A qualification in medical education--a luxury or a necessity?

As doctors, in all spheres of medical practice, we have a responsibility to contribute to the education and training of other doctors, medical students and non-medical healthcare professionals. This is particularly pertinent in the Royal Naval Medical Service where effective education and training of medical teams is extremely important, particularly when preparing for the operational environment. However, it is not unusual to reach a fairly senior stage of a medical career without ever receiving any formal instruction in methods of teaching. So, it is not surprising that most people can recall being on the receiving end of a bad teaching experience; few doctors have escaped the familiar scenario of being taught by humiliation on a ward round. Accepting that good teaching abilities are not innate, I would suggest that we all have a professional obligation to develop and maintain our skills in the field of medical education. The Royal College of Anaesthetists have formalised this obligation by including the subject of medical education in the curriculum for Specialist Registrar training. There is a wealth of courses, which are easily accessed and which offer a broad introduction to generic teaching methods. In addition, many universities now offer part-time and distance-learning courses that lead to a qualification in education, specific to medical practice. Hopefully, this account has given an overview of the available resources and has provided food for thought for anyone wishing to develop an interest in medical education.