MA Managing Medical Careers

The KSS Deanery runs, through its partnership with the University of Brighton, a MA in Managing Medical Careers. This is a part time 3 year course with exit points available after one year (the Postgraduate Certificate) and two years (the Postgraduate Diploma). Each year consists of approximately 12 full days of teaching, plus the use of the managed virtual learning environment, studentcentral. The face to face classes typically take place at either the KSS Deanery or another location near London Bridge.

Aims

This unique course is designed to offer participants an opportunity to become more proficient in the provision of career support to medical students and junior doctors. It also seeks to support participants’ roles as the provider of career support by providing the opportunity to carry out research into their actual practice, using an appropriate range of evidence supported by a range of career and life course development theory.

Who should apply?

• Associate Deans
• Faculty Career Leads
• Training Programme Directors
• Educational Supervisors
• Medical Education Managers
• Other professionals interested in medical education e.g. medical staffing, HR, librarians etc.

It is possible that someone who already holds a relevant Postgraduate Certificate can have direct entry onto the Postgraduate Diploma. This can be discussed further at the application stage on a one-to-one basis.

The course

The Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma years of the course both comprise three 20 credit modules. The Masters year comprises a research element and a portfolio.

Modular study

• Sessions run by career specialists and educationalists form the KSS Deanery, with senior clinician and academic visiting lecturers
• Teaching by lectures, group discussion, individual tutorials and student presentations
• Considerable independent study

What is the time commitment for this course?

Each of the 20 credit modules involves four study days and one day delivered “virtually” via studentcentral per term. There are three terms per year. The MA year also consists of four study days and one “virtual” day per term.  The “virtual days” require participants to work individually on a specific activity, such as a case study with support articles(s) and then contribute to a discussion group on studentcentral. The discussion will be asynchronous and participants will be able to choose when they are able to contribute.

This programme of study involves reflection time, note taking and preparing to contribute to sessions on top of a normal workload. Most importantly, participants are expected to read around career issues in preparation for assignments and teaching sessions. It is difficult to quantify this but, at postgraduate level, it is expected participants will spend more time reading around the subject than at teaching sessions.

Time and place

The next iterations for both the Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma begin in September 2012.

Application procedure

The application process is now open, and closes on 10th July. Please apply online at the University of Brighton website. For further information on the suite of programmes and essential guidance on how to apply, please download the applicant handbook. For any other queries, please contact the Academic Registrar or call 020 7415 3451.

Link to the University of Brighton website:

http://www.brighton.ac.uk/courses/study/managing-medical-careers-ma-pgcert-pgdip-pgcert-pgdip

Feedback from past students

“Excellent. I’ve got a lot out of this module (both personally and professionally)."

"Very impressed with content and teaching of quality input, and dedication of tutor team."