Southern Trust's Medical Education Centre has been awarded at the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency's (NIMDTA) 9th Annual Educational Excellence Day. Dr Tiarna Byrne, a Medical Education Fellow with the Trust, received the Innovation in Training Award from Professor Sir Michael McBride, the chief medical officer for Northern Ireland.

Dr Byrne was recognised for developing a simulation-based clinical skills programme for internal medicine trainees. The programme, built on a quality improvement framework, emphasises hands-on learning and psychological safety. It has led to measurable gains in trainee confidence and competence, as well as improved procedural assessments.

The initiative is part of a wider push by the Southern Trust to advance medical education. At the Association for the Study of Medical Education Annual Scholarship Meeting in Birmingham, Trust colleagues presented two other projects. Dr Danielle Thornton and Edel Davidson outlined "Learning Together to Prescribe Safely", an interprofessional simulation programme that pairs medical students from Queen's University Belfast with foundation trainee pharmacists to practice realistic prescribing scenarios.

Dr Byrne also delivered an oral presentation on "Before the Patient", a programme using immersive simulation to prepare doctors for high-risk procedures. This work was developed with a team including Dr Laura Carr and Dr Neil McAleavey. The programme aims to build familiarity and clinical readiness before trainees perform procedures on patients.

NIMDTA board chair Derek Wilson described the annual event as a celebration of commitment and leadership, underlining the value of the people involved. The event also featured presentations from NIMDTA simulation champions and clinical leadership fellows, including Southern Trust's Dr Daniel Kane and Dr Lauren Hetherington, whose work focuses on leadership development and quality improvement.

The Southern Trust's initiatives reflect a commitment to strengthening multidisciplinary working, reducing errors, and improving patient care across the region.