An often less visible part of the RCP's work involves supporting assessment and training for trainees, alongside curriculum work, appraisal and revalidation expertise, and advanced clinical education for experienced healthcare professionals.
We also support our work influencing policy in the following areas, where education is part of our overarching strategy:
- Health inequalities
- Sustainability – a clinical education fellow starting in September 2024 will support this area of work.
Curriculum and revalidation
RCP educationalists and learning technologists work with clinicians and are commissioned to support the development and implementation of curricula and training pathways.
We have developed and are continuing to develop national curricula for Advanced Clinical Practitioners in medical specialties for the NHS Centre of Advanced Care. The first 2 are now published:
The RCP shapes thinking about the future of revalidation via AoMRC projects and committees. We are also working to improve the quality and effectiveness of appraisals, through committees and working groups and supported by our portfolio of learning opportunities; including workshops and online resources focused on appraisal, feedback and communication skills
We support SAS doctors working though the CESR process, working closely with the GMC with 3 types of workshop and question and answer sessions.
We can be commissioned to support curriculum design
RCP have a team of clinical and non clinical educators who have extensive experience in curriculum design so reach out for a call in the first instance, email education@rcp.ac.uk.
Credentials
What is a credential?
The GMC (General Medical Council) has defined medical credentialing as:
‘a process which provides formal accreditation of competencies (which include knowledge, skills and performance) in a defined area of practice, at a level that provides confidence that the individual is fit to practise in that area’.
Our credentials
We have worked with clinical teams and both NSSE and WT&E to develop curriculum and design and deliver several credential programmes over the past 4 years which are not only for doctors but other healthcare professionals.
- Gender Identity Healthcare professional Certificates for all those working in this area
- Diploma in Obstetric Medicine credential for trainees
- Post graduate certificate in Medical Practice in Adult Learning Disability
- Clinician Researcher Credential Framework – RCP leading on behalf of AoMRC; with NIHR CRN co-ordinating centre
We still offer an exam-based credential the Diploma in Geriatric Medicine (DGM) via our Assessment Unit.
What does the future hold?
We are continuing to work with funders and groups of clinicians who feel there is a need for a credential in a clinical area of practice. We are always willing to have a call and share our expertise, email education@rcp.ac.uk.
Clinical training
Most clinical education is delivered via specialty societies of the physicians' 34 specialties. There are some areas where clinical education spans all specialties and is of importance to all members of the RCP and can improve patients’ lives and fits alongside the RCP themes.
Our e-learning programmes are hosted on OnlineEd and contain the following clinical topics
Our popular RCP Medicine podcast also explores themes around clinical content and has had over half a million downloads since launching in 2019.