Who is the course designed for?
The Postgraduate Certificate is aimed at doctors and other professionals allied to medicine who have a teaching role and/or a role in training and appraising healthcare professionals. This includes doctors working in: primary care; secondary care at all levels from foundation year 2 to consultant grades; and other professionals allied to medicine that have a role in teaching both undergraduates and postgraduates. Hear what our current students have to say.
Applicants may wish to continue onto the linked Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Education which provides a further 60 credits at FHEQ Level 7.
Aims of the programme
The programme is designed to provide practical solutions to teaching undergraduates or postgraduates as individuals, small groups and larger groups. It will look at the theory behind teaching in medical settings and how these apply in real life situations. It is also designed to provide help in developing skills in giving feedback, appraisal and assessment. Where possible the teaching will be adaptable so that it can help specific groups of teachers in their particular environment.
The programme is designed to meet recommendations of the GMC and Academy of Medical Educators, and aims to contribute to continuing professional development of doctors and allied professionals in an integrated clinical and teaching environment to stimulate more inter-professional education; and to develop a cohort of professionals who will pursue and develop their roles as teachers in the field of medical education. Students successfully completing the programme will have gained skills and knowledge to:
- Ensure safe and effective patient care through training
- Establish and maintain an environment for learning
- Teach and assess learning and apply core theoretical principles to their own educational contexts
- Support and monitor educational progress
- Guide personal and professional development
Upon successful completion of the programme you may apply for membership of the Academy of Medical Educators (AoME); you may also apply for Fellowship status of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).
Teaching and learning
Course structure and content
The Postgraduate Certificate comprises three modules providing a total of approximately 90 contact hours with additional between-module reflection, study and assignment work. The three modules are:
Core skills in medical education
- 12 October 2018
- 13 October 2018
- 16 November 2018
- 7 December 2018
Applying teaching skills
- 18 January 2019
- 1 March 2019
- 5 April 2019
The role of assessment
The postgraduate certificate is not a distance learning course and attendance in Cambridge for the teaching sessions is compulsory. It is therefore essential that all applicants are available to attend all the teaching events.
All teaching will take place at Madingley Hall from 9am to 6pm and accommodation can be booked subject to availability.
A virtual learning environment will support students’ learning throughout the programme.