Anglia Ruskin University Medical School

 

Announced in March 2018 the Anglia Ruskin University Medical School was one of just five universities nationally to be approved by the Department of Health as part of a national drive to increase the number of health professionals on study programmes.

Opening in September 2018, a year in advance of other Medical Schools approved at the same time, the ARU Medical Schools inaugural students are now in their second year and the 100 places available for the start of the 2019 academic term were fiercely contested with 13 applications for every place.

With the centre comprising of lecture facilities, skills labs, an anatomy suite with augmented and virtual reality capability the facility is impressive and an asset to the County. James Rolfe, CEO at Anglia Ruskin University is clear that the provision brings with it a scale of ambition that puts ARU on the same page as the very highest of national academic institutes competing for the top medical students.

With significant pressures on parts of the health economy in Essex the ability to recruit and retain local health staff is a very real problem.  The ARU Medical School not only recruits and trains students but contributes to the health economy of Mid and South Essex in particular by putting students on placements in Essex Hospitals. 

At the end of their five years of study some students will inevitably leave to work elsewhere but the concept of ‘growing you own’ is one that ARU and local Hospitals foresee feeding the need for highly trained health professionals into the future.