The story of TICC is underpinned by three key elements: an idea, a vision, and… a blunder. Let us take you on a journey of how an idea born out of necessity grew into a vision of collaboration and innovation for Clinical Teaching Fellows (CTFs) across the South-West and beyond.
Chapter 1: The Idea
Contrary to popular belief, the University of Bristol employs no Clinical Teaching Fellows (CTFs). Yet, the so-called “UoB CTFs” are a familiar sight at major medical education conferences such as ASME and AMEE. How can this be? Well, the University of Bristol actually has approximately 110 CTFs affiliated with it, but they are all employed by the surrounding hospital sites, such as Bath, Gloucester, and Yeovil. This means the CTF community of the University of Bristol is fragmented across many miles, and on the roads of the South-West, those miles can feel even longer.
In 2022, two CTFs, Dr Alice Middleton and Dr Gabriela Agathangelou, were appointed as Lead CTFs to bring this scattered community together. Their solution? A celebration. Specifically, a celebration of the medical education research and innovations achieved by the region’s CTFs over the academic year. The appropriately named Inaugural CTF Conference, held in 2023, was a resounding success and marked the first chapter of our story.
Chapter 2: The Vision
The 2023 conference showcased a range of achievements, including an out-of-hospital simulation aboard an aeroplane, a challenging task prioritisation simulation involving students being bleeped over an eight-hour period, and novel approaches to gamification in medical education. Among the attendees were two bright-eyed CTFs who would soon share a vision—and one who would make a memorable blunder.
In the following academic year, Dr Sam Chumbley, one of these bright-eyed CTFs, took on the role of Lead CTF. Inspired by a conversation with Dr Ed Luff, the other bright-eyed CTF, Sam envisioned a revamped conference that not only celebrated CTF achievements but also provided opportunities for professional development. This vision expanded to include CTFs beyond the University of Bristol, thus broadening the conference’s reach and impact.
The 2024 conference was designed to give CTFs a platform to practise presenting their work ahead of international conferences such as ASME and AMEE. A strong emphasis was placed on development, with workshops offering meaningful feedback and opportunities to refine ideas and projects. This marked the conclusion of chapter two: the vision.
Chapter 3: The Blunder
While planning the 2024 conference, Sam decided to retain the name from the previous conference, “The Inaugural CTF Conference,” reasoning that “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Dr Luff, however, cautioned him about the inaccuracy of using “inaugural” for a second occurrence. Sam’s enthusiasm led him to overlook this advice, resulting in the conference being branded “TICC: The [Second] Inaugural CTF Conference.”
By the time Sam realised the mistake, logos and adverts had already been released, broadcasting the blunder regionally. Embracing this with humour and transparency, the team rebranded TICC following the 2024 conference as “TICC: Teaching, Innovation, and Collaboration for CTFs,” solidifying its identity, and paying homage to the blunder, for future years.
Chapter 4: The Future
TICC 2024 was held in April and welcomed 63 CTFs from 10 different organisations. Its success paved the way for an exciting announcement, facilitated by a dedicated team of equally passionate CTFs: TICC 2025 would be a national conference, endorsed by its towering peer, ASME. The objectives remain true to their origins—celebrating success, fostering development, and sharing ideas—but now on a larger scale, enabled by a committee from across the South-West.
As we look forward to TICC 2025 on Friday, 25th April 2025, we invite all interested parties to join us in this celebration of collaboration and innovation. Together, we can continue to build a community that champions the future of medical education. Who knows – perhaps an international TICC awaits in 2026.
We hope to see you there!