Specialty
Renal medicine

Education technique
Rotating course options

Details
Recognising that ongoing access to a range of learning opportunities contributes to better learning outcomes, Imperial College Healthcare’s renal and circulation sciences clinical programme group runs a series of relevant formalised courses on a rotating basis each year.

With the aim of promoting awareness and increasing knowledge of renal and circulatory conditions and their treatment, these courses include:
• Advanced surgical complications
• Haemodialysis academy
• Histopathology course
• Immunology course
• Lupus nephritis course
• Peritoneal dialysis academy
• Renal patient information conference
• Renal pharmacist course
• Supportive care course
• Transplantation academy

This repertoire of courses is constantly growing. In 2010, a new renal pharmacist’s course and a renal patient information conference were launched, both of which involved trainees teaching other professional groups and patients in a formal setting. Involvement in patient education stretches the trainee’s teaching and communication abilities as it requires them to adapt their teaching and communication skills to a non-medical audience. There are also bimonthly transplant seminars for patients, which involve specialist registrars who give talks and facilitate group discussions.

In a move away from a heavy reliance on didactic lectures, a forthcoming haemodialysis academy problem-solving course creates an interactive learning environment where speakers, facilitators and attendees participate in case-based discussions and interact using voting devices. This type of real-time participation is also used in the transplantation course and allows for immediate analysis of a group’s problem-solving processes and conclusions. Specialist registrars in renal medicine also frequently speak at or facilitate discussion groups. Most courses are at Imperial College Healthcare’s Hammersmith Hospital with fees subsidised or fully funded.

Other regular training offered by the renal and circulation sciences clinical programme group includes:
• Weekly grand rounds (including scientific research, MDT topics, ethics, disease-specific case-based presentations
• Monthly journal club
• Weekly training programme for foundation programme doctors, covering a wide range of topics
• Weekly multidisciplinary case-based teaching meetings including a biopsy meeting, imaging meeting and problem cases
• Cross-programme grand rounds, and Trust staff rounds

For a full programme of events or for more information on educational activities in renal medicine and circulation sciences, contact consultant nurse Wendy Brown directly.