Medical Education (PgDip)
- Duration: 1 year
- Mode: Part time distance learning
Open day
Find out more about studying here as a postgraduate at our next Open Day.
Why study this course
This Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Education is an e-learning course, offering build-up of study credit via a three-stage, progressive course delivered online.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Education programme is committed to promoting excellence in learning and teaching for health professionals. It is for all medical, dental and other health professionals who aim to professionalise the role of the clinician as teacher.
This part-time distance learning programme leads to the award of a Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Education. This is stage 2 of a three-stage, progressive course and those who successfully complete it may apply to progress to the MSc stage.
The course is highly practical and aims to model best practice in learning and teaching and draws upon a wide range of innovative approaches to learner support and development. The course is organised into a series of modules that involve interactive activities delivered within an online environment. These activities are conducted within groups, each one being facilitated by an online tutor. This affords an opportunity to explore the module topic through discussion and clarification of understanding and also gives the opportunity and time to apply new learning through the online discussions, tasks, wikis, blogs and assignments. Through this there is ample time to reflect on own practise and to share experiences and new insights with colleagues and encourages critical dialogue that promotes deeper insight into educational theory and principles which apply to clinical practice.
Distinctive features
- Benefit from our longstanding expertise and more than two decades of experience of running medical education courses that integrate research and scholarship
- The programme is accredited by the Higher Education Academy, conferring Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy upon successful completion of the Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education and evidence of engagement with the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF)
- Accredited by the Academy of Medical Educators (AoME) and aligned to GMC Trainer criteria
- Specifically designed for clinicians and healthcare professionals, with flexibility to meet your individual needs and circumstances
- Assessment tasks linked to your own educational practise, allowing you to apply theory and concepts to your clinical setting
- Opportunity to study alongside healthcare professionals from diverse backgrounds to promote understanding and sharing of good practice
- Support from an academic team of dedicated educationalists, active in professional associations who have a breadth of experience both nationally and internationally
- Positioned within Cardiff University School of Medicine and located at University Hospital of Wales, we are well placed to support the education and training of clinicians and clinical educators
We're committed to delivering programmes that are innovative and relevant, providing the best learning outcomes and career prospects for our students. In light of this, we're currently reviewing some elements of this programme. As such, the details shown are subject to change and indicative only. You can still apply now. We'll update this page and contact all offer holders when the review is complete to confirm any changes.
Where you'll study
School of Medicine
We are of the largest medical schools in UK, committed to the pursuit of improved human health through education and research.
Admissions criteria
Academic requirements:
Typically, you will need to have either:
- an honours degree in a healthcare-related field, or an equivalent international degree
- a university-recognised equivalent academic qualification
- or be working in a healthcare-related field and hold professional registration with a recognised body.
English Language requirements:
IELTS with an overall score of 6.5 with 5.5 in all subskills, or an accepted equivalent.
Other essential requirements:
This programme has been designed for teachers, trainers, educational supervisors, course coordinators, clinical, and college tutors so you will also need to demonstrate your interest/involvement in learning and teaching in healthcare contexts via the personal statement. This should cover details of your teaching, assessment, and related educational responsibilities. In your personal statement tell us why you wish to follow this programme, what benefits you expect to gain from it, and what skills and experience you possess that make you a suitable applicant. Please supply your statement as a PDF (500 words) and include the following questions as headings:
1. What experience do you have as a health professional? You should have at least one years' post-graduation general medical experience.
2. Why do you wish to follow this course?
3. What post-qualification experience do you have of teaching as a health professional?
4. What current involvement in teaching within your health profession do you have?
Application deadline:
We allocate places on a first-come, first-served basis, so we recommend you apply as early as possible.
Selection process:
We will review your application and teaching experience and if you meet the entry requirements we will make you an offer.
Find out more about English language requirements.
Applicants who require a Student visa to study in the UK must present an acceptable English language qualification in order to meet UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) requirements.
Criminal convictions
You are not required to complete a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check or provide a Certificate of Good Conduct to study this course.
If you are currently subject to any licence condition or monitoring restriction that could affect your ability to successfully complete your studies, you will be required to disclose your criminal record. Conditions include, but are not limited to:
- access to computers or devices that can store images
- use of internet and communication tools/devices
- curfews
- freedom of movement
- contact with people related to Cardiff University.
Course structure
The Postgraduate Diploma (stage two) follows on from successful completion of the Postgraduate Certificate (stage one).
The programme is delivered entirely online and you will be required to engage with online learning materials within tutor-facilitated groups throughout the academic year (September to June).
The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2023/24 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2023.
All modules in the Postgraduate Certificate Programme form year one of the Postgraduate Diploma Programme. These must be successfully completed before progressing to year two (Postgraduate Diploma year).
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluating Courses | MDT099 | 10 credits |
| Contemporary Issues in Medical Education | MDT101 | 10 credits |
| Practical Teaching Portfolio | MDT102 | 20 credits |
| Educational Research Skills | MET917 | 20 credits |
The University is committed to providing a wide range of module options where possible, but please be aware that whilst every effort is made to offer choice this may be limited in certain circumstances. This is due to the fact that some modules have limited numbers of places available, which are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, while others have minimum student numbers required before they will run, to ensure that an appropriate quality of education can be delivered; some modules require students to have already taken particular subjects, and others are core or required on the programme you are taking. Modules may also be limited due to timetable clashes, and although the University works to minimise disruption to choice, we advise you to seek advice from the relevant School on the module choices available.
Learning and assessment
How will I be taught?
The course uses a wide range of online approaches to learner support and development. Learning and teaching methods encompass a range of strategies and techniques to promote co-operative, purposeful learning. The teaching takes place online in group settings, which are facilitated by online tutors. There are a variety of tasks in each module where there is the opportunity for discussion, debate, exploration and peer interaction designed to enhance learning in addition to guided and independent study. Online tutors play a key role in the delivery of teaching for each module.
Practical application is a key feature of the course, and you will be encouraged to try out new approaches to teaching and learning throughout the programme. Synthesising your knowledge and applying theory to practice within your own clinical teaching setting will be a central requirement of both formal assessment and formative work.
Opportunities to develop your team working and collaboration skills will be available through your tasks and activities within discussion forums, blogs and general engagement in debate and exploration with tutors and peer groups.
How will I be assessed?
You will be assessed in a variety of ways both to inform learning (formative) and to assess learning (summative) and all assignment tasks are linked to your educational practise. For example, typical assignments may relate to designing a proposal for an educational project in your clinical teaching context, developing a practical teaching portfolio, analysing the evaluation strategy for courses you are involved with.
How will I be supported?
You will receive written feedback on all your assignments, in addition, there are many opportunities throughout the course to receive peer and tutor feedback. You will be allocated a personal tutor who will support your progress on the course, monitoring your general progress, discussing relevant issues and providing advice, guidance and support. They will contact you at various points in the course. There are a variety of tasks and activities in each module and you will discuss a range of educational issues through engagement in these with online tutors and peers. Personal tutors will comment on your reflective blog if you wish, and this exchange is an opportunity for you to engage in a dialogue about your educational roles, responsibilities and experiences in your clinical setting. This will also be done through your personal development maps and educational discussion in the discussion forum.
What skills will I practise and develop?
The overall aims of the course are to help you:
- Critically appraise both your own and others’ practice as clinical educators and educational leaders to enhance learning and teaching relationships with colleagues/trainees.
- Synthesise concepts in order to further enhance knowledge and understanding to initiate educational developments responsive to clinical education needs and challenges.
- Develop an ability to engage with research, scholarship and practice and deal with complexities, contradictions and gaps in the current evidence base.
- Develop the educational skills required to provide constructive feedback to learners.
More specifically the course aims to:
- Develop and formally recognise experience, skills and leadership in clinical education.
- Provide an understanding of educational theories, methods and practice across the clinical professions that inform current educational practice.
- Promote critical self-awareness and reflection on educational practice to inform educational change.
- Develop educational skills as a clinical educator and educational leader.
- Illustrate your understanding of concepts by designing, planning and delivering learner-centred sessions employing a range of educational strategies/principles.
- Achieve an understanding of how to create effective change in healthcare education.
- Provide skills to design, develop and critically analyse educational media and technologies in order to enhance the learning-teaching process.
- Promote a critical evaluation of the purpose, design, application and interpretation of a range of assessment methods available to clinical educators.
- Develop the educational skills required to provide constructive feedback to learners.
- Develop the knowledge and skills needed to be an educational evaluator in clinical contexts.
- Develop the knowledge required to design, implement and evaluate an educational event with coherence, integration and relevance.
- Provide an understanding of the philosophical orientations of educational research and a range of research methodologies to enable the selection and utilisation of appropriate strategies to design and conduct educational research.
Tuition fees for 2023 entry
Your tuition fees and how you pay them will depend on your fee status. Your fee status could be home, island or overseas.
Learn how we decide your fee status
Fees for home status
| Year | Tuition fee | Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Year one | £4,200 | £2,000 |
Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland
If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national, your tuition fees for 2023/24 be in line with the overseas fees for international students, unless you qualify for home fee status. UKCISA have provided information about Brexit and tuition fees.
Fees for island status
Learn more about the postgraduate fees for students from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
Fees for overseas status
| Year | Tuition fee | Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Year one | £5,900 | £2,000 |
More information about tuition fees and deposits, including for part-time and continuing students.
Financial support
Financial support may be available to individuals who meet certain criteria. For more information visit our funding section. Please note that these sources of financial support are limited and therefore not everyone who meets the criteria are guaranteed to receive the support.
Additional costs
If you also successfully complete the optional PGCME Fellowship Pathway to obtain FHEA status in addition to the academic award, a fee is payable to Advance HE - details can be found on the Advance HE website.
Will I need any specific equipment to study this course/programme?
You will need to be able to access the internet on a regular basis in order to engage with your programme.
Living costs
We’re based in one of the UK’s most affordable cities. Find out more about living costs in Cardiff.
Career prospects
Health professionals have joined the course from around the world. Many graduates use the insights gained on the course to introduce innovations to their day to day teaching, whilst others go on to higher level roles and responsibilities to lead and promote excellence in learning and teaching at national and international levels.
Here’s what some of our graduates have to say about how they have benefitted professionally from studying this course…
“The certificate and diploma in medical education at Cardiff University have given me the tools and the confidence to take my undergraduate and postgraduate teaching to the next level. The flexibility of the e-learning platform has allowed me to fit my studies around my clinical commitments and family life. The qualifications and subsequent Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy gave credibility to my application as Hospital Sub Dean of our medical school which I commenced in April of this year. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to develop their skills as an educator in a healthcare environment.”
Dr Robert Taylor (Emergency Physician and Acute Hospital Sub Dean for the University of Exeter Medical School)
"...I have been given an educational skill set that includes not only knowledge but also an academic mind-set and developed my leadership skills”.
Alan Stone
“The availability of online forums, an online tutor and prompt and very constructive assignment feedback all contributed to a very positive learning environment”.
Anton Saayman
Funding
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HESA Data: Copyright Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited 2021. The Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from its data. Data is from the latest Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019/20, published by HESA in June 2022.
