Teaching methods
Dedicated teaching fellows and specialist registrars assist course directors and external consultants, many of national and international eminence.
The teaching is clinically-oriented and delivered on the medical wards, out-patients, Accident & Emergency department and in the ITU. This is complemented by theory lectures provided by leading consultants in their speciality. Candidates also attend regular radiology and multidisciplinary meetings, hospital grand rounds, and hospital junior doctor teaching sessions.
All students are permitted to take histories from patients and conduct clinical examinations, whether or not they have registration with the GMC. However, those candidates who pass the PLAB test and thereby obtain registration with the GMC, or those who are awarded sponsored registration, will be allowed to perform practical procedures on actual patients under supervision. Candidates without GMC registration can only observe such practical procedures on real patients.
Assessment methods
- Examinations, in the form of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), are held at the end of each 10 week term and involve the participation of an external examiner.
- Candidates must achieve a score of at least 50% in all 8 courses to be eligible for the award of Clinical MD. Those failing to reach 50% but achieve at least 40% in all courses are eligible for the award of a Postgraduate Diploma
- The Innovation in Clinical Medicine and Basic Science module is assessed by written exam (20%), short project (10%), clinical audit (10%) and dissertation on a clinical topic (60%).
Library Facilities
The postgraduate centre at Ealing Hospital has a well-resourced medical library with computing facilities. This is available to students at all times.
Practical Procedures
All candidates can take histories from patients and perform clinical examinations irrespective of GMC registration.
All candidates, with or without GMC registration, are taught hands-on clinical procedures on models and mannequins in a fully equipped skills laboratory in the hospital. This may include, for example, hands on training in inserting vascular lines (central and arterial), lumbar punctures, pleural tap and biopsy etc. It may also be possible for candidates to gain practical experience in endoscopic procedures in the skills laboratory, especially GI endoscopy and fibreoptic bronchoscopy.
However, those candidates who pass the PLAB test and obtain registration with the General Medical Council, or who have obtained full GMC registration by sponsorship, are allowed to perform practical procedures on patients under supervision. Candidates without GMC registration can only observe such practical procedures on patients without actually performing them or assisting in their performance.
