Wessex prides itself on its suite of courses for Wessex GPs and the Ministry of Defence, to support the GMC primary care pathway for supervision.
Courses have been tailor-made to provide prospective and existing Wessex GP Clinical and Educational Supervisors with the:
Initial skills they require to develop, supervise and train GPs in postgraduate training throughout their clinical training and induction into surgeries
CPD they require to continue in their role(s)
The courses blend the theory and practice of medical education and feedback, are learner-focussed, and are delivered in a small group format.
Planning on becoming an Educational Supervisor/Trainer?
There are many benefits both to the educational supervisor and the practice.
Benefits for the educational supervisor:
The opportunity to develop as an educator.
Excellent peer support from local trainers’ groups
The opportunity to complete a Post Graduate Certificate in Medical Education (please note this is no longer a mandatory requirement in Wessex)
Being involved with Doctors in Training (DiT) helps the practice team remain “up to date” with clinical developments.
Teaching and training provide variety to the working week.
In Wessex it is recommended that educational supervisor’s receive an additional 1 week of educational study leave.
Eligibility criteria to become an Educational Supervisor/Trainer
To become a Wessex Educational Supervisor (ES) the doctor must be a qualified GP who:
Is 2 years post Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) if based in an existing training practice or 3 years if in a non-training practice when the first doctor in training arrives.
Has been working at their current practice for 6 months.
Works a minimum of 3 sessions a week * (the tutorial session can be included in these 3 sessions).
*Qualified GP’s can still be an educational supervisor on 2+ sessions but not the sole educational supervisor for a trainee.
How to get started
First step is to contact the GP Patch Associate Dean and express an intention to start the process of becoming an educational supervisor. They will then arrange a meeting with the individual to discuss this.
Apply online via Accent Course Manager (hicom.co.uk) for the GP Trainers – Modular Course for Prospective GP Trainers. This is a 6-day course which consists of 2 full days (Thursday and Friday), once a month, for 3 consecutive months. Currently the courses start in September and January.
This course is run in conjunction with Winchester University, and prospective new educational supervisor’s will work in small groups with a facilitator. There is a 2000-word essay requirement for this course, and the University tutor provides excellent support.
Further details on this course can be found on the Professional Development Unit page.
The Patch Office will then arrange for an approval visit to the GP practice of the prospective educational supervisor and they will be required to complete the TA1 application form. The application is then considered by the Primary Care School Board.
Once the new educational supervisor has been approved their first Doctor in Training can be allocated to the Practice.
The new educational supervisor should then apply online for the GP Trainers – New Trainer Course via Accent Course Manager (hicom.co.uk)
This course is run over 3 days with one full day and 2 mornings every month for 3 months. This course starts in September and October. This part of the course requires trainers to write 2 x 1000-word case histories and one 4000-word essay.
On completion of the Prospective trainer’s course and New trainers course you will receive your PG Certificate in Medical Education.
How to book on to a course
Booking the courses are done online via Accent Course Manager (hicom.co.uk).
For any assistance needed with the bookings please contact england.PDU.WX@nhs.net
Will there be an interview and what will be the format?
The Patch Office will arrange for an approval visit to the practice after completion of the Prospective Trainer’s course. This is usually a discussion in person/virtually with a team which is made up of a lead visitor (usually the Patch AD), a lay representative, a local educational supervisor, and their doctor in training. The report will be considered by the Primary Care School Board (PSCB) who meet in June and December each year and will send formal confirmation of approval.
What happens after the approval?
The GP Training Programme team will confirm the details of a new educational supervisor to the GMC and this will be added to their registration.
Working as a GP educational supervisor must be assessed as part of the NHS annual appraisal.
New educational supervisor’s will also have the opportunity to attend a local trainer’s group and educational courses.
What is the expectations for training?
The expectation is that GP educational supervisor’s should have non-trainee facing protected time per doctor in training, to allow time for reviewing the portfolio, preparing for tutorials etc. This is in addition to the protected time with the doctor in training for tutorials and debriefs.
Support for Educational Supervisors
The senior educators for Wessex GP School have prepared a series of short videos supporting educational supervisors which you can access on this page by clicking on the images. We recommend using Firefox or Google Chrome to access the videos.
