Medical Schools Council

The Medical Schools Council represents the interests and ambitions of UK medical schools as they relate to the generation of national health, wealth and knowledge through biomedical research, education and the practice of medicine. It occupies a unique position, embracing medical undergraduate education and health-related research, and encouraging a critical interface with the health service, postgraduate education and training.

Its strategic aims are:

  1. To be the authoritative voice of all UK medical schools
  2. To provide high-quality services which add value for members
  3. To respond proactively to the development and change that characterises the interface between higher education and the NHS
  4. To facilitate the transition between undergraduate and postgraduate environments
  5. To optimise the quality of medical education and to be a global leader in the assessment arena
  6. To promote clinical academic careers and the development of AHSNs
  7. To support the high-quality, health-related research in all medical schools, recognising that the nature and scale of such research will differ between institutions
  8. To maintain close working relationships with partner institutions

The members of the Medical Schools Council are the heads or deans of the 32 undergraduate medical schools in the UK, plus the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (postgraduate). All members meet four times a year, and there is an executive board which meets six times a year. Each school pays a yearly subscription to be part of the Medical Schools Council.

The Medical Schools Council Secretariat
Based at Woburn House, the Medical Schools Council team are:

  • Executive Director – Dr Katie Petty-Saphon
  • Executive Assistant – Barbara Anderson
  • Senior Policy Officer – Jocelyne Aldridge
  • Senior Policy Officer – Siobhan Fitzpatrick
  • Senior Project Officer – Veronica Davids
  • Policy Officer – Oliver Watson
  • Project Support Officer – Olga Sierocinska
  • Communications and Website Officer – Edward Knight


The Medical Schools Council produces an annual report on its work, the most recent of which is available to download from the Medical Schools Council website.