A career in medical education can be incredibly fulfilling and diverse. There are ample opportunities for those who want to get into it and broaden their horizons and more formal qualifications for those who have more experience at being a medical educator. This page will highlight some teaching opportunities throughout various bodies, higher degrees and who to contact in which hospitals.
Locally, there are several consultants who have affiliations to universities responsible for medical student teaching or those who have the responsibility of SHO teaching. They are usually very keen for you to help out with this.
Medical Education Training
In terms of formalising your teaching skills, there are several courses via the RCP and independent bodies that you could embark upon.
i. MSC in Medical Education: Diploma/Certificate:
Designed to meet the requirements of doctors who are intending to have a significant role in medical education, and is delivered by experienced teachers, senior clinical medical education leads. Read more here MSC Medical Education
ii. RCP Educator Accreditation:
Formalised Modular programme involving four short courses that need to be done across 2 years. These include: On-the-job teaching, Effective teaching skills, Workplace-based assessment, Peer Support Network (PSN). The skills obtained allow you to deliver medical education in a range of settings. Read more here RCP Educator Accreditation
iii. Teach the Teacher (Oxford Medical Training)
Shorter course which is usually 2 days and focuses on theories of education and how to reach a variety of settings. Can be done virtually or in person. Read more here Teach the Teacher Course
Teaching Opportunities
There are varying opportunities dependent on your desired time commitment to teaching. Some can be done in line with a full time or part time job but give you some formal teaching experience whereas some allow for more dedicated 1 year placements.
1. RCP Funded Fellowships: Clinical Education Fellowship ( 1 year)
This is a role with opportunity for a trainee doctor to develop expertise as a medical educator, including curriculum development, online resource development, co-facilitating, and to develop leadership and project management expertise through roles in ongoing RCP work. The clinical education fellow will have the opportunity to attain a postgraduate certificate in medical education and work towards RCP educator accreditation.
2. Teaching Fellow at Various Trusts (1 year)
There are many hospitals that have a teaching fellow post that are often advertised yearly and attached to a specific specialty. These are usually associated with university OSCE organisation or internal simulation training. Common trusts that fund these are St. Georges Hospital, King College London. Contacting the education lead for the department early would be a good way to start and then setting a job alert on job finding websites.
3. University of Lewisham Biomedical Science MsC Renal Tutor (weekly for 12 weeks- paid)
This is a niche opportunity for those who might want to experience a bit more of distance learning and PBL teaching style. It allows you to guide a small group of students discuss and self-teach renal related topics with a slight focus on histopathology. You have weekly sessions with them and then grade their assessments. Contact Catherine Ronan: c.e.ronan@gre.ac.uk
4. SGUL P Year Relective Practice
This is a programme designed To facilitate the ability of medical students to analyse and learn from complex clinical experiences to improve their personal clinical practice and ability to function as part of an interdependent team. You meet with your students twice per year and encourage them to reflect on a range of professional domains. Please contact if interested: nislam@sgul.ac.uk or nfossati@sgul.ac.uk
5. Medical Education Fellow (C&W)
Advertised in May 2023 for Postgraduate Education LEEP Fellow + Serios Incidents + Patient Safety Fellow. To develop expertise in education theory and undertake supervised educations research.
Some contacts to chat to if you want some more advice are:
i.