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Medical Education, 2004
BACKGROUND Recommendations for medical training have seen a growing drive for undergraduate teaching to take place within the community-primarily in the general practice surgery. In light of the ongoing expansion of medical student numbers, many more general practices will be required to participate in undergraduate teaching. AIM To explore the perceptions of primary care staff on the impact that increasing student numbers will have on them, on their patients and on the students themselves. DESIGN OF STUDY Semi-structured interviews SETTING Three general practices presently involved in undergraduate teaching, 3 practices about to become involved in undergraduate teaching and 1 non-teaching practice, all in the Black Country area of the West Midlands. METHODS Semi-structured interviews with prearranged prompts were undertaken with a variety of practice staff including general practitioners (GPs), practice managers and practice nurses, as well as administrative and reception staff. RESULTS Eleven GPs, 6 practice managers, 4 practice nurses and 6 receptionists ⁄ administrators took part in the interviews. Three main themes emerged relating to the effects on students and reflecting attitudes towards the Black Country, the experience of working among deprived populations and issues around access to the new training locations. The majority of interviewees were of the opinion that patients both enjoy taking part in undergraduate teaching and are able to benefit from the process. Positive impacts on practice infrastructure were also elicited, but when asked about the resource implications for the practice of undergraduate teaching, there was a dichotomy of opinion. CONCLUSION For many practices, involvement in undergraduate teaching is a double-edged sword.
Exploring the tensions of being and becoming a medical educator
BMC Medical Education, 2017
Background: Previous studies have identified tensions medical faculty encounter in their roles but not specifically those with a qualification in medical education. It is likely that those with postgraduate qualifications may face additional tensions (i.e., internal or external conflicts or concerns) from differentiation by others, greater responsibilities and translational work against the status quo. This study explores the complex and multi-faceted tensions of educators with qualifications in medical education at various stages in their career. Methods: The data described were collected in 2013-14 as part of a larger, three-phase mixed-methods research study employing a constructivist grounded theory analytic approach to understand identity formation among medical educators. The over-arching theoretical framework for the study was Communities of Practice. Thirty-six educators who had undertaken or were undertaking a postgraduate qualification in medical education took part in semi-structured interviews. Results: Participants expressed multiple tensions associated with both becoming and being a healthcare educator. Educational roles had to be juggled with clinical work, challenging their work-life balance. Medical education was regarded as having lower prestige, and therefore pay, than other healthcare career tracks. Medical education is a vast speciality, making it difficult as a generalist to keep up-to-date in all its areas. Interestingly, the graduates with extensive experience in education reported no fears, rather asserting that the qualification gave them job variety. Conclusion: This is the first detailed study exploring the tensions of educators with postgraduate qualifications in medical education. It complements and extends the findings of the previous studies by identifying tensions common as well as specific to active students and graduates. These tensions may lead to detachment, cynicism and a weak sense of identity among healthcare educators. Postgraduate programmes in medical education can help their students identify these tensions in becoming and develop coping strategies. Separate career routes, specific job descriptions and academic workload models for medical educators are recommended to further the professionalisation of medical education.
BMC Medical Education, 2008
Background: We analysed the learning and professional development narratives of Hospital Consultants training junior staff ('Consultant Trainers') in order to identify impediments to successful postgraduate medical training in the UK, in the context of Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) and the European Working Time Directive (EWTD). Methods: Qualitative study. Learning and continuing professional development (CPD), were discussed in the context of Consultant Trainers' personal biographies, organisational culture and medical education practices. We conducted life story interviews with 20 Hospital Consultants in six NHS Trusts in Wales in 2005.