Gateway into Medical Education

This course in now fully booked for January 2026.

If you would like to hear when the next intake is, please register your interest here.

Gateway into Medical Education is recommended for those new to healthcare education, for those wishing to develop basic skills or update their skills and as an introduction for those who may be considering a higher qualification. Gateway is a FREE online course designed to enable participants to apply the principles of learning and teaching to the planning and delivery of learning.

The course comprises four sessions, each with a distinct focus. Each session runs for two weeks and contains two tasks which must be completed. Participants are required to obtain peer feedback on an observed teaching session and to reflect on this feedback. We provide guidance on how to approach this. Two weeks are set aside for this activity at the midpoint of the course, although peer observation can be undertaken at any time.

We estimate that each session will take approximately 3 hours of study.

This staff development course is offered exclusively to staff involved in the teaching of University of Sheffield, Undergraduate Medical and PA Students.

Course Description

Gateway aims to prepare medical practitioners for educational practice by developing an understanding of how learning takes place and how it can be facilitated by teachers in the classroom and in clinical settings. Emphasis is given to practical approaches, such as planning sessions, developing learning outcomes and applying techniques for feedback. During the course you will engage in reflective practice and peer observation to further your professional development.

Learning Environment

How is this run?

The course is run entirely online, there are no face-to-face sessions so you do not need to take time off work to attend. You can complete your sessions in your own time, you have 2 weeks to complete any tasks required for each session.

What work do I have to do?

There are Four sessions to complete. Each session lasts for 2 weeks and during this time you will be required to complete a variety of tasks such as reading articles, posting short reflections, contributing to online discussions. Tutors will interact with you along the way in every session.

Where do I do all this?

All our sessions are run via our Virtual Learning Platform (VLE) called Blackboard. You will be asked to register for an account and given access to this just prior to the start date of the first session.

What do I get at the end of the course?

You will receive a certificate of completion and if you wish to apply for it Accreditation from the AoME (Academy of Medical Educators).

Academy of Medical Educators (AoME)

Individuals completing the course successfully will be eligible to apply for full membership of the Academy of Medical Educators through the shortened assessment process. Full details of how you can obtain this recognition will be sent to you on completion of the course.

What our participants say

"It's provided me with different approaches to how I can plan and develop teaching sessions and how best I can optimise teaching to achieve learner's needs. It was also good to be able to see what other candidates submitted for their tasks, as again it gave you different ideas; personalised feedback from the tutors was also incredibly helpful."

"I particularly appreciated the flexible nature of the course in the current circumstances with changing work patterns..."

"I liked that you could access it as and when you could fit it in and do the separate sections of each block around other commitments. The workload was very manageable but also required engagement which I found motivating."

Sessions

Session 1 - Designing & Planning Learning Session Lead - Paul Jinks Fri 09 Jan 26 - Thu 22 Jan 26

Session 2 - Facilitating Learning in the Workplace Session Lead - Andrew Stork & Amir Burney Fri 23 Jan 26 - Thu 5 Feb 26

Set aside for Peer Observation Peer Observation Webinar (Mon 02 Mar 26) Fri 6 Feb 26 - Thu 19 Feb 26

Session 3 - Assessment of Learning Session Lead - Selma Omer Fri 20 Feb 26 - Thu 5 Mar 26

Session 4 - Developing as an Educator Session Lead - Selma Omer Fri 6 Mar 26 - Fri 20 Mar 26

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