Pippa Blacklock

I have been working at Plymouth NHS Trust for some years now from SHO reaching the dizzy heights of Associate Specialist within the Trust.

My specialist skills lie in the field of dentoalveolar surgery with a special interest in the management of anticoagulated and cardiac compromised patients though my post involves all roles of oral and maxillofacial surgery encountered in a district general hospital. Over time I have become heavily involved in the training and supervision of our Senior House Officers which sparked my interest in post graduate education leading me to organise courses in oral surgery for dentists, VDPs and dental nurses. I enjoyed the teaching but realised I had little formal training and qualification in the field I have gone on to a Diploma in Postgraduate Education.

As a council member I am particularly interested in the development of our role in the field of oral surgery education and have developed our prizes in oral surgery audit and research for both VDPs and SHOs. I hope with my council member colleagues to develop our role in oral surgery postgraduate and undergraduate education further. I am also the Chair of the Plymouth NHS Trust Staff and Associate Specialist Committee and feel that dentally qualified SASs can be kept up to date with SAS issues and via the BAOS.