Ahmad Risk wrote:
> Does anyone know of any general practice CME distance learning
> packages, courses or schemes?
What type of / level of CME are you interested in ?
Self development with a specific learning plan and specific goals ?
Bland chasing of PGEA brownie points (well we do have to protect
our income, don't we !)
What are your learning needs ?
- clinical , non clinical, administrative, management orientated etc. ?
- knowledge or skill based needs ?
What are you preferred learning styles ?
Could distance learning meet your needs ?
What sorts of "packages" ? i.e. what tools, content etc. ?
As many of you will already know :
Journals such as Medical Monitor and Update, and
video Journals such as Tele-Med cater for fairly
simple theoretical knowledge based needs
backed by assessment with MCQ / MEQ / short essays.
Phased Evaluation Projects (PEP) are available on floppy disk
from the RCGP :
Dr A.G. Donald or Anne Simpson
PEP Program Secretary to Dr A.G. Donald
RCGP Office Leith Mount
2 Hill Square 46 Ferry Road
Edinburgh Edinburgh
EH8 9DR EH6 4AE
PEP currently consists of a series of 3 modular interactive programs:
Family Planning, Geriatrics, and Practice Management.
The project is PGEA approved (one half day for each module).
Self assessment is encouraged by the use of MCQ's and Patient
Management Problems.
To get the most out of these programs, when comparing your own responses
with those suggested as being correct, you need a pen and paper handy
to record areas of weakness implied / detected. This could help develop
the needs section of a personal learning portfolio.
For the Practice Management PEP it could be useful to
have a book on Employment Law handy when reviewing your responses.
(n.b. re: GP Training : MCQ's are useful in summative assessment,
but I am dismayed with the involvement of MCQ in formative assessment
of GP Training, where the feedback is inadequate. O.S.C.E. scores
much higher on instant feedback - motivation stimulus)
More developmental orientated, longer term programmes are offered by
a multitude of universities. These courses vary in their
"distance learning" v.v. "seminar / tutorial" ratio.
There are plenty of courses on personal skill development
including educational skill programmes, business skill building etc.
Those specifically aimed at clinical knowledge / skills are fewer
in number : e.g. Cardiff : Diploma in Dermatology etc. etc.
The Medical Diploma's - by - distance - learning tend to be expensive
(that is if you think £1,500 is expensive)
Business / personal skill packages can vary in cost
(£10 - £600 per course, sometimes more).
e.g. a short 4 wk introductory course on mentoring
at Leeds Met. - costs £15 for 4 sessions ( a bargain)
The full 30 week Advanced Diploma Course, which is largely
supported Distance Learning, costs approx. £550
There are many alternatives to lectures and distance learning.
Why not devise your own scheme, as a Personal Learning Plan
(which can be part of longer term Personal Education Portfolio)?
You can apply for activities to be PGEA approved.
The gains of personally motivated and directed education are
probably greater than most of the lecture circuit babble that
dominates the CME market
Another useful resource :
The IM&T Group NHS Training division has devised a number of
training and developmental products including videos, toolkits,
computer based training packages and open learning materials.
Contact : the IM&T Training programme, St Bartholomew's Court,
18 Christmas Street, Bristol BS1 3BT
I am toying about with a protocol to carry out CME mixed with
research orientated feedback on GP-UK in the Autumn.
Activities and feedback would be via e-mail.
I could apply for PGEA approval.
The two topics I initially had in mind were :
(i) telephone advice out of hours (ii) mentoring in general practice
This could involve :
(a) a series of brief, weekly, tasks which could ask for
(i) - brain storming on a given set of questions / scenario
- facilitated reflection
- feedback to myself via e-mail.
(ii) - asking you to go away and actively engage in some role play,
- debate / reflect on questions posed and issues raised
- feedback responses to myself
(b) "plenary" feedback of responses from myself to the GP-UK forum
for further debate.
I am fairly new to GP-UK.
I do not know if this has been attempted before ?
Would GP's be interested, or is this tried and tired territory ?
Potentially interesting reading for those interested in GP CME includes :
Royal College of General Practitioners.
Portfolio-based learning in general practice.
Occassional Paper 63. London: RCGP, 1993
Royal College of General Practitioners.
Education and Training for General Practice.
Policy statement 3. London: RCGP, 1994
Stanley I, Al-Shehri A, Thomas, P.
Continuing education for general practice.
1. Experience, competence and the media of self directed
learning for established general practitioners.
Br J Gen Pract 1993; 43: 210-214
Wright A. Modular continuing medical education:
our flexible friend. Br J Gen Pract 1994; 44: 146-147
Clutterbuck,D. Everybody Needs a Mentor. IPM, 1985
Super, D.E. The Psychology of Careers:
An Introduction to Vocational Development. New York, Harper and Row 1957
Clemison,A Putman, K and Bradford,S. Experiential learning styles
and student learning : effects of learning styles and context on
workbased learning. In Gibbs,G. (Ed) Improving Student Learning -
Theory and Practice. Oxford : Oxford Centre for Staff Development. 1994
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Dr Rob Pearson
General Medical Practitioner & RCGP District Faculty Tutor(East Leeds)
95 Moresdale Lane
Leeds
LS14 6BN South Seacroft One Stop Services :
Tel 0113 295 1200 Primary Medical Care, Social Services
Fax 0113 295 1210 Housing, CMHT, Community Benefits & Rights
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