Prior to this, she served as Teaching Director for Norwich Medical School for five years. One of her proudest achievements is the development of a faculty-wide learning and teaching strategy for FMH, now being implemented with the aim of achieving Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework. She also recently concluded her tenure as a Non-Executive Director (NED) at the James Paget University Hospital, where she chaired the Finance and Performance Committee and served as the Freedom to Speak Up NED

Susanne is a Visiting Professor at Molde University College in Norway and an active scholar who publishes regularly in peer‑reviewed journals. Her academic interests focus on interprofessional education and collaborative practice, with a particular emphasis on leadership. She sits on several national and international advisory boards, supporting organisations to develop, embed, and sustain interprofessional learning and working practices among both students and staff.

Having stepped away from her Associate Dean and NED roles, Susanne’s work now centres on medical and healthcare education, interprofessional practice, and coaching for senior leaders.

Topic: “Medical students working as healthcare assistants - evidence, impact & implementation: A synthesis of four studies for UK medical educators”.

Date: 24/02/2026

Time: 12:00-13:00

What to Expect

10-minute Introduction: Prof. Ann Griffin

30-minute Presentation: Prof. Susanne will discuss how supervised Healthcare Assistant (HCA) placements can transform medical students’ confidence, empathy, and readiness for clinical practice. It synthesises findings from four complementary studies and offers a practical, evidence-based roadmap for implementing this type of intervention for all students. You’ll hear how the HCA role helps shape professional identity, strengthen interprofessional collaboration, and enhance person centred care, and why this intervention is gaining momentum. It provides a powerful example of how a small pilot can make a big difference: not only to students, but also to bridge hierarchical boundaries and foster co created, values based collaborative practice.

20-minute Q&A: Your opportunity to ask questions and dive deeper into the discussion.

This online seminar is for academics, healthcare professionals and researchers at all levels of their careers. Find out more and secure your free ticket on Eventbrite! We hope you can attend and contribute to this important conversation. Please confirm your participation by 23/02/2026.

Feel free to share this invitation with colleagues who may find it valuable.

Looking forward to your participation!