To meet the complexities of population change and growth, the NHS needs more clinical staff. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan aims to double the number of medical school places by 2031, increase nursing places by 8,000 by 2028 and also increase the training of a wide range of other healthcare professional groups. With this increase in staff, our healthcare system also needs more clinical educators.
At the University of Sheffield, we have been teaching clinical staff to become educators for over 20 years. Our PG Certificate in Medical Education has been running since 2002. Andrew Stork, Programme Director for the Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education has been leading the course for the past five years. He has led postgraduate education courses for many years in a range of educational sectors. He also writes books on holistic approaches to learning and teaching, researches learning in the clinical workplace and has given keynote presentations at international universities and conferences.
“The course was established to meet a local need for training clinical staff to become effective educators but has also attracted many students from across Britain,” Andrew said.
Around 80% of our students are doctors but dentists, nurses, paramedics, and other allied health professionals also study the course. The course has been oversubscribed every year of the five that Andrew has led it. Students who have undertaken the course rated it as outstanding and highlighted the incredibly supportive learning environment.
Feedback from students in the academic year 2023/24 for modules studied on the course included:
- Effective Learning and Teaching (MDE61001) - 97% of students agreed that the teaching was effective in helping them learn.
- Curriculum Design and Development (MDE61002) - 100% of students agreed that the teaching staff were approachable.
- Work Based Learning (MDE61003) - 100% of students felt supported to participate in interactive activities.
Students range from those newly qualified to staff who have been working clinically for decades. Many students will already have a lot of experience in clinical education but sometimes doubt the extent of their knowledge and skill.
Andrew said: "Most clinical staff are expected to teach but they receive little guidance on how to effectively teach and support learning. I find that quite a lot of clinical staff on the course lack belief in their teaching skills. Our course helps them gain confidence in their teaching skills. They learn so much from each other as well as from us. And they enjoy it - they have fun on our course."
The PGCert Medical Education programme is taught part-time over one year. Unlike many courses in medical education, the programme is taught via blended learning as opposed to entirely online. Many students find the two face-to-face study days per module to be a highlight of the course. All learning on the course is applied to real-life clinical situations and the theory is fused with practical aspects.
“They talk about how much these study days build confidence and their identity as an educator,” Andrew said.
This was exactly Claire Dewshi’s experience when studying the PGCert in Medical Education. Claire, who currently works as an Orthodontic Specialist Registrar at Queen Victoria Hospital in West Sussex, graduated from the course in 2023.
She said: “I enjoyed the blended learning; having face to face study days as well as online learning helped cement key aspects of the programme. The course was set out really well into small tasks which all ultimately helped you pass your final assignment.
“I used to joke that a course about education led by educators should be the best delivered course you’ve ever seen. But it is true - you can tell that a lot of thought and effort has gone into how the course is set out and delivered. The more you learn about delivering education, the more you see how these techniques are used in the PGCert. It makes a huge difference to have good quality teaching and activities.”
Graduating from the course often leads clinical staff to progress in their careers, be it a promotion within their own organisation, taking up a new role within the NHS, or teaching in higher education.
Dr Ahmed Shakir Mohammed works as a Consultant Paediatrician at the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, Lincolnshire. He completed the PGCert in Medical Education in 2024 and has recently taken on a role as a college tutor for paediatrics at his current Trust.
“As a college tutor, I work with medical trainees in designing the teaching rota and addressing any training issues,” he said. “We also get medical students from Hull and York Medical School and the University of Sheffield. I have always been enthusiastic about teaching.
“Doing a postgraduate course in medical education helped me to improve my abilities in delivering teaching to paediatric trainees as well as to medical students. This course has helped me to improve my confidence and gave me an understanding of what can be done to improve the learning experience of my students.”
Dr Mohammed found the course “very structured and well-planned.” He especially enjoyed studying the learning theories in module one.
“This helps me to design my teaching session depending on the topic based on what learning theory it is related to. I never thought about this before.”
He also praised the staff: “The faculty is very helpful and easy to approach. As a part of the course, we also had teaching on academic writing skills. This was very useful for me, and some of the learnings from these sessions I use when I write my clinic letters. It is an excellent course!”
Have any questions? Andrew Stork, Programme Director would love to hear from you. You can email him on: med-ed@sheffield.ac.uk
