Medical Education, MSc/PGDip/PGCert

Program Overview

This online Medical Education program empowers healthcare professionals with advanced teaching, assessment, and support skills for students and trainees. It combines theoretical knowledge with practical applications, emphasizing evidence-based education for practitioners seeking to provide high-quality learning experiences for their learners. Through a flexible distance learning format, participants can choose from certificate, diploma, or master's pathways, tailoring their studies to align with their career aspirations and healthcare context.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This program is designed for healthcare professionals who are responsible for teaching, assessing, and supporting students and trainees, both in educational institutions and in the workplace. The course will enhance your confidence and skills in medical education. It offers a mix of theoretical and practical skills that build from basic to advanced levels. The emphasis will be on effective evidence-based education for practitioners who are committed to the provision of high-quality learning opportunities for their students and colleagues. It focuses on developing competent, reflective, yet critical practitioners who, through study, practice, and research, can contribute effectively to medical education in their healthcare context.

Outline:

The program is available as an online distance learning course, which provides high-quality learning and teaching combined with flexible asynchronous study. Modules cover teaching, learning, and assessment in healthcare settings as well as considering how professionalism can be taught, developed, and assessed. Alternatively, you can substitute 1 core module for one of the option modules.

• Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip): If you follow the standard route (outlined above), you will complete one more compulsory module: Curriculum Design and 2 additional modules that can be chosen from a suite of options.
Whether you take the standard or alternative route, you will have undertaken all 4 core modules and 2 option modules to complete your PG Diploma. This allows you to tailor your learning pathway to suit career aspirations, healthcare context, and educator role. You may choose to focus on workplace learning, and therefore choose a module that allows you to showcase your CPD and application of learning in the clinical context.
• Masters (MSc): In the MSc program, you will develop the research skills needed to undertake a small-scale, but high-quality, research project in healthcare education, relevant to your own healthcare context and research interests.
Students are encouraged to write their dissertations to include an article suitable for publication or a means of disseminating their findings to the appropriate practitioner audience. You will have at least one personal supervisor from the Medical Education team to ensure full and effective support in areas of research design, educational question/research topic, analysis, and dissemination of findings.

Modules:

Year 1

Compulsory Modules:

• Professional Project: This module aims to provide you with the opportunity to develop and apply research methodologies in a specific area of interest within the field of professional practice and help build your confidence in conducting independent research activities.
(Module code MB4003)
• Dissertation: This module aims to provide you with the opportunity to develop and apply research methodologies in a specific area of interest within the field of professional practice and help build your confidence in conducting independent research activities.
(Module code MB4022)
• Research and Evidence Based Practice Methods: This module aims to equip you with the knowledge, techniques, and skills for undertaking research projects and developing a critical understanding of research concepts.
You'll then apply these skills to practical research problems within your area of practice. (Module code MB4099)
• Educational theory to educational practice: You will learn fundamental principles and practical skills essential for teaching medical students, whether in a clinical or formal education setting.
(Module code MB4102)
• Assessment in Health Care Settings: You will develop your understanding of the educational principles underlying good practice in developing valid, reliable, and practicable assessments in health care education settings.
(Module code MB4104)
• Professionalism in health care settings: You'll develop an understanding of the principles of defining, exploring, and assessing professionalism, specifically in a healthcare setting.
(Module code MB4105)
• Curriculum Design: Develop a critical understanding of the principles and practice of curriculum design in medical education, drawing on educational theory and research.
(Module code MB4123)

Optional Modules:

• Assessment design and delivery: In this module, you will develop practical skills required for you to deliver Medical Assessments for Medical Posts in clinics.
(Module code MB4100)
• Evidence Based Medical Education: For over a decade, there have been calls for medical education to become more evidence-based, but this is far more complex than the evidence-based medicine movement.
The Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) collaborative was established in 1999 to develop this concept of evidence-based medical education and over the last 15 years has pioneered and spearheaded the field. (Module code MB4101)
• Coaching and Mentoring in Medical Education: The aim of this module is to integrate the theory and practice of coaching and mentoring of learners within medical education and health care settings.
You'll explore different strategies used by professionals as well as the literature around the topic. (Module code MB4122)
• Foundation in Medical Leadership: Gain the knowledge, techniques, and skills you need to undertake the Medical Leadership Programme.
You'll understand the core leadership tools, concepts, and theories and apply these to practical problems within your sphere of practice. (Module code MB4300) (Module code MB4410)

Assessment:

The program uses a variety of assessment methods, and much of that assessment will be closely linked to your own practice. All assignments can be submitted online.

Teaching:

The learning environment uses a range of technologies from video and audio to interactive exercises that check your understanding. On the blended pathway, communication will be both asynchronous and synchronous, and you will have the opportunity to collaborate both with your fellow students and course tutors. Self-directed distance learning students will have the opportunity for tutorial support as required.

Careers:

On completion, you will be well placed to influence the role and the research of medical education in patient care at a local, regional, and national level.

Other:

The program has been developed in close liaison with GPs, NHS Trusts, CCGs, and clinicians to ensure it meets the needs of the health economy.

Accreditations:

• Academy of Medical Educators (AOME): The MSc/PGDip/PGCert Medical Education and its modules are accredited by the Academy of Medical Educators.
• Royal College of Surgeons: The center is accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons, a professional membership organization and registered charity which exists to advance patient care.
The Royal College of Surgeons of England, registered charity number 212808.

UK Distance Full-time £10,000 per year Distance Part-time £1,111 per 20 credits International Distance Full-time £10,000 per year Distance Part-time £1,111 per 20 credits