Medical education

What opportunities are there?

• most medical educators work in either universities or hospitals to support medical students or trainee doctors, or in a public health role in a local authority
• a drive to improve the quality of medical training has led to increasing opportunities in medical education
• there is also increasing professional support for those working in this area, from organisations such as the Academy of Medical Educators

Opportunities in universities

Most university-based medical educators have transferred from a clinical career or continue to balance a clinical career with a research and teaching career as clinical academics. There are currently more opportunities for clinical academics because of the drive to involve more clinicians in undergraduate medical training.

Opportunities in public health

Most work in a local authority, but it is also possible to work for agencies, such as the World Health Organisation in the UK or abroad.

• What skills and qualities do I need?

  • you should enjoy sharing your interest in a specialty or medical topic with other people
  • you would need experience of teaching and training others
  • writing research papers and presenting at conferences will be useful

• Getting in

  • you may need postgraduate qualifications in medical education, teaching qualifications or a PhD for some positions
  • some Foundation Schools offer medical education as part of the Foundation programme. This includes timetabled experience of teaching and research followed by a funded teaching qualification

• Further information

  • Academy of Medical Educators
  • Medical Education Journal
  • Association for the Study of Medical Education
  • AMEE: An International Association for Medical Education
  • World Health Organisation
  • Jobs.ac.uk - academic, science and research jobs
  • BMJ Careers