Rate My Professor Simon Gay

Professor Simon Gay serves as Professor of Medical Education (Primary Care) and Head of Leicester Medical School within the University of Leicester's College of Life Sciences. A graduate of St George’s Hospital Medical School with an MB BS degree, he completed general practice training in Leicestershire and practiced as a GP partner in Market Harborough until retirement from clinical practice. His academic career spans multiple institutions: Lecturer at Keele University from April 2015 to October 2016, Managing Director at the University of Nottingham from September 2016 to August 2019, and Professor at the University of Leicester since September 2019, advancing to Head of School. Gay also holds roles as a General Medical Council (GMC) Education Associate and Visiting Team Leader, quality assuring education standards at UK medical schools.

Gay's research focuses on clinical reasoning, professionalism, transitions to qualified practice, and patient and carer involvement in healthcare education. He has produced over 180 academic outputs, including peer-reviewed publications such as 'AI chatbots versus human healthcare professionals: a systematic review and meta-analysis of empathy in patient care' (2025), 'Consensus statement on the content of clinical reasoning curricula in undergraduate medical education' (2020), 'The student is key: a realist review of educational interventions to develop analytical and non-analytical clinical reasoning ability' (2020), and 'How well do UK assistantships equip medical students for graduate practice? Think EPAs' (2023). His work garners around 800 citations and influences pedagogy, curriculum development, and professional training. Gay is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Education for Primary Care, Past Chair of the Association for the Study of Medical Education’s (ASME) Educator Development Committee, and former treasurer of the UK Clinical Reasoning in Medical Education group and the International Clinical Skills Foundation. He received a National Teaching Fellowship for his contributions to teaching excellence.