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Our Qualifications
Expand the tabs below to find out why we can be trusted with your learning!
Presenters must know their subject. MRI is taught in the context of many different disciplines and we encourage an interdisciplinary approach. However the approach varies according to the intended audience. Pure physics is best taught by physicists, but they may have limited knowledge about applying the learning to clinical scanning. Cross-sectional anatomy and abnormal pattern recognition is probably best taught by radiologists, but they may not have a deep understanding of the underpinning principles of MRI. Cathy and John are both clinical MRI specialists having worked in both the healthcare diagnostics field, and MRI research (Oxford University) from the early days of MRI. Importantly, in addition to their postgraduate qualifications in MRI and education, they are also both qualified radiographers. Having a background in clinical radiography allows Cathy and John to tailor the lecture content to be at exactly the right level for the target audience. In CPD - application to practice is everything and it is something that lecturers from other disciplines - such as physics or radiology are not likely to be able to provide.
We can also keep right up to date with current technology, because unlike other "learning companies" we have access to state-of-the-art MRI scanners right on site at our teaching venue, including 3T high-field and 1T open systems. We also foster close links with the major manufacturers, being a preferred education provider for Philips Healthcare, Toshiba, Oxford Magnets, Schering and Bracco and Cobalt Imaging. This allows us to keep keep fully up-to-date with clinical and educational advances and link theory with practice in a way that no other educator can match.
As professional academics, Cathy and John both hold Master of Science degrees in Magnetic Resonance Imaging and are both fully-qualified doctors of (medical) education.
These qualifications are important because In addition to mastery of their subject, credible course presenters should be qualified in teaching and learning because that is their role.
Cathy and John are also both Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. The HEA vision is for students in UK higher education to enjoy the highest quality learning experience in the world and we bring that philosophy to everything we do - including MRI in Practice - The Course.
We are not aware of any other MRI course of this type that is presented by a faculty who are all qualified in both MRI and Education at this level. Please consider this when choosing which MRI course is likely to address your needs. If a course provider is not qualified to teach, it is ethically questionable as to whether they should be selling educational services. Some commercial MRI courses are delivered by speakers who are not qualified in either MRI or Education!
Dr Catherine Westbrook is an independent teaching consultant providing teaching and assessment in MRI and radiographic related subjects to clients all over the world.
Catherine has worked in MRI since 1990 and has a Doctorate in education, a Master of Science degree in MRI, a Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching and a Fellowship in Advanced MRI . She is also a qualified clinical teacher.
Catherine has taught the MRI in Practice course since its inception as the Oxford MRI Course in 1992. She has also been involved in the development of, and teaching on, many other national and international courses. These include the first and the longest-running distance learning Masters course in MRI, the first reporting course for MRI radiographers and the first undergraduate course for Assistant Practitioners in MRI.
Catherine is the author of “MRI in Practice” - the World's best selling book in the field of MRI* (nominated for the British Medical Association Book of the Year 2019) “Handbook of MRI Technique” and “MRI at a Glance” (nominated for the British Medical Association Book of the Year 2017) and many other chapters and research articles. She has been President of the British Association of MR Radiographers, Chairman of the Consortium for the Accreditation of Clinical MR Education and Honorary Secretary of the British Institute of Radiology.
John developed an early interest in MRI as a school-leaver in 1978. He was one of the first cohort of practitioners to gain an MSc in the field of medical imaging (MRI) in 1998. In education John is an expert in the field of technology-enhanced learning and the educational psychology of computer-based learning. His doctoral thesis examined cognitive task load in the field of mobile learning.
Academically, John was formerly Education and Research Radiographer at Oxford MRI/Oxford University. He then enjoyed a long academic career as a senior lecturer leading modules in the fields of MRI, medical and healthcare education, research methodology and physics - acting as supervisor for students undertaking master of science degrees. John also created computer-based, mobile-learning and distance-learning resources for all of the above topics.
John is now a freelance consultant in technology enhanced learning for MRI education via mobile and computer-based platforms harnessing the power of multimedia, HTML5, and computer generated imagery. He is co-writer and co-presenter of the MRI in Practice International MRI course and also creates the learning materials, web content and multimedia resources for this world-renowned course. He is currently working on a web-app for mobile devices to accompany the course.
In publishing, John is:
• Co-author and illustrator of MRI in Practice (Wiley- Blackwell)
• Technical illustrator of MRI at a Glance (Wiley- Blackwell)
• Technical illustrator and image editor of Handbook of MRI Technique (Wiley- Blackwell)
• MRI chapter-author of Medical Imaging- Techniques, Reflection & Evaluation (Elsevier).
In ePublishing and mobile learning John is an Apple developer and also an app developer for Google Android. He also created the CGI content for the online resources for MRI in Practice (Wiley- Blackwell).
