WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BECOMING A TUTOR / TEACHING PRACTICE?

There is a huge array of benefits to teaching in your practice including but not limited to: inspiring the next generation of medical students, maintaining up-to-date clinical knowledge and practice, becoming part of our teaching community, preventing burnout, improving morale amongst your practice staff and financial remuneration.

 As one of our GP tutors phrased it ‘The opportunities are to enthuse and inspire students and show them what an amazing career they can have in general practice – how we work closely with multidisciplinary teams and the beauty of knowing your patients and how rewarding that is’.

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO I NEED TO BECOME A GP TUTOR?

Requirements for new tutors/practices

WHAT DOES TEACHING A GP PLACEMENT INVOLVE?

There are a number of different placements that vary in their time and student commitments so you can choose one to suit you. Please see our Teaching Opportunities for GPs booklet for more information

WHAT TRAINING DO YOU OFFER?

We offer a one-day NESTT course for all new teachers covering topics such as learning-needs assessment, student induction, practice and patient preparation, giving feedback to students as well as considering how we narrate and facilitate learning in General Practice.

QMUL also offers a one year part-time Certificate in Learning and Teaching (CILT), and an MSc in Creative arts and mental health

MY PRACTICE IS OUTSIDE OF LONDON, CAN WE STILL TEACH?

Yes, in year 5 students can choose to be placed at an outer London practice for their 6 week placement (or half of their placement time).  Depending on your practice location, we may also be able to allocate year 3 students.  In the third year a number of students will be placed at ‘outer’ Trusts with accommodation provided at the Trust site.  We place these students in practices located near these sites.

WHAT DOES THE PRACTICE NEED TO DO TO PREPARE FOR STUDENT PLACEMENTS

Students greatly appreciate an organised practice with lots of opportunities for active learning and engaging with the team. We recommend: 

  • The appointment of an Educational Coordinator to take responsibility for the administrative side of student learning in your practice (there is now a new Educational Coordinator prize awarded at our Spring Education Day)
  • Sending student a pre-placement email to check in with them about their learning needs and give them key information on when to turn up, how to get there, lunch time arrangements etc
  • use of a student induction handout with suggested relevant information for students about your practice. 
  • making the whole team aware that the students are coming
  • Organising student computer and internet access
  • For more on our expectations see here link to tutor expectations

I AM A LOCUM/SALARIED GP, CAN I STILL TEACH?

Yes.  If you are a sessional GP who would like to become involved in teaching, for example if you work in several different practices, or your practice does not want to become a teaching practice you can become a sessional GP Tutor.  This route is open to all sessional GPs whether you are a locum or a salaried GP.  This scheme matches sessional GPs (SGPs) with established teaching practices (host practices) and a host practice mentor. The host practice provides the space and suitable patients, and the SGP organises the teaching.  More information can be found in our Sessional GP handbook. Please contact our CBME manager Lynne Magorrian for more information – l.c.magorrian@qmul.ac.uk / 0207 882 2521

You can also become involved with clinical skills teaching based at the medical school campus at Barts or become an OSCE examiner. Please contact CBME deputy manager Gillian Vythelingum for more information – g.vythelingum@qmul.ac.uk 

CAN STUDENTS SELF-ORGANISE THEIR YEAR 5 COMMUNITY CARE PLACEMENT AT MY PRACTICE?

If you are a contracted teaching practice then students cannot self-organise at your practice.   

WHO DO I CONTACT IF I WOULD LIKE TO BECOME AN OSCE EXAMINER?

If you are interested in volunteering to be an examiner then please contact the Assessment Unit at ihse-osce-examiners@qmul.ac.uk

HOW DO I COMPLETE THE STUDENT ASSESSMENTS?

You will be asked by the relevant Unit Administrator to complete an online assessment and professionalism form for each student.  Further information on assessment and grading criteria can be found in the tutor guides

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF A STUDENT IS ABSENT/MISSING?

Attendance at all lectures and placements is mandatory for our students. Please record student attendance at your placement and send us the attendance record with the student assessment. Please inform us at the time of any unexplained non-attendance, non-attendance on day 1 of a placement or any student that misses more than two placement days even if they have provided an explanation.

For more detail on illness/authorised and unauthorised absence click here

 The college attendance policy is found here. and remove this sentence from the click through link

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I HAVE A CONCERN REGARDING A STUDENT?

If you have concerns about a student and think they may require support, in the first instance, please contact the relevant Unit Administrator or Unit Convenor. It is better to contact us as early as you identify concerns so that we can address issues through student support before they escalate. You can also contact the student support office on smd-student-support@qmul.ac.uk. 

Here is a diagram to explain our student support system.

To read more about why students might need support, how they might present, why they might resist help and what student support can do to help click here 


HOW DO I KNOW WHAT TO TEACH THE STUDENTS?

Each unit has its own tutor guide which should help you to plan your student placements. Please also see the medical school curriculum for guidance. We also recommend that you have a look at our Continued Professional Development  section on our website.


Last modified: Wednesday, 24 November 2021, 2:14 PM