Published on 26, February, 2025
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Medical students at the University of Sunderland are using drama and performance art as a training tool to help them tackle challenging situations in preparation for their lives as doctors.
In an innovative approach to medical education, the University is working with Operating Theatre, a north-east theatre company that provide bespoke theatrical experiences that can transform the way people think about health and wellbeing.
To support second-year students in their ethics training, Operating Theatre recently performed their play ‘Billy Bean’ at the University’s City Campus. The play follows a new mother of a child with Down’s syndrome in which she talks candidly about the birth and the impact it has had on her life.
The performance also includes ‘hot seating’, a technique refined to great effect by Operating Theatre in which students having seen the play then get the chance to cross question the character in view of all they have heard, helping to widen their knowledge not only of the medical facts involved in the situation but also of the way such a situation affects a life.
Arqam Al-Hadeed is a second-year medical student at the University of Sunderland.
He said: “The Operating Theatre session on Ethics, Genetics, and Disability was an incredibly powerful and thought-provoking experience.
“The drama, which followed a mother’s journey from receiving a Down’s syndrome diagnosis to making decisions and having her baby, highlighted the real-life complexities of these situations. It forced us to consider the ethical challenges involved and, importantly, how we as future doctors can communicate with empathy and sensitivity when supporting parents through such decisions.
“We are incredibly lucky to be part of a medical school that offers this unique approach to learning, as it allows us to engage with ethical dilemmas in a deeply immersive and impactful way. It truly enhances our understanding of patient care.”
Operating Theatre was formed in 2001 to introduce drama into medical training and to engage the wider public in discussions about health and wellbeing.
While based in the north-east, Operating Theatre work all over England and Scotland at medical schools, for the NHS, health charities and research organisations shaping the future of the health sector.
Operating Theatre work with everyone from medical school students to GPs and consultants using live performance, film and video, using highly experienced performers sensitive to the importance and impact of the issues Operating Theatre deal with in their work.
Operating Theatre’s original and bespoke plays are thoroughly researched and cover issues such as obesity, anorexia nervosa, alcoholism, medical error, the Winterbourne View Scandal, terminal illness and patient safety.
The Sunderland medical school sessions are led by Operating Theatre’s Artistic Director Alex Elliott, who also wrote and directed the play.
He said: “Operating Theatre has health and wellbeing at the very heart of its cultural mission.
“We create dramatic opportunities that allow for genuine debate. We bring together professionals and patients, innovators and practitioners. We ask challenging questions that affect us all and give a voice to those who are often least heard.”
Dr Amy Cresswell, Senior Lecturer, Clinical OSCE Year 3-5 Lead and Medical Ethics thread Co-Lead at the University of Sunderland’s School of Medicine, said: "I remember Operating Theatre performing during my own time at medical school and the great impact this had on me during my training so it's brilliant to see this continue for the future generations of students at Sunderland.
“It's such a unique experience for the students and something which really engages them in what can be a difficult topic."
Professor Scott Wilkes, Head of the School of Medicine and Professor of General Practice and Primary Care at the University, added: “It's great to see this being received so well by our students and it being firmly embedded into our curriculum.
“This is just another great example of the innovative medical education strategies that we employ at our medical school.”
For more information on studying Medicine at the University of Sunderland, click here.
Find out more on Operating Theatre here.