Who is this course designed for?

Established GPs
who have never had any formal education in consultation effectiveness. The Calgary Cambridge framework is a very clear exposition of the skills needed for an effective clinical consultation. The suggestions in the course will be immediately practical.

Established GPs
who have not had recent education in consultation effectiveness. They will find a revision of some things they may know; they will learn things they did not know (or that are new) and they will have a chance to reflect on the current effectiveness of their clinical encounters.

GP Registrars.
They have different things to gain at different levels. At ST1/2, to learn an effective framework and some practical skills. Just before or just at the start of ST3 - to focus down on the GP consultation. In preparation for CSA - to find some particularly useful strategies for the CSA.

ST3
We recommend that ST3s should attend our course 2 months or more before their CSA. We believe this course is complementary to a formal CSA exam course (RCGP or other) and we would recommend you attend ours BEFOREHAND - although this is not critical.

Maternity and career break returners
Those returning from maternity leave or a career break who need to be bought up to speed with current practice.

Practice nurses and Nurse Practitioners
who see patients with new problems, or who manage long term clinical conditions and are able to prescribe, or to alter therapy.

Doctors working in clinical practice other than GP.
Other clinicians in primary care (e.g. OTs, Physiotherapists etc.). The needs of a 1:1 conversation with patients have a large generic core.


Who should not come!

Expert teachers of the consultation. E.g GP Trainers and undergraduate teachers with major responsibility in this area. The course is aimed at front line clinicians. GP Trainers and similar "experts" DO attend the course and usually give good feedback - but they are likely to have less to learn for their own consulting than other members of the audience.

Doctors who have recently completed nMRCGP. We think there is around an 18 month refractory period for most doctors after passing nMRCGP where they want a rest from this sort of education! However, nMRCGP is a bit like passing your driving test, and after a year or two, most doctors appreciate the chance to reflect on the reality of consulting in the real world - more like "driving for real on the roads".