Forging ahead: Experiences of collaborative working to develop an innovative educator development programme: Poster - 6U5

Background: Postgraduate deaneries in England are responsible for ensuring that doctors who deliver and assess medical education are fit for purpose and meet regulatory (PMETB) Trainer Standards. We will describe the innovative collaborative approach taken by the North Western Deanery to achieve this.
Summary of work: The Deanery aimed to facilitate a pathway for trainers to develop expertise as medical educators and to support their career development. A detailed specification was developed for an innovative modular postgraduate programme mapped to educator roles: Clinical Supervisor, Educational Supervisor and Educational lead. A key feature of the specification was active collaboration with a university, to ensure credibility of the programme and facilitate ongoing flexibility. Edge Hill University was commissioned to work with the deanery.Summary of results: The joint programme team, comprising colleagues from the deanery and university, collaborates on curriculum development, delivery, programme administration and evaluation. The first cohort commenced in September 2009. The authors will present key experiences of inter-institutional joint working. Conclusions/Take-home messages: 1) Benefits of partnership: enhanced learning experience for participants (benefiting from both clinical and academic input), development of deanery educator team. 2) Lessons learned: respecting organisational cultural differences, establishing clear responsibilities, open communication, regular process review.