Category: Uncategorised

Updated Wednesday, 21st December 2023

There’s no point in pretending things haven’t been hard in recent times. It’s often better to acknowledge when this is the case and to take whatever actions you can to manage the situation.

We want to make it as easy as possible for you to access your training requirements, to book your courses at the point where this works best for you and to be able to do this with confidence. So, we’ve responded by making a few changes. These include new course packages, flexible payment options and temporary changes to our Transfer and Cancellation Policy.

Prices, packages and flexible payment options

We’ve long been aware of the changing financial situation for junior doctors. So, not only have we’ve generally held our prices steady over the past few years, we’ve also significantly enhanced many of our course packages. For example, for the vast majority of courses taking place in our Virtual Classrooms, we provide you with an additional related online course for you to work through at your own pace to enhance your learning experience and provide you with more CPD points. We’ve also introduced a number of completely new packages to provide even better value for money, such as our 2-day Medical Leadership & Management Course, our Online Career Development Collections, and our new Extended Teach the Teacher Course which we introduced in July.

We recognise that your course is a significant but worthwhile investment for you. So, to make things easier, we now offer flexible payment options.

Temporary changes to our Transfer & Cancellation Policy.

Rules, guidelines and defined standards should always be relevant and make sense. But, when situations change, the protocols we created with the best intentions can end up causing more difficulties than they solve. When this happens, then it makes sense that we should adapt and change the rules – even if this is only on a temporary basis.

To say that 2023 has been a challenging year is a bit of an understatement. Huge waiting lists, staff absences and vacancies along with a shortage of locum cover have meant that you could often be finding your work schedule and rota changing at short notice. This meant we were having conversations with a significant number of doctors concerned that they will incur additional costs or even lose their money if they are unable to attend the course that they want to book with us. We can now add the industrial action to this list. So, we’re extending the temporary our Transfer & Cancellation Policy that we made earlier in the year.

If you are unable to attend a course for any work related reason before the end of January 2023, then we will transfer your booking to another date free of charge.

Why do we have a Transfer & Cancellation Policy?

Our date specific courses, whether in-person or in our Virtual Training Room, are designed to run with small numbers of doctors taking part. This enables our interactive approach which provides you with the high-quality learning experience you deserve. We never exceed our stated maximum number of delegates. So, when a course is fully booked, we have to disappoint other doctors who would like to attend on that date by turning them away. At the same time, we always want to ensure that there are enough delegates present to make the various planned exercises and discussions worthwhile. This means that last minute call offs can make the difference between a course being practically viable or not. So, late transfers and cancellations can impact on other people.

These considerations apply to any organisation that provides date specific events or services where there is limited capacity. That means it’s fairly standard practice to have a transfers and cancellations policy. Examples include bookings for flights, hotels or the theatre.

Under normal circumstances, if we have a transfer requested when the course is less than four weeks away, we charge a small administration fee and don’t allow transfers when it is less than 2 weeks away. We always make exceptions when you are unable to attend a course due to illness. However, we are not in normal circumstances, and so, as previously mentioned, we are making an alteration to our normal Transfer & Cancellation Policy.

What if I have to change my booking?

If you are genuinely unable to attend a course for any work related reason, then we will transfer your booking to another date, free of charge, as long as you contact us beforehand. We will do this even when something changes at short notice. This over-rides our normal Transfer & Cancellation Policy section of our Terms & Conditions until the end of January 2024. We will manage any changes related to illness in our normal manner, again, as long as you contact us ahead of your course.

What if I am still unsure about committing to a date?

Good communication, teamwork, teaching, leadership and management will are essential tools in moving us forward from any problematic situation. So it makes sense to ensure that you are continuing to review and develop these skills. But what if you really can’t commit to attending a course on a specific date?

Our broad range of online courses offer you the chance to learn on your own, at your own pace, as and when you want. You can revisit the material as often as you like over the duration of your subscription. When you choose one of these options, you are unaffected by any uncertainties over availability for dates. Our Online Career Development Collections also mean that you can make considerable savings when purchasing multiple courses while broaden your learning experience.

So, book your course with confidence that we will work with you to find a solution to any challenges that may arise.

Stephen McGuire – Managing Director

You may well have read our numerous blog posts about problematic attitudes, behaviour and their impact. But you may think, “That’s not me. I’m better than that.” You may well be confident that you’re not guilty of the bullying behaviour that is all too common. At the same time, you may know that you’re not guilty of any lack of respect toward your colleagues. That’s the second biggest contributor to burnout. So, you can be happy that you’re not doing anything wrong. But is that enough? Let’s consider the subject of gratitude.

Gratitude and cultural differences

We can consider gratitude on a number of ways. On one level, it’s an emotional perception when we feel grateful. On another, it’s a linguistic expression when we say thank you. And it can be a reciprocal behaviour, when we respond to someone helping us out by taking practical action in response.

Our level of appreciation regarding another person’s actions is directly related to our level of expectation. If someone falls short, we may be disappointed or even disgruntled to a greater or lesser extent. When they fulfill a basic function and our expectations are met, it doesn’t really put us up, nor down. We feel neutral. It’s when people exceed our expectations that we are most likely to feel gratitude.

Our individual expectations vary from person to person and also from one context to another. So, it probably comes as no surprise that the way we express our gratitude also varies from person to person. However, another variable in the way we express appreciation, and one that is all too easily overlooked, is cultural heritage. A 2018 study on the subject explored the behaviour of people from different nations who spoke different languages across five continents.

The researchers found that English language speakers were the most likely to say the words “thank you” or use of any similar phrase in response to someone helping them with a task. However, many English speakers are surprised to discover that it’s not uncommon for other languages to have no direct translation for “thank you”. They simply don’t have equivalent words or phrases in their lexicon. Also, in some other cultures, the words do exist. Yet to use them would be considered highly unusual and even a bit odd.

That doesn’t mean that people of these cultures don’t feel or demonstrate gratitude. It’s just that they are more likely to show their appreciation via cooperative behaviour and reciprocal helpful actions than to express it verbally.

The impact of gratitude and the challenge

When we feel appreciated, we feel more socially valued. We feel like we belong. The knock on effect is that we are more likely to be a proactive team player. We are more likely to take practical steps to support people around us, even when this may be challenging. Being appreciated also reinforces our self-esteem and belief in our own abilities.

The medical profession is rich in cultural diversity. And here’s the challenge. Doctors working together may well be communicating verbally in the same language. Yet the cultural differences can mean they are communicating gratitude and appreciation in ways that their colleagues are struggling to interpret.

When we are unaware of such differences, they can create confusion and misunderstandings. We might even feel unappreciated. However, cultural diversity becomes a strength when we discuss our differences and learn from each other.

• Demonstrating appreciation through action only takes you so far. Other people will be more aware of your gratitude when you verbalise it.
• Saying “thank you” only takes you so far. Others will be more aware of your gratitude when you follow up your words with cooperative behaviour and reciprocal helpful actions.

But, we must feel gratitude before we express and demonstrate it. And feeling gratitude is directly related to your awareness of other peoples’ efforts. That means noticing what your colleagues are doing and the circumstances they are performing under. The current pressure levels can make us blind to this and we can slip into a world of expecting everyone to simply get on with it.

So, pause, take a moment to notice and appreciate your colleagues’ actions.

And now think:

Am I more likely to verbalise my gratitude or to demonstrate it by actions? Could I do more of either… or both?

These are important elements of both good team communication and compassionate leadership.

Stephen McGuire – Managing Director

How are you? 2023 feels like it’s going to be a tough year. Switch on the news and you might well wish you hadn’t. Winter pressures; staff shortages; excessive waiting times; industrial action. The debate amongst our politicians over the past week seems more focused on whether we should be calling this a crisis or not, rather than finding genuine solutions. It’s as if someone has opened Pandora’s box and all the evils we can imagine have taken hold.

Now the BMJ have weighed in heavily with their declaration that “Sunak fiddles while the NHS burns“. Here’s the opening paragraph of that piece.

In the early days of the covid-19 pandemic hope was high that services would “build back better.” It was a hope that sustained health professionals as they pushed themselves further to keep a stretched service from collapsing. Now, hope in the UK has all but evaporated. (BMJ 2023;380:p68)

Over the millennia, the story of Pandora’s box has been retold in many different ways. But the common theme is that, after all that has gone wrong, at least hope remains. If hope has truly evaporated, then we are in very dark times indeed. It’s a fairly clear indicator of collective burnout.

So, where do we go from here?

Under the current circumstances, it’s not easy to picture a positive future for healthcare. To deny that, whether as a member of the public, a politician, or a doctor, would be an abdication of responsibility. However, although pessimism is completely understandable, we must guard against that too. If pessimism continues to grow, we will fail to see possibilities for constructive ways forward. In fact, we are likely to stop even looking for them. Pessimism is a disease which can take hold and spread, creating a vicious circle with an ever increasing downward spiral. More people feeling hopeless, unable to resolve the challenges they face as individuals, more burn out, more staff leaving.

Going back to Pandora, some versions of the tale explain that hope was in the box along with all the other evils because it is in itself a curse. Blind optimism, where we live in the hope that everything will somehow sort itself out is a naïve state of mind. Our problems aren’t just going to magically disappear.

The most common readings of Pandora suggest that hope persists in even the darkest times – and that it’s a good thing. There’s a fundamental difference between the blind optimist and the attentive optimist. The attentive optimist believes that things will be resolved and improved if, and only if, we take appropriate action.

On a personal level, hope is essential. Otherwise, you’re at serious risk of becoming one of the casualties.

Let’s jump ahead

There are numerous aspects of the current circumstances which are beyond the direct influence of most doctors. That will always has and always will be the case. At the same time, there’s a long list of things which are within your control. This includes your overall choice in attitude between denial, pessimism, blind optimism and attentive optimism. None of us know what the future holds, but we can believe that there are better times ahead. It includes the choices you make in your behaviour, the way you interact with your patients and colleagues – and the way you look after yourself.

When we adopt the right mindset, our most challenging experiences are often when we grow the most, both professionally and as individuals. While we inevitably make mistakes and have dark times, we learn from them and come back stronger.

2023 is going to be tough. Maybe even the toughest yet. However, at some point, there will be a resolution to the pay dispute. There will be a plan in place to deal with staffing shortages and waiting lists. Many of the big decisions may well be beyond your control, but what skills will you need to be able to make the most of that situation? And what skills do you need to get through the immediate difficulties?

How prepared are you?

How would you rate your teamwork skills in being able to support your colleagues so that they can support you? How good are you at standing up for yourself whenever you need to? Then what about taking the lead, developing an idea then implementing new ways of working? What about teaching others what you have learned from your experiences? Every small action you take can be another small proactive step in getting through the toughest times that helps prepare you for the future.

What steps are you taking to develop your abilities and maximise your potential?

Stephen McGuire – Managing Director

Everyone involved in healthcare benefits from good medical leadership and management. The Faculty of Medical Leadership & Management (FMLM), have described that patients benefit with improved clinical outcomes and quality of experience. Organisations and networks, such as practices, trusts, health boards and integrated care systems also benefit from increased productivity and efficiency. In addition, better systems and positive cultures improve the experience of healthcare professionals, including doctors, who feel more supported, engaged and motivated.

At Oxford Medical Training, we’ve been providing courses in leadership and management for almost 20 years. This includes a range of online courses and three 1-day courses, all of which are CPD accredited by the FMLM. We also provide the option to combine these into a longer 3-day course.

However, doctors are often telling us that they want something in the middle – more than just one day but less than three. The way is fairly obvious! So, we’re expanding your options with our new 2 Day Medical Leadership and Management Course. The package combines some of the content from the other courses in this range and saves you money compared to booking two of our 1-day courses separately.

Click here to find out more about the new course.

We invite every single doctor who attends one of our courses to post a review on TrustPilot. They don’t have to if they don’t want to. But we’re delighted to be able to say we’ve now reached the milestone of passing 2,000 service reviews. And the results? The collective rating of those 2,000 doctors is that we are Excellent! So we’d like to thank each and every doctor who has taken the time to write a review and make your thoughts public.

All of these comments are available unedited and publicly visible and we respond to each and every one. So you won’t just see the numerous excellent five-star ratings that make us so proud. No-one is perfect. The good, the occasionally bad and the rare ugly comments are out there in the open for all to see.

The value of feedback

We don’t just rely on our TrustPilot reviews. We also ask every delegate to provide us with written feedback at the end of each course. This let’s us identify what we’re doing well which enables us to spread best practice across our Faculty of Tutors. It also let’s us know where we’ve fallen short, what’s got in the way of our learner’s progress and what else our doctors would like. That means we can continually address issues and build on our strengths.

We build the topic of feedback into many of our courses. It’s a fundamental element of good team-communication. It’s essential for teaching, leadership and management alike. So we regularly explore the need for doctors to talk to each other about their concerns, the impact that actions have had on them or others and what needs to change. They also need to reinforce what is going well. And this cannot simply be limited to annual, anonymous, digital form filling. There needs to be conversation. Unfortunately, there is plenty evidence that there are major shortfalls across the medical profession in this respect, which is why feedback is a regular topic for our blog posts.

Openness

The importance of privacy and confidentiality is regularly discussed in relation to feedback. However, the TrustPilot website reviews go beyond regular conversational feedback as the comments are out in public. That’s our choice. We believe this openness provides added incentive for us to tackle issues as and when they arise. The reviews also help us to celebrate our successes. The desire for improve our overall rating becomes a motivational target for us to aim for.

There are some similarities here to the public ratings which providers receive from healthcare regulators, such as CQC. It’s all too easy to feel under attack and disagree with some reviewers opinions when a poor rating is received. But, if someone expresses a grievance, there’s usually good reason for this. The challenge is to listen, investigate, learn and act.

How effectively are you channeling feedback, reviews and ratings into performance improvement?

Stephen McGuire – Managing Director

Trust has been in the news headlines a great deal over the past year. In UK politics, the collapse of Boris Johnson’s premiership stemmed from a growing lack of trust from the public. His role as Prime Minister came to an end when this view was eventually shared by his most senior colleagues. It would be fair to say that the tenure of his successor, Liz Truss, was then spectacularly short. Once again, her demise was related to problems with trust. This time around, it was from the countries financial institutions who had major concerns around her team’s decisions, actions and communication.

At present, when you check-in to any news media platform, you can expect to find reports centred on distrust between employers and unions, between members of the Royal family and even between doctors and the GMC.

Let’s focus on doctors

We’ve now had over 1,100 responses from doctors to our Healthy Team Leader Self Assessement which is an optional activity on our Medical Leadership & Management Online Course. The broad range of participants include consultants, junior doctors, locums, surgeons and physicians. Here are the results of Q16 which is directly focused on the subject of trust.

So, 24% of doctors indicate that there are issues with trust in their workplace.

Why does this matter?

Trust is fundamental to human relationships. Patrick Lencioni described how absence of trust is the most deeply rooted driver of dysfunctional teams. Lack of trust infects communication, confidence and decision making processes. Just like many other types of infection, its harmful effects increase if we don’t take action. Ultimately it has a detrimental impact on patient care. So, if almost a quarter of doctors are experiencing issues with trust then that suggests there is a major problem that has to be addressed.

So, how well do you trust your colleagues?

When we’re asked questions like this, we’ll often consider our relationships with our closest, permanent team members. But think wider. What about the transient locums, the trainees who have joined on on their latest rotation and the doctors in the other ward? And it’s a two way thing. How well do they trust you? What impacts does this have on behaviour? What are the impacts on you, your colleagues and your patients?

And now for the big question….

What are you doing about it?

There are many ways to consider the subject of trust. You can think of it as a choice that you make. Consciously or sub-consciously, you choose whether you trust another person or not. But how do you make good choices in this respect and how should you deal with a situation where you recognise you don’t trust the other person?

You can think of trust as a competence that you can develop which makes it easier for others to trust you. It’s more than just your technical prowess as a doctor and personal integrity. Then there’s the cultural aspects of trust. It’s nourished and grows in the right environment. Culture is shaped and nurtured by good leadership.

It’s all connected with behaviour and with good communication. Trust grows from saying and doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time, for the right reason. But that’s often easier said than done. Sometimes we may have to say what people don’t really want to hear. Sometimes it means doing things you would rather not do. And sometimes it means making tough decisions.

What steps are you taking to develop these skills?

Stephen McGuire – Managing Director

“There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.” These are the words of 20th century philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti. When we think of learning opportunities, our first thoughts are often of books, lectures, conferences and peer review groups. But most of us can relate to the Winston Churchill quote, “I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.”

Unintentional learning

Our learning opportunities go well beyond formal, structured activities. We can learn through conversations, by observing role models and through our general everyday experiences. A great deal of what we learn is unintentional. We’re not working with defined objectives, assessments, or deadlines. We just absorb things as we go along. Then, when we look back, we find that we are much more capable than we were at some given point in the past. So this incidental learning is extremely valuable.

You may even prefer it over scheduled activities which can seem like a chore. The requirement to collect CPD points for progress reviews and appraisals can easily become a box ticking exercise. We can be tempted to think we don’t need courses – particularly for behavioural skills. “I learn by experience. So let’s me get on with doing the job and my skills will develop.”

The problem

But learning is never guaranteed. Our attention can easily drift during formal learning sessions. We might find it difficult to relate abstract concepts and models to real life. In addition, the priority of our focus is often on our learning curve with little attention or not attention paid to our forgetting curve. We might not remember much of what was covered by this time tomorrow never mind this time next week or beyond. So, what’s the point?

Leaving things to chance can mean we are not exposed to a challenge. If we do face the challenge then we may achieve success through luck rather than good judgement. In fact we may simply believe we’ve achieved success but, in reality, were oblivious to what we’ve missed. So, the problem with unstructured learning is the probability that it leaves significant gaps. These gaps could well be in the blindspots that we all have.

We are all unconsciously-incompetent in some way or another. It can be down to either our lack of experience or that we’ve mislearned, forgotten or allowed bad habits creep in. Intentional, planned learning activities are therefore essential for avoiding this – and that includes, from time to time, revisiting subjects where you have confidence in your performance.

Finding the balance

When we are designing our courses, we strive to balance input, discussion and experience. Though we create structure, our focus is always on interaction – even for our online courses where you work through materials at your own pace. We recognise the importance of letting things happen and embracing them when they do. While the structure provides the framework to cover the intended breadth of subject matter, the interaction provides the richness and depth.

Creating a reflective learning statement is a well-recognised, valuable “end-point” to the formal stage of any structured CPD activity. It’s our opportunity to externalise the most important points and translate them into intended actions. In many ways, this “end-point” is better considered as being our starting point for moving forward. Equally, good reflective practice is a valuable approach for consolidating our unintentional learning. What experiences have we had and what can we learn from them? In many ways, we can gain a lot from applying intentional learning practices to our unintentional learning experiences!

What steps are you taking to make your learning intentional?

Stephen McGuire – Managing Director

Competition for training posts for doctors is extremely high this year. The latest batch of vacancies was recently released and the annual application process is now in full swing. At the same time, activities to boost the number of consultants in the NHS continues all year round. It’s fair to say that the outcomes of these recruitment processes have life changing effects. If you are successful in being invited for interview, your performance at that stage will define your career for years to come. So, there’s a lot at stake. As a result, you’re not alone in wondering, “What’s the best way to prepare for a medical interview?”

The simple answer to that question is, “Well, it depends who you are!”

Clinical abilities

This seems like the most obvious place to start.

At the selection centre for a training post, you will be expected to demonstrate some relevant clinical knowledge or a skill. Your assessors will be seeking assurance that you have gained and retained a reasonable breadth and depth of ability to provide a solid foundation for your development. They will want to establish that you are safe to begin more focused training, rather than expecting consultant level knowledge of some rare syndrome.

For a consultant interview, your CCT or CESR provides evidence of your clinical abilities. If you are successful in securing a date for interview, then the panel already believe you have the specialist skills required for the post.

So, clinical abilities matter. But your interviewers are looking for much more than that.

The interviewers’ task

For any selection process, for any grade, your interviewers’ first key task is to establish who you really are – your abilities, experiences, motivations, attitudes, and opinions. Next, they use this information to decide if you meet the minimum criteria for role in question. Then, they compare you to all other applicants with the job offer going to the most suitable person. In short, it’s a competition, rather than an exam. Many will meet the criteria. So, your aim should be to go beyond this and to shine!

You can expect them to explore your ability to communicate with patients. They will probe your approach to being a proactive, supportive team member and your abilities to take the lead when required. You can expect your interviewers to seek evidence of your planning, organising and decision making skills. They will want to establish that you are both ethical and resilient. They will want to uncover your approach to self-development and uncover if you have the breadth of skills required to support the development of others, or not.

So, how do I prepare?

In short, it helps if you know yourself, know the job, know the system and are capable of communicating this.

We all have our own unique set of skills and experiences. That’s why the answer to, “What’s the best way to prepare?” is , “Well, it depends who you are!”

If you believe you have gained good experience and knowledge of teaching, communication. leadership and management, but are unsure how to present yourself well, then the best starting point may be a dedicated interview course or preparation package. Our range of options all utilise coaching approach, guiding you to reflect on your best experiences and clarifying how to communicate that to your interviewers. Attending one of our courses includes the benefit of a mock interview with constructive feedback and critique.

If your interview or assessment centre requires you doing a presentation, and this is an area where you feel less confident, then a presentation skills course would be ideal.

What should I avoid?

It can be all too easy to focus on style over substance. The best candidates are successful because they do more than just talk well. They are successful because they know what they are talking about!

For example, the best interview candidates can share good experiences of teamwork because they have a good grasp team dynamics and know how to interact well. Some may have gained their abilities through general life experience. Others have developed insight by proactive participation in a team communication skills course. It doesn’t really matter where you have gained your insight. It’s more important that you have it! The same goes for planning and organising skills, teaching skills, patient communication or leadership and management skills.

So take time to reflect on these areas and practice describing your most relevant experiences. That’s the best way demonstrate who you are and what you’re capable of.

All the best for your interview when the time comes!

Stephen McGuire – Managing Director

UNESCO celebrate their annual World Teachers’ Day on the 5th of October. Their intention is to celebrate the essential contribution and impact that teachers have in unleashing human potential. In addition, they also aim to highlight the support that teachers need to excel at what they do. So, it’s a good prompt for us all to pause and recognise our greatest teachers. Let’s also pause and consider what we can learn from them in fulfilling our own personal potential in supporting others to develop.

Who are UNESCO?

UNESCO’s overall purpose is to “Bring out the best in our shared humanity.” To use their own words, “Since wars begin in the minds of men and women, it is in the minds of men and women that peace must be built. UNESCO uses education, science and culture to inform, inspire and engage people everywhere to foster understanding and respect for each other and our planet.”

Education touches our lives in countless ways and the role of “teacher” takes numerous forms. So, let’s bring things into a bit more focus.

Why should doctors be engaged in teaching?

Good Medical Practice clearly describes expectation for involvement in teaching for all doctors. But why?

Each individual doctor develops a variety, breadth and depth of experiences and knowledge as their career progresses. These are extremely valuable resources.  Effectively sharing these resources, whilst encouraging the self-discovery and self-development of others, is essential in ensuring that what we learn is not lost, standards are maintained and the evolutionary progress continues.

Good Medical Practice also outlines the expectation of developing and maintaining all aspects of professional performance. This implies your need to regularly focus on your own ability to support other doctors to grow.

Who are the great teachers?

Well, you have probably met some of them. They are all around us and touch our lives in many ways.

Think about the best teachers that you’ve had. There are the obvious ones. Maybe a school teacher, a tutor from medical school or an Educational Supervisor. Then there are the others who have supported you informally such as the helpful locum, the friendly registrar or experienced consultant you’ve met along your journey. Now think a bit wider. Think of your dance teacher, sports coach, music tutor or anyone who’s helped you grow away from your professional career.

What made them different from the others? What impact did this have on you? Why does that matter?

Your answers probably go well beyond the person who was the great lecturer. Now, presenting and lecturing is an important skill set. But our greatest teachers are multi-dimensional. They function in numerous contexts and vary their style accordingly.

Our greatest teachers typically understand far more than what needs to be learned. They understand learners as people. They know what we generally have in common. But they are also aware of the differences between individuals. Then they engage with us as individuals. Most of all – they are committed to learning themselves.

What do doctors need to learn?

In 1832, Dr Charles Hasting’s founded the British Medical Association. His express desire was to raise the status of medical knowledge in every department of science and practice.  His use of the phrase “with head, and heart and hand” is still visible in the foyer of the BMA in London today and can easily be translated to knowledge, skills and attitude.

All doctors need to develop a firm grasp on the relevant natural sciences and technical sciences related to their discipline. But there is so much more to being a good doctor. A good doctor needs to be skilled in communication, teamwork, leadership and management and – of course – teaching in all it’s various forms. A great teacher keeps all of this in mind.

Let’s return to UNESCO’s words from earlier, “Since wars begin in the minds of men and women, it is in the minds of men and women that peace must be built.” Let’s substitute “wars” for “turmoil”. We don’t need to look far to see turmoil in medical practice. Education is a key component of the solution. Great teachers are essential.

What steps are you taking to fulfil your potential as being the best teacher you can be?

Stephen McGuire – Managing Director

**This blog was updated on 20th March 2024 to comply with the most up to date information available**

The current economic situation is a regular feature in news headlines, political debates and our daily conversations. We always want to make it as easy and realistic as possible for you to arrange and access your CPD requirements. So, we’ve recently introduced some new payment methods for your course bookings and purchases.

You can now choose from debit and credit cards, PayPal and Klarna to make your payments.

If you have a PayPal account, you can use this to make your purchase. Choosing PayPal’s Pay in 3 option means you can make your booking today and split the cost into three interest-free monthly payments.

• PayPal Pay in 3 eligibility is subject to status and approval. Pay in 3 is a form of credit, may not be suitable for everyone and use may affect your credit scores. See Pay in 3 terms and conditions for more details.

Klarna provides a further alternative. You can use it to either pay in full up to 30 days from making your booking or, again, to spread the cost over three interest-free monthly instalments.

• Klarna’s Pay in 3 / Pay in 30 days are unregulated credit agreements. Borrowing more than you can afford or paying late may negatively impact your financial status and ability to obtain credit. 18+, UK residents only. Subject to status. Terms and conditions and late fees apply.

Whichever option you opt for, we secure your course booking or purchase whenever you confirm your choice and details at our checkout stage.