As we approach our first graduation this September, the KMMS community is thrilled to announce that early indications show that 44% of our graduating students will be staying in the Kent, Surrey, and Sussex Deanery for their foundation programme, according to data from the United Kingdom Foundation Programme Office.
Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS), a collaboration between the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University, was originally established to address the shortage of GPs and hospital clinicians in Kent and Medway, aiming to train future doctors to deliver 21st-century medicine. Notably, KMMS was the only medical school in the UK to open during the pandemic in 2020.
Professor Chris Holland, Founding Dean, Kent and Medway Medical School, emphasised, “One of the key parts of the original vision for KMMS was to help address the chronic shortage of doctors in our region.”
He continued, “When we opened in 2020, four out of five of the areas in England with the lowest ratio of GPs to patients were in Kent, Medway or Southeast London. The fact that nearly half of our first cohort is staying in the region to complete their foundation training is a testament to our commitment to retaining talent within our community.”
Professor Holland concluded, “I am really thrilled about this and look forward to working alongside them as they develop their careers.”