Overview
This online course will provide foundation doctors and medical and dental students with an overview of teaching, learning and feedback in the clinical environment.
Mapped to the foundation curriculum, participants will be given the opportunity to create a detailed plan for a short teaching session related to their clinical practice, and will receive written feedback on this for their portfolios.
Take a look at our programme to see what's happening on the day.
Our Developing the Clinical Trainer courses are delivered by our Lecturer in Adult Education, Dr Douglas Sutherland.
Developing the Clinical Trainer is carefully designed to meet the training needs of early-career clinical professionals who often have teaching responsibilities from the outset of their careers. This course will introduce you to the relevant educational theory and a range of key practical steps to enhance the effectiveness and impact of your teaching.
- Dr Douglas Sutherland
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Demonstrate enhanced understanding of the clinical learning environment and its teaching and learning opportunities
- Utilise current thinking around learning and teaching principles
- Apply different approaches to teaching, with a particular focus on small-group teaching
- Plan teaching activities aligned with intended learning outcomes
- Demonstrate increased understanding of effective approaches to providing feedback in the clinical environment
- Apply basic feedback principles
Dental enhanced CPD development outcomes: A & B
Who is this course for?
This course is suitable for:
- Medical students
- Foundation doctors
The course may also be of interest to core trainees and early-stage GPs.
What happens on the day?
Click below to learn more and download the pdf.
Live introductory meeting (4 February 2026)
The half-hour introductory session explains the aims, objectives and intended learning outcomes of the course, introduces the online learning material, and outlines the requirements for course completion and award of the certificate.
Online modules
These modules can be accessed on demand via your College dashboard and is required to be completed during the two weeks running up to the live interactive session.
- The clinical learning environment
- Principles of teaching and learning
- Small group teaching
- Planning your teaching
- Introduction to feedback
Live interactive sessions (18/19 February 2026)
The final two-hour online interactive session takes place two weeks after the introductory session and enables in-depth small-group discussion of some key aspects of clinical education theory and practice covered by the course, giving participants an opportunity to share perspectives on these and reflect on their own experience of clinical teaching.
In preparation of this live session, individuals must prepare a teaching plan; critically review a feedback conversation video for discussion at the session; and upload a brief individual introduction detailing current role and any teaching commitments.
Attending the course
This event is an online course. That means you get the chance to join us from the comfort of your own home.
Details of how to dial in and any other information you need will be provided just before the date of the course.
If you’ve not received your joining instructions by the day the course starts, please reach out to the event lead. Their details can be found at the bottom of this page.
Dates and times
The course has two sessions:
- Live introductory meeting
A half-hour online session on 4 Feb 2026 that outlines the aims of the course, introduces the online learning materials, and explains the requirements for completion and certification. - Live interactive session (choose one date)
Participants must attend one of the available time slots on 18 or 19 February 2026. The College will endeavour to accommodate preferences, but places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact the course coordinator to book your preferred session.
To learn more, see the course programme.
Claiming your CPD points
This course offers 6 CPD points for everyone who attends. This can be claimed via your College account. CPD points will be available for up to one month after the course. Where the course has been recorded, these sessions will also be available.
If you have any questions about claiming your CPD points, our Education team are happy to help.
Key information
Gallery
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Here's what our previous participants said
"I thought the course was great – really useful to learn some background theory and the modules were easy to work through in your own time. Discussion in the final session was very relaxed and I felt comfortable throughout to voice my opinions."
"I found this to be very useful and particularly enjoyed the interactive session, in small groups. The material was concise enough to learn during busy working days but conveyed a lot of important information."
"This course was highly useful and well organised. It was a nice introduction to the principles of teaching with lots of helpful advice I will be taking into action."
If you have any questions, feel free to contact the coordinator. Their details can be found below.
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