Anna at the Royal Society of Medicine's Palliative Care conference

Exeter student’s essay published in European scientific journal

An Exeter Medicine student has had her award-winning essay published in a European-wide journal.

Anna Broadbent, a fifth year Medicine student from Oxfordshire, has had her essay published in the European Journal of Palliative Care (EJPC).

The EJPC is an official journal of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC), and is an information and communication resource for all professionals involved in the provision of palliative or end-of-life care.

Anna undertook a research project at the Royal Cornwall Hospice as part of the Special Study Unit module, where she worked as part of a team to look at the joint Oncology and Palliative care clinics held in RCHT and what they achieve.

Towards the end of the project, Anna entered the Royal Society of Medicine’s Palliative Care section essay competition. Her essay on the topic Innovation in Palliative Care: what’s next?, won second place in the George Adams award from the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM), and she was gifted a year’s membership to the society.

Anna was awarded a grant from the Deans’ Individual Career Development Fund to enable her to attend the RSM’s Palliative Care Conference: “Radical Change: a blueprint for the next 50 years of dying” in May of last year, where she was presented with her prize.

Anna, who is currently completing a Masters in Genomic Medicine as an intercalation, said: “I found the whole experience really motivating. I have always been interested in both Palliative care and research, to have this acknowledged through both my George Adams Prize and the publication has felt like a great reward. It was great to see research in action and to feel I had contributed to this. I will continue to be interested in palliative care, and research, and hope that one day I can use all that I've learnt to make a difference by putting research into practice.”

The Deans’ Individual Career Development Fund serves to support Medical School students to participate in activities which enhance their understanding in areas such as clinical academia.

Professor Clive Ballard, Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Medical School, said: “It’s fantastic to see students engaging with research at Exeter. We’re preparing the healthcare leaders of the future, and it’s great to see them innovating from student level onwards.”

Date: 19 January 2018