Teaching Opportunities - Community Based Medicine

Birmingham Medical School takes the quality of the student experience very seriously. As a team in CBM, we aim to provide support to our GP tutors and their administrative staff.

We carefully develop our teaching materials, reflecting on student and tutor evaluation. We also respond to the wider strategy of the MBChB programme or external changes such as GMC Outcomes for Graduates. Our University-based team consists of:

• Clinical academics
• Administrative staff
• Academy staff based in the community
• An Educational Development specialist

Together they provide practical support and advice for tutors and their practice teams. 

We are acutely aware of the challenging environment that both General Practitioners and Hospital Consultant colleagues work in. Anecdotally, our tutors tell us that teaching provides a welcome change in their working week. Developing skills in education gives an alternative, energising focus for GPs beset by clinical demands. 

You will be involved in inspiring the next generation of doctors – some of our current tutors were graduates of UoB and now see their CBM tutors at tutor training days. A few even went as far as returning to work at a practice they were placed at as students! Teaching in CBM can enhance your own academic achievements and there are opportunities to get involved in research – in both clinical practice and medical education research.  

Dr Jonathan Fox

Feldon Lane Surgery, Halesowen

“The patients really enjoy talking to the students and are happy to spend an hour talking to them about their conditions. The practice staff find it refreshing to have a new set of people in the building and everyone thinks it has been a positive decision.”

As a team, we want to celebrate the best that General Practice can offer to patients. Some of your patients may become involved in regularly meeting medical students to discuss the impact of long term conditions as “expert patients”, others will see students as a first point of contact in a supervised student surgery.

Dr Keith Wright

Hawthorns Surgery, Sutton Coldfield

“It is so rewarding and the students really love CBM. Watching their progress from year to year makes it worthwhile. It is so stimulating and keeps me interested in General Practice.”

Becoming an affiliated CBM practice is an attractive prospect for current GPs within your team and also for potential new GPs joining the practice. Developing an interest in Medical Education and clinical teaching is highly sought for Portfolio GPs.

Undergraduate medical student teaching in general practice is financially supported by NHS England via a national tariff payment system. In addition, equipment and materials specifically required for the purposes of CBM teaching will be provided to the practice 

Please note that all placement based teaching is being delivered face to face. 

Years 1 and 2

• 16 full days of teaching each academic year (groups of approximately 6 students in the same practice taught for 8 days each)
• learn how to take a history and clinical skills e.g. blood pressure and simple systems examinations (eg cardiovascular, respiratory etc)
• interviews with patients about how certain illnesses affect their lives
• associated tutorial work

Years 3 and 4

• CBM teaching on placement (2 groups of approximately 6 students in the same practice) along with academic in days based on campus
• in Year 3 –chronic illness and acute cases and introduction to paediatrics
• in Year 4 – cases relevant to specialist medicine e.g. elderly care, mental health
• supervised student surgeries and relevant tutorials in both years

Year 5

• 12 full days in practice for each student per academic year as an ‘apprentice’ undertaking supervised student surgeries (up to 10 cases per day)
• associated tutorials as dictated by learning needs of the student and GP interests
• may observe other members of multidisciplinary team at work and go on home visits
• practices doing this teaching have several students per year
• students also receive 4 days at a designated practice where they cover consultation styles, role play and video consultations

Current GP Tutor

“As a new tutor it was a very good introduction to the role and to have some kind of idea of what to expect.”

We provide training specifically for new tutors, but also annual tutor training days specific to the Year group that you teach. These tutor training days are primarily to keep tutors up to date and involved in curriculum and assessment changes. This provides valuable CPD towards appraisal and revalidation and importantly the days are a great opportunity to network with other GPs, share concerns but also good ideas.

Previous attendee

“It’s great to see so many people passionate about general practice and teaching to inspire new doctors”

Email the CBM admin team for any queries.  

CBM Admin Team

Dr Pat Clarke

Hawthorns Surgery, Sutton Coldfield

“Go for it – teaching rekindles the reason I went into General Practice. It is a win-win situation and the proof is we are still doing it after 23 years”

New tutors/practices 

For new tutor/practice queries email us at gpteaching@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Existing tutors/practices 

For existing tutors/practices email us at cbmgeneraladmin@contacts.bham.ac.uk, or visit the CBM Teachers Resource on Canvas.