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Students in a PBL group session

Becoming a Clinical Education Tutor

Are you a practising clinician and keen to share your knowledge and experience with the next generation of medical trainees? If so, becoming a clinical education tutor is an excellent opportunity to help facilitate the learning of our medical students.

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Train tomorrow's doctors

Our medical students benefit hugely from having clinicians as tutors. Our tutors bring a wealth of experience from their day-to-day clinical practice, helping our students to contextualise their learning and to develop their professional identity. Many students continue to stay in touch with their tutors throughout their training and once they are qualified.

Clinical education tutors really enjoy the time that they spend with students and find that it can challenge them and support their own learning as well as the students’ learning. You will join a network of clinical tutors from a range of specialities across the region, enabling you to strengthen your professional network.

Doctors from any speciality are welcome to become a clinical education tutor. You don’t need to be an expert on undergraduate clinical science but you should have a strong interest in education.

Problem based learning group
Medicine students in clinical skills training
Students in a problem based learning session

What is a clinical education tutor?

A clinical education tutor delivers two main roles in teaching:

  • Deliver problem based learning sessions (PBL), and
  • Teach communication and physical examinations skills

Tutors work with the same group of around 10 students to facilitate their learning throughout the first two years of their course. Tutors are also the personal and academic tutor for those students throughout the year.

Tutors also support other activities with Hull York Medical School, including assessment and admissions processes.

What is problem based learning?

Watch the video: 'What is problem based learning?'

Just as the name implies, problem based learning is centred round a 'problem' or scenario. 

Students get together twice a week for their PBL sessions. Students are presented with a trigger in their first PBL session – usually a written description of a patient case but sometimes including videos or visual triggers.

They work together as a group to identify the problems for that patient and then share their pre-existing knowledge to come up with hypotheses. The tutor supports and guides the group and, as a clinician, helps students to learn in a clinically relevant context.

At the end of the first session, the group agree learning outcomes to work on with self-directed study. This problem is used as the focal point of learning throughout the student’s week, including through their lectures, clinical placements and physical and communications skills.

During the second session, they share their learning in various inventive ways which can include quizzes, drawing mind maps, and even building models.

PBL is an interactive and enjoyable way to build knowledge. In this context our students form strong relationships, learn how to communicate effectively in a group and work as part of a team.

What is clinical and communication skills?

Here at Hull York Medical School, we train our students to develop the superior communication and clinical skills, and confident, empathic approach to delivering care that are the hallmark of our graduates.

Our communication and clinical skills sessions take an integrated approach to learning, emphasising the relationship between the skills used in a consultation, including physical and mental state examination, history-taking, clinical reasoning and communication.

You will tutor these sessions, where students will learn how to provide detailed, descriptive and non-judgmental feedback to their fellow students. Students will also have many opportunities to interview simulated patients within a safe, protected learning environment.

Students will also acquire the skills to perform physical examinations by practising with their peers in a professional atmosphere under your supervision.

Testimonial

Dr Irene Rezk

Kingthorpe Group Practice, Doncaster

Becoming a clinical education tutor has proved to be very fulfilling, especially watching the students develop. I enjoy working with the students and the team of tutors very much.

When and where does teaching take place?

  • You will be based at either the University of Hull (in the Allam Medical Building) or the University of York (in the Hull York Medical School building)
  • Year 1 teaching takes place on a Monday and a Thursday, Year 2 teaching takes place on a Tuesday and Friday
  • You would need to be available for either the morning or afternoon slot on both days throughout University term time
  • There is a lighter, more flexible commitment in holiday times, and preparation time is included

What support and training is available?

New tutors receive two full days of training on clinical skills and PBL facilitation before the start of the academic year. There are twice yearly training events for all tutors and an active programme of peer observation. New tutors are also allocated a mentor and tutors meet for mutual peer support before every teaching session.

What remuneration is available?

Tutors receive a salary as per the clinical academic scale (pro-rata).

How to become a Clinical Education Tutor

If you are interested in becoming a Clinical Education Tutor, please contact us using the the following form.