Our entrepreneurs: Aysha Nijamudeen

In our latest #OurEntrepreneurs profile we meet cohort 7 Clinical Entrepreneur Aysha Nijamudeen, Academic Foundation Doctor.  

Tell us a bit about yourself 

I am dual-qualified dentist and doctor, currently working as an Academic Foundation Doctor. I have been working in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery for a number of years, a specialty I am very passionate about and I have carried out multiple projects on surgical techniques, education and patient engagement in this area.

Outside of work I love cooking (and eating!), painting, water sports and travelling.

Why did you apply to the programme and what are you looking forward to?

I found out about the programme as I have colleagues that had previously taken part. I applied because I wanted to develop my innovative side and felt the combination of formal events and mentoring was the perfect way to do this alongside my clinical training.

I know the NHS CEP will provide many opportunities to learn from experts to further develop my innovation and leadership abilities that I could take forward into clinical training to improve experiences of both staff and patients alike. Combining the events and mentorship aspects, I believe this programme is just what I need to push my innovation further and learn from other colleagues’ experiences and perspectives, from both the development and delivery aspects.

Tell us about your innovation  

I have designed and delivered a free online teaching programme aimed at dentally qualified staff working in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS). To date, this is the only teaching programme of its’ kind, consisting of live interactive teaching sessions, educational flashcards, and online videos. Pitching this teaching at an appropriate level is key; we teach the basic understanding of signs on examination, interpretation of medical investigations and knowledge of important medical and social backgrounds in context for a dentist on the ward. However, it is not just for dentists, as our programme is also attended by medical students and foundation doctors who report they find it useful learning about head and neck pathologies, as well as revising the management of acutely unwell patients.

Feedback from the programme thus far has shown our attendees have improved their confidence and knowledge when assessing acutely unwell patients with OMFS pathologies, and those not yet in an OMFS post are considering Dental Core Training.

Improving patient safety outcomes by providing an adjunct to training has been my ultimate goal, and I hope this programme has gone someway in achieving this.     

What are your ambitions for the next year?

I am hoping to make the programme bigger and better! I’ve already expanded our website to include more lectures and summary sheets to download. I hope to reach a wider target audience and continue adding content to the programme through our website and social media pages.

Why do you think innovation is important in healthcare?

Staff working on the frontline are in a unique position to see the issues in access to healthcare and how solutions can be developed within our localities. By understanding business frameworks and how funding is allocated, we can hope to expand our solutions on a wider scale to continue to deliver safe, efficient and cost-efficient healthcare within the framework of the NHS. If there was no innovation, there would be no advancement!

How can we find out more?

Please visit the www.omfssurvivalguide.co.uk for more information.