Dr Katharine Weetman BA (Hons); AFHEA; PhD

• PhD in Health Sciences, University of Warwick, 2020
• Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, 2016
• BA (Class I) in English Language, University of Birmingham, 2014

Katharine is an alumnus of the University of Birmingham having graduated in English Language in 2014. She then went on to work as a Medical Secretary in the NHS. From 2015-2020, Katharine undertook a PhD at Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick; this research investigated written discharge communication between hospital professionals, General Practitioner’s, and patients. Alongside this, she joined the role play team at the ISU in 2015. Additionally, Katharine worked on several research projects centred on clinical communication with the ISU. In 2020, Katharine joined the core academic team at the ISU.

Katharine teaches across multiple year groups and programmes with the ISU to include Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Dentistry. Input varies between programmes but often involves small group teaching, seminars, and large group lectures. She supports recruitment of ISU role players. This associate team currently comprises 100+ associates from diverse backgrounds. These associates are trained by the ISU to simulate patients, colleagues, carers, and relatives, offering students the opportunity to be immersed and engage in realistic simulations within teaching and learning contexts.

Katharine is a coach on the ISU Referred Students Programme which provides cross-programme 1-1 remediation and support for students identified as struggling with language, professionalism, and communication. To the knowledge of the ISU, this is the only programme of its kind nationally and beyond.

• MBChB DPS
• MBChB PAS
• MBChB Clinical Core 2 (Communication)
• MBChB Year 4 - Professionalisation
• MBChB CBM
• MPharm Years 1-3 (Communication)
• BNurs Years 1-3 (Communication)
• BDS Years 1-3 (Communication)
• PoSH Intercalation Programme

Katharine has an interest in supervising at postgraduate level at both Master’s and PhD. She is interested in supervising projects related to:

• Clinical communication
• Discharge and care transition
• Palliative and end of life care
• Interprofessional relationships
• Healthcare simulation
• Realist methods

If you are interested in studying any of these subject areas, please contact Katharine on the contact details above or for any general doctoral research enquiries please email mds-gradschool@contacts.bham.ac.uk
For a full list of available Doctoral Research opportunities, please visit our Doctoral Research programme listings

Katharine’s research focuses on clinical communication in a number of broad contexts. More recently, driven by personal experience, she has developed projects focussed on palliative and end of life care. She is also interested in collaborating on projects relating to disability, connective tissue disorders, and dysautonomia.

 Her current work spans across five key areas:

• Clinical communication
• Discharge and care handover
• Realist synthesis of complex interventions
• Palliative and end of life care
• Applied linguistics

She is also a member of BRHUmB, a research hub for palliative care in the West Midlands and works collaboratively with academics, clinicians, stakeholders and the public in health and social care research. Katharine is the current ECR representative on the Institute of Clinical Sciences research committee.

April 2022 - March 2024 - Honorary Research Fellow, University of Warwick, Medical School

Member UK Council for Clinical Communication

Outreach interest with schools

Peer reviewer for academic journals