I qualified 2014 and my main job is as a 4 session Salaried GP at Overton Park Surgery. My other role is within medical education for the University of Bristol. I have always enjoyed teaching and was able to develop this whilst a GPST3 at my training practice.
This year I am a tutor for the Year 3 students. They come to the surgery on alternate Tuesdays and I have them for the full day. The University provide a full “lesson plan” with tutorial topics to cover and tasks to complete. I bring in a patient or two with a condition to complement that weeks’ topic. I then do a short surgery with 2 of the students whilst the others work on a patient-based project. At the end of a “term” of 7 sessions there is an Academy Day which I have helped organise where the local tutors and students all come together. We run a simulated surgery with actors as well as facilitate the students delivering presentations.
Alongside this I have been involved with communication skills sessions, disability awareness and then also examining for the Year 2 and Year 4 OSCE examinations.
I have always enjoyed teaching and knew that this was something I wanted to develop. The variety in my working week really invigorates me and provides balance to my week. Life for me currently is a balance between work and raising three young boys, and additional work needs to be family friendly. This is. I have never gone home from a day’s teaching in a bad mood! (This may or may not always be the case after a long day in GP!) The students are generally very enthusiastic to learn and seem to really appreciate and enjoy our sessions. By having the same group over several weeks, you can really get to know them and can also have the satisfaction of watching them develop and improve their consulting skills. They will also ask a lot of questions – which keeps me on my toes and ensures I am keeping myself up to date!
With regards to challenges, on a practical level, having available rooms at the surgery can be an issue. I would like to pursue a formal qualification in teaching, but time and financial commitment have stalled my progress with this.
