Who we are…
Sarah Anderson
Sarah Anderson is our administrator. She likes her cats and crafts, and also volunteers for the National Trust. She’s very organised so please get in touch if you’re lost, confused, or otherwise befuddled and I’m sure she’ll sort you out. She is the nerve centre of the great ship VTS.
She’ll also be recording if you don’t turn up, so no missing teaching!
Sarah’s on the left
David Hopes
David is our Associate Dean (AD). He is a partner at Abbey Surgery in Tavistock, trainer, appraiser and anything else that gets him out of proper work.
He likes making trainees do the fluffy bits of the curriculum and forgets names.
He likes outdoor sports, the quiet when his children have gone to bed and writing silly things on websites.
Stephen Ward-Booth
Steve is a Training Programme Director (TPD) who started in May 2018. You’ll meet him doing a range of teaching and he has a particular interest in functional illness, which is a great relief to the rest of us who find it difficult. He has been a trainer for a long time and a GP in Plymouth for even longer.
As well as being passionate about teaching GP, he also likes running up hills, playing in a rock band and running around with his children. He consistently refuses to let his photo be uploaded to the site <note from the editor – sorry, Steve, we found you!>.
Samantha Wheeler
Sam joined the team as a TPD in January 2020.
She lives on Dartmoor with (what seems like) loads of teenagers who can occasionally be convinced to join her out on the moors or beach in exchange for food or extra wi-fi.
She works as a GP in Tavistock and as an appraiser, as well as dabbling in some teaching at Plymouth University.
Melissa Lemon
Melissa joined the team in 2021
Mel lives and works in Plymouth. She is a GP partner in a large multi-site practice so knows the area well. She is one of the duo “dr maria & dr mel” who you can find on various social media platforms giving medical advice.
When she is not at work you may find her in a theme park with her family, attending a dance class or painting landscapes.
Piyush Sharma
Piyush is our newest TPD, having joined the team in 2021
We’ll tell you more about Mel as soon as we can!
Fellows and Scholars
Jude Mayadunne
Jude is our IMG Support Fellow for 2023/24
We’ll share more about Jude and what he will be working on this year, in the coming weeks.