Meet ...

David Russell, Manager for Undergraduate Education (Medicine)

Who are you? Dr David Russell.

What do you do? I’m the Manager for Undergraduate Education, School of Medicine.

What have you done? Teaching in Life Sciences and research in mechanical properties of keratin filaments in Dermatology. I then worked in Registry for a while organising assessment, timetabling and graduation for the University.

Where are you from? Glasgow.

Where do you live? On top of a hill in Fife.

What do you do at work? I work at the interface between the University, the NHS and the GMC, the regulatory body for medicine in the UK. My job is to ensure that students graduating as medical professionals from Dundee are safe to practice as doctors.

What gives you satisfaction? One of the best parts of my job is seeing the difference between the young people coming along for their interview for medicine and the confident, professional graduates that walk across the stage at the start of their career. There is a huge transformation in our students over the period of five years.

What challenges do you face and how do you deal with them? My job has many challenges. The School of Medicine involves two very different organisations – the University and the NHS. Many of our teaching staff are NHS clinicians with complex clinical commitments who still go beyond what is required for them to teach medical students and give them valuable experiences. I also work closely with the GMC to ensure their strict requirements are embedded within the School.

Paper or Digital? Unfortunately digital – I miss paper.

Tea or Coffee? Coffee.

Facebook or Twitter? Twitter.

Pen or Pencil? Love a sharp pencil.

Morning or Afternoon? Morning.

Phone or Email? How did we survive before email?

English or Maths? Maths.

Books or Films? Films.

What springs to mind when you hear ‘Dundee’? A community of people that really do care about each other.

University of Dundee campus hotspot? The old quad behind the library. Nice place to relax on a sunny day.

Someone at the University who inspires you? There are too many to mention. I am always struck by the dedication of staff to the University and students. A good example of this is our Associate Dean for Learning and Teaching, Professor Rami Abboud.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? There never seems to be enough time outside of work. I enjoy travelling and seeing my nephew. Believe me, life is not easy when your best friend is 5!

Tell us something we don’t know about you. I am a freelance violinist and can often be found in orchestra pits around the country.