Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Education

Virtual Open Events

To learn more about the programme and the student experience, and to ask any questions you may have, join us for our virtual open events. To register, follow these links:

Tuesday 13 April 2021 at 5pm GMT

Who is the course designed for?

The Postgraduate Diploma is aimed at doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals involved in supporting the learning and development of students and/or more junior colleagues. This includes those working in primary /secondary/ community care settings, at all levels from Foundation Year 2 onwards. The programme is only open to those who have successfully completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education at the Institute of Continuing Education, University of Cambridge.

This means they are medical, dental or healthcare professionals who are engaged in education and training activities commensurate with their level of experience and as is relevant to their professional roles and responsibilities. It is suitable for ‘early career’ educators as well as those with more experience.

Aims of the programme

The programme aims to develop individuals able to adopt an informed and critically reflective stance to their own and others practice as medical educators and leaders.

This will include:

• consideration of strategies to create and sustain safe working and learning environments, including supporting and developing faculty to deliver high quality education and training
• the features of high quality formative and summative assessment practices and how these are used to assess performance and support the development of students and trainees (including differentiation of performance and supporting trainees who are failing to progress)
• a focus on curriculum and course design at two levels i.e. firstly, to enable an informed critique of adopted curriculum, their limits and potentials and secondly to familiarise participants with core curriculum design skills

Teaching and learning: Updated dates.

The Postgraduate Diploma comprises three modules and combines face-to-face study days with on-line activity, study and assignments. There are 8 contact days in total.

Please note that all dates are provisional and may be subject to change.

Module 1: Curriculum and assessment: design and development

• 7 October 2021
• 11 November 2021
• 12 November 2021

Module 2: Supporting workbased learning

• 7 January 2022 (remote)
• 24 February 2022
• 25 February 2022

Module 3: Developing practice and leading learning

• 1 April 2022 (remote)
• 11 May 2022

Please note that these dates have been updated.

A virtual learning environment will support students’ learning throughout the programme.

Assessment

There are three assessment points, one formative (first term) and two summative (second and third terms). The first summative assessment requires you to design an educational intervention or innovation that has the potential to improve the quality of clinical education or training in your own professional context (equivalent to 5000 words). The final summative assessment is a structured portfolio of educational practice that includes selected entries from the reflective blog you keep throughout the course and a critical review of a recent journal article selected because it has the potential to improve practice (equivalent to 5000 words). The formative assessment is based on peer review of your planned educational intervention and is designed to help you develop your ideas.

Fees and funding

The fee for 2021 will be £4,122 per annum (home) and £6,000 (overseas).

The fee status of EU nationals for 2021 entry onwards will be International by default until the UK government announce further details and amendments of the current regulation. EU students should regularly check for updates at: www.cam.ac.uk/eu

Students will be expected to cover the application fee (£70 online) and any costs of travel, accommodation and subsistence incurred during teaching sessions in Cambridge.

Bursaries may be available for qualifications in medical education, some deaneries, for example the  Health Education East of Engalnd (HEEoE) may offer bursaries for qualifications in medical education, and enquiries should be directed to the relevant Postgraduate Centre in your region. It is also worth investigating what funding is available from your employer if you teach regularly.

Applications will be accepted until 31 May 2021. Please click the APPLY NOW button at the top of the page and follow the steps.

Applicants will be required to either submit or provide details of the following as part of the application process:

• Copies of qualification transcripts
• Employer letter of support to confirm release of time to study.
• Evidence of funding
• Details of two academic referees
• If applicable, appropriate visa to attend the course.
• Evidence of competence in English (if appropriate)

All eligible candidates will be invited to interview by telephone or by VOIP (e.g. Zoom). Candidates will be informed of final decisions towards the end of August.

Academic Centre in Professional Studies

Medical Education

University of Cambridge

Madingley Hall, Madingley

Cambridge

CB23 8AQ

meded@ice.cam.ac.uk