Learn to lead more effectively as a clinical educator.
Join our flexible online short course to develop your leadership skills for healthcare education.
Expert guidance
You’ll learn about roles, leadership, and governance within healthcare education, as well as its wider social and political context.
Guided by highly experienced clinicians and educators, you’ll:
- examine the qualities, values and importance of leadership in clinical education
- explore various styles of leadership, and when they are most and least effective
- gain insight into your own leadership skills, beliefs and behaviours, and
- learn to contribute to curriculum development and informed educational debate.
Build your professional network
In this collaborative online course, you’ll gain insight and learning not only from the faculty, but from each other, sharing experiences and creating connections with your peers.
Tailor your learning to you
With bespoke learning, this course allows you to develop knowledge and skills applicable to your own specific area of clinical education practice.
Credit-bearing or CPD?
You can choose between two versions of this course:
- Credit-bearing – includes assessments, which allows you to earn credits towards an MSc.
- Continuous professional development (CPD) – no assessments but carries zero credits.
Other than assessments, the course content and delivery are exactly the same for both versions of the course.
Who can join this online clinical education course?
This distance learning course is open to professionals in healthcare and healthcare-related areas who are currently involved in clinical practice.
It’s ideal for those involved in the education of doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, dental practitioners, associated scientists (biomedical or social), clinical psychologists and occupational therapists.
You can learn with us anywhere in the world, no student visa required.
Build credits towards a Masters degree
The credit-bearing version of this course is part of:
You can use the credits you earn towards either of these postgraduate qualifications.
What you’ll study
In this course, you’ll learn to become a better educator through reflection and critical understanding of roles, leadership and governance within healthcare education.
You’ll explore a range of leadership styles and examine factors that can influence leadership in clinical and higher education settings.
Course themes
The course is split into the following main themes, which you’ll cover in detail:
- Leadership in clinical education – including attributes, leadership in action and networking, emotional intelligence, and student development
- Change management
- Teams and team working
- Governance
You’ll gain knowledge and understanding of the core principles of each of these themes and how they can be applied in clinical practice.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to...
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Describe different leadership styles and explain when they are most and least effective.
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Identify the influences on leadership in clinical and higher education.
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Recognise governance frameworks and how these influence leadership in clinical education internationally, nationally, and locally.
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Reflect on the theory of team working and how varying leadership styles can directly impact on the team.
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Review the theory and practice of management and leadership in medical education and where this sits within your own practice.
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Differentiate the many roles of vision and governance in medical education and identify their impact in your own areas of practice.
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Review and evaluate evidence in a specified topic within clinical leadership and identify gaps for further research and evidence building.
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Communicate the value of professional networking in order to share good practice and learn from others.
Choose the University of Aberdeen for online clinical leadership courses
Fits around full-time work
This online course fits around work, with flexible hours and 24/7 study access.
Trusted clinical education training
We’ve been training outstanding clinical educators in the NHS, military, private and overseas health sectors since 2016.
NHS and alumni discounts
NHS staff get 10% off this online course. University of Aberdeen alumni get 20% off.
How you’ll study
Online learning
This leadership course for healthcare educators is delivered flexibly, 100% online.
You can learn with us anywhere in the world, no student visa required, and manage your study hours to suit you.
Your teaching
This course is taught at Masters level.
Teaching is delivered through MyAberdeen, our online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It holds all the materials, tools and support you’ll need in your studies. Take a look around MyAberdeen.
You can access your learning materials on computer, smartphone and laptop, 24 hours a day. You’ll find a range of resources available, including:
- videos
- video lectures
- live online sessions
- podcasts
- quizzes
- discussion boards with your tutors and peers
- online access to our award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library.
Flexible learning
All course material will be pre-recorded and available at the beginning of the course, to enable flexibility for you in your studies.
Live online sessions
You’ll have live interaction with your tutors via a live online workshop and a series of live online Q&A sessions.
These sessions will give you the chance to meet the faculty that have prepared the pre-recorded materials, and to ask questions and discuss any course content or assessments.
All live sessions will be recorded for those that cannot attend.
Peer learning
You’ll be encouraged to participate in the discussion forums throughout the course, enabling you to learn from others, build your professional network, and share your experiences.
Your tutors
This course is delivered by our School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition.
You’ll learn from an experienced, multidisciplinary team of educators, researchers and NHS staff. They’re actively engaged in clinical education and pedagogic research.
Your course coordinator
Your course coordinator is there for you throughout the course if you have any questions, concerns, or points you would like to raise and discuss.
Helen Gray
Helen is a Lecturer who leads our MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice. A dual registered nurse, she specialises in critical care nursing and practice education.
Helen has worked as a bedside nurse, team leader and educator in the UK, Canada and USA. She’s been training NHS advancing practitioners for over 10 years.
View Helen’s profileWhere this will take you
Towards a Masters
If you choose the credit-bearing version of this course, you’ll earn 15 credits at Masters level (SCQF Level 11) on successful completion.
You can use these credits towards our:
Masters in Advanced Clinical Practice
Develop your advancing career in healthcare with this uniquely flexible MSc, delivered part-time via blended learning. 10% discount for NHS staff.
View MSc Advanced Clinical Practice
Masters in Clinical Education
Become an outstanding clinical educator with our distance learning clinical education training. Study online with us and earn your MSc, PgDip or PgCert in Clinical Education while you work. 10% discount for NHS staff.
View MSc Clinical EducationCertificate of completion
If you choose the CPD version of the course, you will not receive any credits.
However, you will receive a digital certificate of completion.
CPD hours
Your employer or professional institute may recognise this course for CPD hours. Talk to your employer or institute to find out more.
Careers
You’ll complete this course ready to advance your leadership practice in clinical education.
You’ll also be ready to undertake leadership roles within the workplace while being mindful of your leadership strengths and resources.
As well as going on to further study in clinical education at Masters and PhD level, students who have completed this course have gone on to develop as educators in a variety of roles.
Careers that this course can help you progress within or work towards include:
- Practice Educator
- Clinical Supervisor
- Educational Supervisor
- Academic Lecturer
- Healthcare Education Researcher
- Director of Medical Education
- Training Programme Director.
Free career support
Access our free careers service while you study.
- 1:1 appointments
- CV checks
- Interview prep
- Job opportunities
Entry requirements
Requirements for the credit-bearing course
Our minimum entry requirements for the credit-bearing course are:
- a UK honours degree (or equivalent) in healthcare, eg, MBChB, Nursing, BDS, Physician Associate, or
- a UK honours degree (or equivalent) in a healthcare-related area, eg, Psychology, Biomedical Science.
You must also be currently involved in clinical practice.
To see the entry requirements for the CPD version of this course, select it as your study option at the top or bottom of this page.
How to apply for the credit-bearing course
For the credit-bearing course, apply through our online Applicant Portal. This allows you to upload relevant qualifications and documents for us to review.
Documents you will need
- Degree transcript
- Personal statement
- Degree certificate
- CV / Resume
Ready to apply?
Start with our step-by-step guide. It explains degree transcripts, what to write in your personal statement and how to use our Applicant Portal.
