Finding Courses for Junior Doctors
As junior doctors, time is a luxury. We have a study budget and leave that we can take to attend a course, but how do we find one we actually want to go on?
This was the problem we faced as trainees. We spent all our budget on a course that was aimed at giving consultants CPD, because all of the courses relevant to us were hiding on the 12th page of Google or in a friend’s email inbox.
That is where we come in. MedCourse works with 40+ providers and helps you to find exactly what you need when you need it. Most of our courses are aimed specifically at junior to middle-grade doctors (FY1 to ST8) who are looking to brush up their skills, expand their knowledge, or add some CPD points to their resumes. But, even other healthcare professionals can benefit from MedCourse.
We allow you to filter courses by course category, speciality, role, location, and cost.
There is also an on-demand section that shows the online courses that doctors can take during their leisure time. With all these facilities, doctors and other healthcare professionals can avoid the hassle and get started whenever they feel the need.
Why should you take a course?
- Courses are a good way to acquire knowledge, especially for those who are reluctant or simply do not have the time for reading.
- Courses are an easy way to get the CPD points required for the year.
- Some courses include practical sessions where doctors can develop their clinical skills, especially in the fields of surgery and radiology.
- For candidates who want to take a course but don’t feel like going out, there are online courses.
- You can find courses that can be done at your own pace, so your busy life won’t stand in the way of gaining knowledge.
CPD Courses for UK Doctors
What are CPD Points?
CPD stands for “Continuing Professional Development”. CPD points are used as a method of quantifying the effort and time spent on acquiring new skills and knowledge and updating your current knowledge.
Doctors who are not engaged in a training program at present are required to acquire a certain number of CPD points each year to prove they have been engaging in continuous medical education. Current trainees also can utilise CPD points as evidence of learning in their portfolios.
How Do We Help You to Gain CPD Points?
Courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, etc. are all means of gaining CPD points, and MedCourse is an easy and useful tool for accessing them.
The CPD points that can be gained through each course vary depending on the course content, duration, and complexity. You can filter out the CPD courses on the events calendar or sort by CPD on the on-demand section. We provide you with an easy way of fulfilling the yearly CPD point requirement.
We also advertise free CPD courses from time to time according to the availability. If you keep an eye on our website, you’ll be able to find a course where you don’t have to spend at all.
Types of Courses for Doctors
Leadership Courses
From the lowly FY1 to the trust CEO, nobody can escape leadership roles as a doctor.
Leadership qualities must be learned and leadership skills development courses are a good way to do so. Subjects like leadership and medical management are neglected at med school, even though such soft skills become more useful than actual subject knowledge when it comes to managing a medical practice or department.
The courses available at MedCourse may teach you important leadership skills so that you won’t be reluctant to take up higher roles and go to your full potential.
You may also learn about aspects of teamwork, team management, and delegation. Upon completion, you will find yourself a better leader who is authoritative yet understanding to your staff.
Ultrasound Courses
Ultrasound is a freely available, cheap diagnostic tool that has a very high sensitivity in the right hand.
With the advent of handheld and point-of-care ultrasound scanning machines, the stethoscope may finally have some competition for the space around a doctor’s neck. Ultrasound is so useful, especially in emergencies, that doctors now attend ultrasound courses early in their careers.
You may find the following types of ultrasound courses on our website that cater to doctors at different levels.
- Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) courses
- Ultrasound-guided procedure courses
- Ultrasound courses related to different specialities like gynaecology and obstetrics, surgery, emergency medicine, etc.
- Echocardiography courses
- Ultrasound accreditation courses
Medico-legal Courses
Stories of doctors being caught in litigation and sometimes even ending in GMC tribunals are on the news from time to time. In fact, the risk of litigation, hearings, and disciplinary procedures is ever-increasing.
Now more than ever, it is useful to add a little bit of law to our CV so that we as doctors know our rights, responsibilities, and limitations. Medico-legal courses may help you to protect yourself and engage in your job stress-free.
These courses are often free or low priced as the presenting organisation is keen to get you on their books!
You may find courses related to the following areas.
- Managing complaints
- Preventing litigation
- Professionalism and probity
- Consent
- The Mental Health Act
Surgical Courses
To be a good surgeon, getting your theory right is not enough. You also need skills, and to hone these skills, you need guidance.
Surgical courses are a perfect way to gain new knowledge, practise surgical techniques and stay up to date with the newest developments in surgery.
There are surgical courses for all grades of doctors, and can include skills such as
- Basic Suturing
- Orthopaedic Casting
- Laparoscopic basics & intermediate skills
- Robotic surgical skills
- Procedure-specific courses
- Cadaveric courses
- Virtual surgical education
Communication Skills Courses
Including Breaking Bad News
As healthcare professionals, communication cannot be confined to exchanging words. It also covers body language, empathy, and responding appropriately.
Good communication skills will leave patients with a sense of satisfaction that cannot be gained from medical treatments alone. Plus, it might help keep you on the right side of the the PALS team. All grades of doctors will find these courses useful in their day-to-day practice.
Breaking bad news is a part of communication that can be an unpleasant job in most instances. Yet there is no escape from it in the field of medicine. If you got to do it anyway, why not do it right?
These courses include concepts of breaking bad news and may teach you how to be empathetic and support your clients in times of great distress while maintaining your professionalism.
Teaching Courses
The role of a doctor as a teacher is sometimes undervalued. They are teachers to their juniors, to other healthcare workers, and most importantly, to their patients.
Teach the teacher courses help you to pass on your knowledge to the next generation, and can help you boost your CV for applications and jobs.
Patient health education is vital in disease prevention, identification of red flag signs, and improving the doctor-patient relationship.
Your juniors will respect you and forever keep you in their minds as a knowledgeable senior if you are a good teacher.
Attending a teaching course will have the following benefits.
- It will open a path to a career in medical education
- It will boost your CV and give you an advantage in job interviews
- Allow you to start your own courses
- Allow you to become an OSCE examiner
