Clinical Small Group Facilitator (Medicine)

Based in the Faculty of Health, the Peninsula Medical School aims to attract highly motivated and talented students to become the next generation of future-ready doctors, physician associates and radiographers, who are well prepared for a 21st Century career. The School’s innovative approach to education is underpinned by research and staff who are committed to scholarship that includes undertaking curriculum development and design activities.

The School takes pride in supporting the needs of the local region and recognises that providing excellent educational and personal development experiences, as well as world class research, requires true partnerships with key stakeholders from across the region and beyond. Our research – underpinned by significant grant capture – is translational, generates impact and serves our Peninsula population as well as having global impact.

A key strength is a close relationship with NHS partners, with early clinical contact for all students. The South West offers healthcare and learning opportunities of exceptional quality; University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust at Derriford is one of Europe’s largest hospitals and the only trauma centre in Devon and Cornwall.

Clinical research pathways within the School provide a research culture and environment that values talent and supports endeavour and innovation.

The School is strongly committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and holds an Athena Swan Silver Award recognising commitment to maintaining a culture of participation and inclusivity across all activities. The School is also signed up to the BMA Racial Harassment Charter which offers guidance and best practice to address the unacceptable barriers faced by BAME students as they negotiate their different learning environments.

This is an exciting opportunity for doctors to join a team of facilitators working in the small group programme at Plymouth Medical School, at our sites in Plymouth, Torbay or Taunton. We are looking for clinicians to work in small groups of students in our Reflective Practice (all sites) and Enquiry Based Learning (Plymouth only) programmes.

Small group learning is a key component of the undergraduate medical course at the Peninsula Medical School where active, collaborative, reflective learning is fundamental. Small Group Facilitators play a vital role in these groups, using their expertise to stimulate reasoning and problem solving and to support students to activate their existing knowledge and to integrate and apply new learning.

This role will require providing facilitation of small group learning in Jigsaw and Small Groups (where students share and explore their clinical experiences with a focus on reflective practice and professionalism skills) and Enquiry Based Learning Groups (EBL where students explore and apply their curricular learning in case scenarios). We are seeking facilitators for various year groups. New facilitators will be expected to facilitate 2 groups in the same year group for either Jigsaw, Small Groups or EBL. Each session also attracts paid admin time for planning and assessment.

Successful applicants will also be expected to act as academic tutors for up to 5 individual students. This role is also remunerated.

Posts by site September 2024:

EBL Year 2 (Plymouth based) – 4 hour sessions (taking 2 groups) on Wednesdays (24 sessions a year) plus some optional additional hours on Fridays available. Additional administration time is paid.

Jigsaw Years 1 and 2 (Plymouth based) and Small Groups Years 3-5 (various days dependent upon year group and site - Plymouth, Torbay and Taunton - 9-11 two hour teaching sessions per group per year, i.e. 18-22 dates per year assuming taking 2 groups). Additional admin time paid per session.

EBL, Jigsaw and Small Group dates/times TBC. Sessions will run on fixed, regular days of the week, scheduled during term-times. Posts at some sites are very limited, so please indicate in application your preferred days of the week and which site(s) you could work in.

Candidates should be medically qualified, GMC registered and currently or recently (within 4 years) practising in the South West locality. An interest in education and experience of teaching are essential and previous experience of small group facilitation is desirable. Induction and annual in-service training will be provided and support from a close-knit team makes this a great way to be a part of medical education.

For informal enquiries, please contact Rachel Leyland ([email protected] ) and Emma Blundy ([email protected] ) (Jigsaw and Small Groups) or James Edwards ([email protected] )   (Enquiry Based Learning).

In your covering letter, or personal statement please indicate which roles(s) you are interested in, preference for site and preferred days you would be able to undertake teaching.

Interview dates Monday 13 May 2024 morning and/or afternoon and Monday 20 May 2024 morning and Friday 24 May 2024 morning. 

Please demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the knowledge, qualifications, training and experience elements of the job description in your supporting statement.

We offer a competitive salary package and a generous pension and holiday scheme. We also offer a range of other benefits, including ongoing development opportunities.  A summary of our comprehensive benefits can be viewed here .

The Faculty of Health holds two Silver and two Bronze Athena Swan Awards, which recognises commitment to supporting gender equality within higher education.

Staff appointed within the Faculty of Health may be able to join the NHS pension scheme subject to eligibility criteria.

The University of Plymouth has a strong interdisciplinary research ethos which is supported by our three strategic Research Institutes; the Marine Institute, the Sustainable Earth Institute, and the Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research. As a member of our academic community, you’ll be expected to contribute to our recognised research strengths. Working holistically across the University, you will be challenged to innovate, collaborate and deliver impactful research contributions as part of a systems thinking approach to addressing today’s global challenges.

The University of Plymouth is a diverse, welcoming community where everyone makes a difference and is encouraged to bring their whole selves to work. To find out more about our inclusive community, initiatives such as Athena Swan and the Race Equality Charter and our range of benefits / support mechanisms such as flexible working, staff networks and enhanced maternity, paternity & adoption leave please visit our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion webpages

We particularly welcome applicants from under-represented groups such as BAME/BIPOC and LGBT+

Job Description