Practitioners with a Special Interest - Cardiology MSc / PGDip

Program Overview

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Overview

This programme enables practitioners to gain a formally recognised standard of competence in cardiology. It is taught and run by advanced clinicians, allied health professionals and service improvement specialists.

It is designed for General Practitioners, Nurse Specialists and other medical professionals working in the specialty clinical environment.

The structure of the programme is specifically designed to encourage the development of the specialist practitioner role, by encouraging collaborative clinical work-based training between the practitioner and the clinical mentor.

The emphasis is on critical thinking, reflective learning and the practice of evidence-based medicine.  Students are enabled to directly apply their learning to their current and future roles.

This programme is delivered at

The Ridge Medical Practice

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Once you achieve the Postgraduate Diploma you can progress onto an MSc award by completing a final 60 credit Clinical Management Project at the University of Bradford, giving you an MSc in Cardiology for Practitioners with a Special Interest.

Program Outline

What you will study

All module information is for 2022 entry, and is subject to change.

Each module is worth 30 level 7 credits; this nominally equates to 300 hours of work. 120 credits are required to achieve Postgraduate Diploma level.

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First year

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Core

Applied Methodologies

Management Project

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Core/Option

The following modules are core for Postgraduate Diploma, and options (choose one) for Postgraduate Certificate:

Heart Failure and Valvular Disease

Hypertension, Arrhythmias and Conduction Disorders

Ischaemic Heart Disease

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Learning and assessment

A variety of teaching methods are employed in the programme to enable students to fulfil the varied modular learning outcomes.

Face-to-face tuition

: this occurs at the beginning of each module in Bradford.  Tutors are available by email if required during placement periods to handle learning queries.  Tutors are clinical practitioners (consultant specialists and PwSIs).

Work-based learning

: this forms the central part of the programme of study, in the form of clinical placements – each six month module should contain at least 14 weeks of hands-on practical study in a secondary care environment.  This learning is undertaken on placement in the locality, under the supervision of a clinical mentor. Students approach the mentor in the first instance: they must be a GMC registered consultant/Advanced clinician in whose name appears on a national register of practitioners, and who has teaching experience. The clinical mentor will receive a specific Mentor Guide including advice and support from the course management team in fulfilling the role of mentor.

Guided reading

(given by tutor and mentor): this complements the placement and enables you to fulfil the theoretical background necessary for your placement activities, and prepares you for your written and presentational assignments.  e-learning: the virtual learning environment gives access to the peer group and tutors during placement, facilitating learning through clinical discussion, as well as providing support.

Local research and application

: The Applied Methodology module involves working within the healthcare community to apply 3 different methodologies; learning takes place during the activities of researching and reading information, planning, preparation and application of these.

Assessment is designed to enable you to have a rounded measurement of the skills needed for your role in the healthcare community. Clinical competence is verified through mentor signature after observation (by mentor and where appropriate other relevant clinical professionals) and discussion during the placement periods.

The issues of ethics and informed consent are an integrated part of the students’ daily practice, and it is implicit in all the modules that there is conformity to the usual standards and guidelines in these areas.

Optionality is available to students studying for the Certificate in their choice of modules.  It is available to students studying for the Diploma in the choice of cases for the written reflective studies and the presentations.

Each module has a number of set learning outcomes, and it is up to you, together with your self-identified local clinical mentor, to identify your learning needs and generate the training plan to fulfil these learning outcomes. You will have a teaching day on the clinical content of each module, after which you will attend at least 14 sessions in suitable clinics of your choice over a period of 6 months (clinical attachment). At the end of this period you will have to demonstrate your competency in managing patients, and an ability to critically reflect on your own practice.

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Official programme specification

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Career support

All students are employed within their specialties, and are able therefore to directly enhance service delivery by application of learning to their clinical practice.

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Career prospects

Achievement of the qualification can provide new employment opportunities and promotions.