Program Overview

Respiratory Medicine in Secondary Care

This course is designed for healthcare professionals in a hospital setting who specialise in respiratory medicine. You will work towards obtaining accredited certification of your competencies, as well as demonstrate proficiency in handling complex issues and critically evaluate and apply current research in the field.

Course Overview

This microcredential is aimed at all healthcare professionals with an interest in respiratory medicine working in a hospital setting, for example respiratory registrars, academic clinical fellows, specialist nurses, who are required to develop competencies in the management of respiratory disorders to an advanced level.

The course will provide accredited certification and validation of competencies including skills to enable autonomous practice in dealing with more complex problems and the ability to critically evaluate current research in the field of respiratory disease. An independent learning process will allow you to continue to advance your knowledge and understanding of respiratory disease.

Course Delivery

This eight week core microcredential that occurs in term two and as with the community microcredential there is a blend of teaching methods, including clinical exposure.

The face-to-face sessions will occur either at the University or in hospitals, enabling you to experience practical sessions such as ventilator application. The topic areas covered in depth include:

• Cystic Fibrosis
• Tuberculosis
• Respiratory failure
• Interstitial lung disease
• Pulmonary vascular disease
• Fungal lung disease
• Lung cancer
• Pleural diseases
• Service development and quality improvement

Course Dates

Dates for 2025/26 are TBC. This course normally runs February-May.

Assessment

The module is assessed with a short answer question (SAQ) examination and a written essay on service design and quality improvement in a particular disease area.

Credits

20 credits

Academics Involved

The module is led by Dr Mike Newnham, with other academics involved in the delivery of the module including:

• Professor Alice Turner
• Dr Dhruv Parekh
• Professor Matt O’Shea
• Dr Gareth Walters (honorary)
• Dr Anjali Crawshaw (honorary)
• Dr Jo Whitehouse (honorary)

Entry Requirements

BSc or equivalent professional degree in a relevant subject area (biomedical or medical) and clinical experience.

Fees and Scholarships

Fees for 2025/26 Entry

• Microcredential (Home): £1,211
• Microcredential (International): £3,374
• Non-credit: £1,011.20

Application Process

You can choose to study this course as either a microcredential or a non-credit CPD short course.

Why Choose a Postgraduate Microcredential Short Course?

• Microcredentials offer the perfect opportunity to boost your CV without the commitment of a full degree
• Usually taken from existing modules within a Masters, they can be used as standalone credentials with some also counting as academic credits at postgraduate level
• Add a postgraduate level qualification to your CV
• Develop the specialist skills you need for your career goals
• Alumni status with the University of Birmingham
• Learners will have the same access to our student support and campus facilities as our students on full degree programmes.

Application Deadline

• Applicants eligible for Home fees are to apply a minimum of 6 weeks before the module start date.
• Applicants eligible for Overseas fees are to apply a minimum of 3 months before the module start date.

Non-Credit Short Course

The microcredential and the non-credit short course follow the same course structure, the difference between them both is with the non-credit short course you do not take the assessment at the end therefore you will not receive credits but will receive a certificate of completion, this certificate cannot be converted to credits.