The Lansdowne Method

How does Lansdowne achieve it's results?

• In the classroom: A high standard of teaching, which is examination board specific. Class sizes average no more than 8 students.

• Learning and study skills: Students are shown how to develop effective learning strategies to cover their study and examination needs.

• Tutorials: These tutorials enable the tutors to focus on the student’s individual needs or weaknesses.

• Emphasis on the examination technique: As well as having access to all relevant past papers (including mark schemes and solutions) tutors provide in-depth analysis of past papers and how they should be tackled. Examination practice periods and mock examinations help make students totally familiar with and confident about the examination process before they actually enter the examination hall.

• Help with the UCAS process: The Director of Medical Programmes has extensive experience of dealing with the university application procedure and she, with the assistance of experienced tutors, will help students with course and university choices as well as the all important personal statement. She will ensure that the application is made early and with the best possible references.

• Mock interviews: Each student is briefed fully before any university interview. Students are expected to attend at least one mock interview with The Director of Medical Programmes and another senior tutor.

• A full report on previous examinations: If the College feels it is appropriate, Lansdowne will contact the board for a report on previous examinations taken by each retake student. We can then concentrate on the student’s weaknesses identified by the report.

• Monitoring: The Director of Medical Programmes is normally the personal tutor for prospective medical/dental students and they meet on a regular basis to review the student’s progress. In the event that a student appears not to be measuring up to the required standard, an alteration to the programme may be advocated if this is deemed to be in the student’s best interest.

The Tutors

Led by the Director of Medical Programmes, all teachers are highly experienced in teaching the various lengths of courses including the short retake course format. Our teachers are both dedicated and committed to student success with exceptional teaching records in student motivation and examination results. In line with the Lansdowne philosophy, our tutors are not only selected for their professional expertise but also for their ability to relate to young people.

Director of Medical Programmes

Dr Pantea Etessami read for her first degree in Microbiology at University College, London. This was followed by a Masters degree in Biochemistry (Genetic Manipulation) at the University of Sussex. From there, Dr Etessami was awarded a scholarship by the John Innes Foundation to study for her Doctorate in Molecular Biology. After completing post-doctoral research, she moved to Imperial College where she taught and continued her research. Immediately before joining Lansdowne in 2008, Dr Etessami had worked on several research projects in the pharmaceutical sector and had held various teaching posts at Sixth Form level. She has also found time to complete another Masters degree in Decision Analysis at the London School of Economics.