Paul Baker

Foundation School Director

I am a Geriatrician at Bolton, though unusual in that I was a trainee GP (now called GP registrars) in Cheetham Hill before this, being one of only two hospital seniors I know who passed the MRCGP examination.

My interest in medical education began to surface as RCP tutor and I was in the first cohort of students taking the MA in Teaching and Learning in the Clinical Setting at Edge Hill University. I was subsequently appointed Postgraduate Clinical Tutor for Bolton and we ran FY2 pilots well before Foundation training proper was rolled out in the UK.

As chair of the STC in Geriatric Medicine, I founded the MSc in Geriatric Medicine (Salford University) with two consultant colleagues, a unique workplace-based Masters course which replaces the Deanery teaching programme for the speciality.

In 2006 I became Foundation School Director for the North Western Deanery, running one of the largest Schools in the country. From Barrow in Furness to Stockport, we are responsible for over 1100 trainees in 16 programmes and 12 trusts.

I have a special interest in QA of training and have published in this area. I am a fellow of the Royal Colleges of Physicians and General Practitioners.