- C405, Portland Square, Drake Circus
- +44 1752 586808
- cathy.coelho@plymouth.ac.uk
Profiles
Dr Cathy Coelho
Associate Professor (Education)
Peninsula Dental School (Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry)
Role
As a dentist with 30+ years experience, I am passionate about educating dental clinicians for the future through passing on my skills, knowledge and by acting as a positive role model. My journey into academia started in 2007 as University of Plymouth's Peninsula Dental School as an enquiry-based learning facilitator and then clinical supervisor. I obtained a Masters in Clinical Education and became a full time academic in 2012. Since then I have expanded my portfolio and have numerous roles and responsibilities:
I am an Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) in Clinical Dental Education.
I am the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry's Associate Dean for Health and Conduct.
I am the Year 4 Lead (the penultimate year) at the University of Plymouth's Peninsula Dental School.
I am the Clinical Lead for the Simulated Dental Learning Environment at Peninsula Dental School.
I am the Module Lead for the BDS programme’s Clinical Dental Practice 1-6 modules and DTH programme’s Introduction to Clinical Dental 1-2 modules
I am the Module Lead for the BDS and DTH programmes Clinical Audit modules.
I lead the Academic Remediation support process at Peninsula Dental School.
My sustained track record of being an outstanding educator was recognised in 2015 when I became a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and again in 2016 when was awarded an Early Career Educator Excellence in Teaching Award from the Association of Dental Education in Europe. I also was the team leader for a project nominated as one of the finalists for the Higher Education Academy Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence in 2017.
I am a Mental Health first-aider, Disability Champion and mentor for academic promotions, HEA fellowship and alumni.
Qualifications
BDS 1987
Masters in Clinical Education 2016.
Post-Graduate Certificate in Clinical Education 2013.
Post-Graduate Diploma in Clinical Education 2014.
Professional membership
General Dental Council
Senior Fellow of HEA
Fellow of the Academy of Medical Educators
International Association for Dental Research
Association of Dental Education in Europe
Association of Dental Education in Europe Special Interest Group: Dental Educators on the Move
British Society for Oral and Dental Research
Roles on external bodies
General Dental Council’s External Examiner for ORE (Overseas Registration Examination)
Teaching interests
I believe teaching should be engaging, active and thought provoking to be effective. I have studied adult learning theories in the literature and use evidence-based strategies to underpin my teaching style.
I deliver a wide range of teaching within Peninsula Dental School, mainly based on clinical dentistry to both the Dentistry programme and the Dental Therapy and Hygiene programme.
I am especially proud of the impact I have had on students who are struggling to be successful, by designing and implementing an academic remediation process that has both short-term and long-term positive impacts on student outcomes.
Staff serving as external examiners
General Dental Council's External Examiner for ORE (Overseas Registration Examination)
Research interests
My research is mainly educationally based around clinical dental education.
The dissertation for my Masters in Clinical Education used qualitative methodology to evaluate patient and student perceptions around patients giving feedback to dental students on their communication skills.
Grants & contracts
2014 University of Plymouth PedRIO grant
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Articles
2019
'To accept or decline academic remediation: What difference does it make?'
Medical Teacher
0,
1-6
Publisher Site
, DOI
PEARL
2018
'Sepsis: the applicability to dental care professionals'
British Dental Journal
225,
(12)
1078-1081
, DOI
PEARL
2018
'Prepared for practice and equipped for employment: what do dental foundation trainers think of their trainees?'
British Dental Journal
225,
(6)
549-555
, DOI
PEARL
2018
'Assisting communication in the dental setting: a student team working initiative with stroke patients'
Journal of Disability and Oral Health
19,
(1)
, DOI
PEARL
2017
'Using patients as educators for communication skills: Exploring dental students' and patients' views'
European Journal of Dental Education
, DOI
PEARL
2017
'Academic performance of undergraduate dental students with learning disabilities'
British Dental Journal
222,
(3)
205-208
, DOI
PEARL
2015
'Student perceptions of a spiral curriculum'
European Journal of Dental Education
20,
(3)
161-166
, DOI
PEARL
2014
'Facilitating facilitators to facilitate in problem or enquiry based learning sessions'
Journal of Problem Based Learning in Higher Education
2,
(1)
Reports & invited lectures
Papers
Impact of EBL facilitator on student knowledge
Zahra, D., Bennett, J., Belfield, L., Ali, K., McIlwaine, C., Bruce, M, Jones, G., Brookes, Z., Coelho, C. and Zaric, S.; Effect of Constant versus Variable Small-Group Facilitators on Student Basic Science Knowledge in an Enquiry-Based Dental Curriculum. European Journal of Dental Education. June 2019.eje.12451.
Academic Remediation for struggling students
C. Coelho, D. Zahra, K. Ali and C. Tredwin; "To accept or decline academic remediation; what difference does it make?” Medical Teacher 3rd April 2019.
Sepsis
C. Coelho and M. Mead; "Sepsis: the applicability to dental care professionals". British Dental Journal, 2018; 225: 1078-1081.
Dental Foundation Dentists
S. Hanks, C. Coelho and R. Coster; Prepared for practice and equipped for employment: what do dental foundation dentists think of their trainees?. British Dental Journal, 2018; 225(6), 549-555.
Enquiry-based learning
C. Coelho; “Facilitating facilitators to facilitate in problem or enquiry-based sessions”.Journal of Problem Based Learning in Higher Education, 2014;2(1), 4-10.
The Spiral Curriculum
C. Coelho and D.Moles; “Student perceptions of a spiral curriculum”. European Journal of Dental Education, 2016.20(3) 161-166.
Academic performance in students with specific learning disabilities
K. Ali, D. Zahra,C. Coelho, G. Jones and C. Tredwin; "Academic performance of undergraduate dental students with learning disabilities". British Dental Journal,2017;222(3) 205-208.
Using patients as educators
C. Coelho, J.Pooler and H. Lloyd; "Using patients as educators for communication skills; Exploring dental students and patients views". European Journal of Dental Education, 2017;00:1-9.
Communication in a clinical setting
C. Coelho, R. Witton and w. Smith; Assisting communication in the dental setting: a student team working initiative with stroke patients. Journal of Disability and oral Health. 2018; 19(1): 10-13
Posters and Presentations
1. Poster: C.Coelho and S. Hanks; Closing the loop on feedback – using student voice to enhance student experience. At Vice Chancellor’s Teaching and Learning Conference, Plymouth University, 28th June 2013.
2. Poster: C.Coelho and S. Hanks; Pioneering near peer learning events to empower student development towards employment. At Vice Chancellor’s Teaching and Learning Conference, Plymouth University, 27th June 2014.
3. Poster: C.Coelho, S. Hanks and P, Schoenborn; What do dental trainers think of the preparedness for practice of dental graduates? At PedRIO Annual Conference 17th April 2015.
4. Poster: C. Coelho: Student led plenaries. At 2015 PUPSMD Education Conference, April 2015.
5. Short oral presentation and poster: C. Coelho; “A critical appraisal of the literature oncommunication skills training in dentistry” at 2015 international Associationfor Dental Education in Europe conference in Hungary.
6. Short oral presentation and poster: S. Hanks, C .Coelho, P. Schoenborn and R. Coster;“Dental Foundation Trainers’ (DFT) perception of the “Preparedness for Practice” of new dental graduates” at 2015 international Association for Dental Education in Europe conference in Hungary
7. Short oral presentation and poster: C .Coelho; “A qualitative study to explore the issues for patients when giving feedback on the communication skills of dental students”at 2015 British Society of Dental Research national conference in Cardiff, UK.
8. Short oral presentation and poster: C. Coelho; “Shifting academically failing or under-performing dental students to succeeding ones” at 2016 international Association for Dental Education in Europe conference in Barcelona.
9. Short oral presentation and poster; C. Coelho, S.Hanks; “Does science knowledge learnt in problem or enquiry-based learning sessions transfer to other learning spaces?” at 2016 international Association for Dental Education in Europe conference in Barcelona.
10.Short oral presentation and poster : S. Hanks, C. Coelho;“Evaluating the DayBook: Long Distance View of the Educational Impact of a Teaching and Learning Resource” at 2016 international Association for Dental Education in Europe conference in Barcelona.
11. Short oral presentation and e-poster: C. Coelho, P. Trimble and P. Ward: "Evaluation of inter-professional learning with dental and law students using problem-based learning methodology" at 2018 international Association for Dental Education in Europe conference in Oslo.
Other academic activities
Awarded the 2016 ADEE (Association for Dental Education in Europe Excellence in Teaching Award (Early Career Educator).
Represented Plymouth University as a Finalist in the 2017 Higher Education Academy Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence.