Faculty Development Tree

Welcome to the pages dedicated to the development of primary care educators in General Practice Speciality Training. The East Midlands LETB has developed, over several reorganisations, from disparate histories of GP training, but each area has always been dedicated to providing its GP registrars with a high standard of training through the continued development of those responsible for their education. Some of our historical standards for trainers have formed the basis of the national minimum standards recognised today in the "Gold Guide". We continue to be committed to the development of our educators, not only as the trainers of our future workforce, but as effective and efficient doctors, providing the best standards of patient care.

Below is an outline of our vision of the development of our educators.

The roots of their expertise are founded in an excellent New Trainers Course leading to a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education (PGCMedEd) in association with De Montfort University. Further training encourages familiarity and developing expertise in all elements associated with the trainees teaching and assessment, e.g. Work Place Based Assessment (WPbA), helping registrars pass the CSA, etc.

Continued development is denoted in the stem where our Educational Supervisors can build on their good foundations, develop their current skills and learn new techniques for guiding their trainees to success. This development can take place in several ways.

Most trainers belong to a Trainers Group and are able to develop their skills not only by educational events within these groups but by the support of and interaction with their peers.

This year, the LETB is running four Primary Care Educator Conferences. These conferences, located around the North West and the South East Academies, are designed to allow trainers to update their knowledge of what is happening in the wider world of GP education, enhance their skills, learn from their peers and generally disseminate good practice and high standards. Workshops will be different across the two days - hopefully to allow flexibility for those attending.

Please see below for the date and detail of the upcoming conference;

• Wednesday 29 March 2017 and 30 March 2017 - Primary Care Educators Conference to be held at Stoke Rochford Hall, Stoke Rochford, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG33 5EJ 

To find out more information about the course and to book a place (once bookings are open) please see the link below and find “Primary Care Educator Conference” on the list ;

https://secure.intrepidonline.co.uk/CourseManager/EMD/

The LETB is now increasingly using a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), hosted by Moodle, for the development of registrars, and over the coming year there will be an increase in information and resources available for GP Educators and their development. Some of these can be used to provide evidence for re-approval, others for GP appraisal, and others for personal or group development within the Trainers group environment.

External sources of development are also encourages, and there are many useful learning experiences available locally and nationally. The RCGP runs an annual conference which dedicates one stream to educational matters, while the local faculties in Leicester and Vale of Trent run many relevant courses which are situated closer to home.

The shoots which develop from this stem denote the different paths that those wishing to develop a portfolio career in GP education could follow. The list is not intended to be exhaustive but could include :-

• Programme Director
• Associate postgraduate dean
• GP Tutor
• Advanced Trainer , e.g.
  • With an interest in Specialist Teaching  (TwiST) – e.g. for the exceptional registrar who needs additional skills to reach their full potential
  • Trainer Interested in Problem Solving (TIPS)  who may take registrars who have failed the CSA, who have difficulties with cultural competence