King's College London

Hi Kawal, and thank you for chatting with us. As our School’s Head of Education we know that creating the best possible student experience is important to you, and we were fascinated to learn that you actually first came to King’s as a student yourself. Is that right?

Kawal Rhode: Yes, exactly, I actually got here in 1989 right out of school. I originally applied to study medicine at St. Thomas’s Hospital, which at the time was its own medical school, as were Guy's Hospital and King’s College London.

They were all separate institutions. The year I applied, though, they merged the medical schools at St. Thomas’s and Guy’s, calling them the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St. Thomas's.

They sent me a letter a few weeks before term started, explaining the merger and asking if I still wanted to come. I said yes, of course. So, I started in 1989 as part of the first intake of UMDS, with around 200 students.

 

What prompted your shift from medicine to the more engineering-focused side of things?

Kawal Rhode: I’ve always been a technology person, really into computers, video games, and gadgets. In the early 90s, I started doing some contract work, designing printed circuit boards and building systems for machine control. It was mostly self-taught, and by my third year in med school, I’d joined the Department of Radiological Sciences to do an intercalated BSc in Radiological Sciences. The head of the department then was Professor Mike Maisey, who was a pioneer in nuclear medicine. That’s when I really got to know everyone in the School, including a few people who are still around, like Paul Marsden and Steve Keevil. That was in 1991-92.

 

How much has King’s changed since then?

Kawal Rhode: It’s like the rise and fall of an empire in some ways. When I joined in 1991-92, there were only about 30 people in the School, working closely with the Medical Physics Department at Guy’s and St. Thomas’s. We were a small group. Then, with the new space in what’s now known as the Bermondsey Wing at Guy’s, we grew to around 50 people. I finished my BSc, and my course director encouraged me to pursue a PhD, which led me back to King’s. I also got an offer from Oxford, but I ended up choosing to stay here.

Later, our Head of School at the time, Professor David Hawkes, announced that we were moving to UCL. Most people did move, but I stayed behind with a handful of others, including Reza Razavi, who then became Head of School. From that small group, we’ve grown to around 650 people in the School today.

 

So, you’re one of the few who stayed?

Kawal Rhode: Yes, I was working with Reza, and the equipment we were using was here at Guy’s and St. Thomas’s, so it made sense to stay. I’m glad I did because I wouldn’t have had the same opportunities if I’d moved.

 

One question we often hear asked about our undergraduate Biomedical Engineering BEng is it a MedTech engineering course, or is it more of an engineering course that happens to focus on MedTech?

Kawal Rhode: I’d say the primary goal of our undergraduate program is to train good engineers.

Engineering is a profession, like medicine or law, and you have to train students to approach problems in a structured, systematic way. The healthcare domain is the context we use, but our primary focus is on developing engineering skills that are universally applicable.

We emphasize the importance and responsibility that comes with working in healthcare, which is such a vital part of human society.

Many of our graduates don’t go into MedTech directly; they branch out into various fields like computer science, fintech, and consumer technology.

 

Do you have any examples of where students have gone on to successful careers in other industries?

Kawal Rhode: Absolutely. Software engineering is particularly popular, and our coding training is excellent. I’d go as far as to say that our students graduate with coding skills that rival, or even exceed many computer science programmes.

 

Maybe let’s say “many computer science programmes outside of King’s” to be diplomatic!

Kawal Rhode: [Laughs] Yes, let’s go with that.

 

Can you tell us more about the facilities students have access to and how our courses being embedded within a hospital environment at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital Trust can benefit them?

Kawal Rhode: Our facilities are exceptional, especially for a program like ours. For example, our students can work directly with our research scanners, getting hands-on experience in a way that’s rare for undergraduates. We also have an advanced 3D printing lab, which is among the best out there.

Recently, we’ve set up a VR/AR lab with an investment in 35 VR headsets and glasses-free displays. This will support a new module, "3D Clinical Anatomy." It allows us to model anatomy in virtual spaces, complementing our 3D printing capabilities.

 

Does that mean students will be able to interact with anatomical models in both virtual and physical forms?

Kawal Rhode: Exactly. They’ll have the option to explore and interact with these models in both VR and physical formats. It’s an incredible resource for hands-on learning.

 

And all of this is happening within a hospital campus, so students are surrounded by the clinical environment as well?

Kawal Rhode: Yes, being on a hospital campus makes a big difference. Hospitals are unusual environments – they’re places most people only experience during specific circumstances. For our students, being constantly exposed to that environment gives them an advantage.

For example, when I start a new research project with my students, I send them to observe clinical procedures before they even think about designing anything. It’s essential they understand the real-world problems and workflows before trying to solve them.

 

So in other words they’re learning to address real needs, not just designing “cool” MedTech gadgets that may not be useful in clinical practice?

Kawal Rhode: Absolutely. Our aim is to create solutions for actual problems, not hypothetical ones. That starts with understanding the clinical environment deeply.

 

We’ve often heard you explain to new students before they start their first year with us that they shouldn’t stress too much about being fully prepared before they arrive. For example, they often ask about extra reading or preparation they should be doing over the summer, but your advice has always been to relax and enjoy the break. Could you talk more about that and how we ensure everyone is brought up to speed?

Kawal Rhode: Yes, we’ve structured our program to bring everyone along, regardless of their starting point.

In a classroom, it’s important to cater to both the students who might need extra help and those who need more stimulation. For instance, I teach anatomy and physiology, and I have a regular lecture on Mondays for everyone. Then on Wednesdays, I hold an optional, more in-depth lecture. The Monday session is usually attended by around 100 students, while about 40 come to the Wednesday one, which allows the top students to explore the subject more deeply.

Our goal is to see every student who starts with us on day one, still with us when they graduate. We want to bring everyone along on this journey.

 

That sounds great, thank you Kawal. With that approach, it’s no surprise that our students thrive and rank our courses so highly.

Thank you for sharing your journey and insights, and inspiring so many students across your career!

Kawal Rhode: Thank you, it’s been a pleasure.