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Brighton & Sussex Medical School

GP teachers

GP teachers

We have many opportunities for community-based and in-house teachers across the undergraduate GP curriculum.

Please watch the videos further down the page and explore the top reasons to get involved in GP teaching. Please note that you do not have to be a GP trainer or Clinical Supervisor to teach undergraduate medical students. The community GP teacher guides provide detailed information about the different opportunities for GPs to teach at BSMS and support our wider undergraduate activities.

We are currently in need of community GP teachers for students in years 1, 2 and 4. For further information, contact Heidi Swain (Quality and Placement Officer) by telephone 07823 516381 or Sara Huckett 07823 516390 or by email gpplacements@bsms.ac.uk / H.Swain@bsms.ac.uk / S.Huckett@bsms.ac.uk. For in-house facilitator roles, please read the job description under Teaching Facilitators.

Become a community GP teacher

We are actively seeking GP placements in the community (especially in the Brighton and Hove area) for years 1, 2 and 4. 

Year 1 Clinical and Community Practice Module 101 placements in GP

In Year 1 students visit in pairs, spending two Tuesday afternoon sessions in GP where they shadow the GP teacher and learn about consultation and communication skills. It could be their first opportunity to perform basic examinations and practice history-taking. There are eight groups of 1st year visit dates, with many GPs choosing to teach all eight (which is just 16 sessions in total per academic year).

Year 2 Clinical and Community Practice Module 201 placements in GP

In Year 2 student pairs visit a practice during one of the four set ‘immersion weeks’, where they spend three full days in a practice. Students can enhance their skills learned in Y1 and 2, with the GP teacher. They can also spend up to 50% of their time observing and being involved with the wider clinical team. There are four set immersion weeks in the academic year so practice teams are encouraged to host a pair of students in each of these weeks.   

Year 1 community GP Teacher guide >

Year 2 Community GP Teacher guide >

Year 4 and Independent Placements in GP

Year 4 students undertake a four-week placement in GP for four days per week (excluding Monday), where they fully integrate into the practice team for their teaching. GPs are asked to provide placements for all seven rotation dates per year if possible. You can teach an individual or pair of students for each rotation. This placement may be local to Brighton, but some students opt for arranging an ‘independent placement’ a self-arranged attachment in general practice which can be anywhere in the UK. All new year 4 community GP teachers are asked to attend one of our 30-minute placement preparation meetings (midweek lunchtime or evening via Zoom).

Year 4 community gp teacher guide >

Find out more

For further details and an informal chat please contact Heidi Swain (Quality and Placements Officer) 07823 516381 or Sara Huckett (Quality and Placements Coordinator) 07823 516390 or by email gpplacements@bsms.ac.uk / h.swain@bsms.ac.uk / s.huckett@bsms.ac.uk

Year 1 and 2 Clinical and Community Practice Module Leader: Dr Rachel Wilkinson r.wilkins@bsms.ac.uk.Year 4 GP Lead and Senior Lecturer in Primary Care and Public Health: Dr Max Cooper m.cooper@bsms.ac.uk.  

The impact of training students on a GP practice

We asked some of our GPs about teaching at BSMS. Here’s what they had to say:

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

Upcoming GP teacher events

The next meetings are:

Thursday 11 April 2024 on Zoom from 6.30-8pm: MLA and Curriculum Update.

Tuesday 25 June 2024 on Zoom from 6.30-8pm: Mindfulness a Taster Session.

Email GPPlacements@bsms.ac.uk to find out more.

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

Teaching facilitators and other opportunities for GPs

BSMS offers a wide range of ways for GPs to become involved in our activities, including teaching facilitation, OSCE examination, individual research projects/audits and health service evaluation projects and honorary titles.  

Further information about facilitator roles at BSMS is available here >

Further information about OSCE examiners can be found here >

Further information about honorary titles can be found here >

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

10 reasons to teach general practice

1. Enjoy a challenge

Teaching medical students is an adventure, allowing you to look at your own practice anew.

2. Inspire a future doctor

You might be the role model who changes a medical student’s life. It’s a privilege to see and be part of students’ professional and personal growth.

"It was really helpful that we shadowed almost every department in the surgery, as this allowed us to understand the functioning of such a large practice. Everyone was friendly and informative and made an effort to explain the workings of the surgery. They scheduled consultations to suit our understanding level and there were time slots after consultations to allow us to ask questions. All in all, it was a productive week because of the efforts made by the practice."

– Year 2 student pair, BSMS

3. Improve your own knowledge

Improve your own knowledge: Having to explain your decisions and practice may highlight your own gaps in medical knowledge. A good medical student will be inquisitive, and this may be helpful for your next NHS appraisal.

4. Give something back to medicine

Have you been taught by an outstanding physician and wanted to become like them? Are there any bits of knowledge and wisdom you wish someone would have told you when you were at their stage of development?

"It's been a great experience hosting year 1 and 2 students at the practice. The students were punctual, well prepared, knowledgeable, and showed a very good manner with patients. Over the course of the year, I was able to build on the student's feedback to improve and refine the schedule for the teaching sessions and set the pace for progression over their sessions. The additional workload was manageable. I could use preparation throughout the year, improving as I went. I was able to respond to the immediate teaching needs of the students with some improvised and bedside teaching opportunities. I found I was able to complete all my day's work on teaching days, but ensuring the practice had blocked additional appointments was essential. I have been glad to see a culture of medical teaching come back into the practice where I work. In most cases patients were happy to be seen with students present. My colleagues were also participating in teaching with positive feedback from students."

– Dr Ralph Mortimer Roome, Woodingdean Medical Centre

5. Become recognised for teaching medical students

Brighton and Sussex Medical School offers honorary titles for doctors involved in teaching students. GP teachers also have access to both Sussex and Brighton University facilities and resources, including libraries, seminars and events.

6. Have fun looking after students

GP tutors enjoy the responsibility of looking after students. There are few occasions that delight teachers as much as enthusiastic and bright students.

"My GP Placement has been one of the highlights of my Medical School journey so far. I was warmly welcomed and introduced to the practice team and given an in-depth timetable that allowed us to observe/ experience numerous opportunities and specialities that are undertaken within the surgery.  It was refreshing to feel like a member of the team and be allowed to see patients independently. It was also extremely useful sitting in on various GP clinics as this allowed me to see how different GPs consult and how particularly ways of communicating and questioning can help diagnose and manage patients. I cannot express enough my appreciation to everyone involved in the organisation of this placement and all those we observed."

– Year 4 student, BSMS

7. Promote General Practice as a speciality

Medical School clinical teaching is mostly ward-based, but half of graduates will make their career in General Practice. Regardless of where future doctors will practice, they all need experience of the health service world outside hospitals.

8. Allow patients to give something back to the Health Service

Many patients enjoy student encounters and the sense of altruism.

"The Wall House Surgery has really enjoyed hosting the year 2 Medical students and they have come in with a good attitude to learning and enjoyed the time they spend in the practice. We are a large practice and there is so much going on for them they have often felt surprised at how much is happening within primary care and showing them, it is not boring being a GP. I would say to other practices that are looking into hosting the second years - it is very rewarding."

– Dr Vanisha Chauhan, GP Partner of The Wall House Surgery

9. Join a network of teachers and make new friends

We host regular educational CPD events covering topics relevant to GP teachers and many take pleasure meeting similarly-minded colleagues.

10. Showcase your surgery

Patients have high regard for teaching practices and see your engagement in this activity as a marker of good clinical care.