| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| When do I need to apply by and when will I know if I have a place on the programme? | Please visit the application timeline page for dates |
| Can I update my details on my IFME application form after it has been submitted? | If you need to amend anything on your application after you have submitted it you should e-mail ifme@medschl.cam.ac.uk. HOWEVER, PLEASE NOTE: If your current teaching role is NOT 'Clinical Supervisor (Existing)' nor 'Clinical Supervisor (Appointed in Michaelmas Term 2020)' then you will need to provide the name, job title and e-mail address of the person who can verify your teaching role on your application form. As soon as you click 'submit' that person will automatically be e-mailed asking them to verify your teaching. It is the applicant's responsibility to amend anything at that stage with their verifying person. |
| I have been given a place on the programme but my circumstances have changed since I applied. Can I defer my place on the programme to next year? | No. Unfortunately it is not possible to defer your place on the programme. The main eligibility criteria to secure a place on the programme is that you must be CURRENTLY teaching University of Cambridge undergraduate medical students in the year of your application. Therefore, you would need to withdraw your place and re-apply when you are able to complete the programme. Information about the following year's programme is usually available on the School of Clinical Medicine website under 'Education' then 'Integrated Foundations of Medical Education' in March for intake in the September of the same year. |
| I need to give 8 weeks notice if I need to cancel a clinic to attend a session. What shall I do? | We recommend that you book time off in advance for all the dates that you are planning to attend (even if you are virtually attending sessions please remember that your attendance will be recorded so please book time off to make sure you can virtually attend sessions) You will find the dates on the web page IFME 2020-21 session dates page. We consider it the responsibility of the participant to make sure that they are using a reliable internet connection, and that they are speaking from a quiet location without too much background noise. If you have never used Zoom before, it would be advisable to attempt a test Zoom meeting with a friend in advance of joining the sessions. |
| What if I am unable to attend some of the taught session dates? | Participants are encouraged to complete the whole programme within one academic year. However, if this is not possible due to work commitments it is possible to complete the programme over a two year period. The programme must be completed within two years. Shorter sessions will be recorded and made available so that you can watch them even if you cannot attend the interactive or face-to-face sessions. After all the taught sessions for one year have taken place the Administrator will write to all participants who have not been able to complete the programme in year one asking the participant if they wish to re-enrol to a second year in order to complete the programme. All participants have to do is respond to that e-mail by the date given and they will be re-enrolled to the next year's programme. It is useful if participants provide any change of details information when confirming their re-enrolment to a second year. Please note that if we do not hear from participants that they wish to re-enrol for a second year we will presume that they no longer wish to continue on the programme and they are removed from the database and their VLE login will lapse. When participants have not attended enough taught sessions they are ineligible to submit their Final Written Assignment until they have completed the required taught sessions (all the taught sessions must be completed within the two years). If participants are completing the programme over two years their Final Written Assignment (essay + 2 x peer reviews) are due to be submitted in the second year. |
| What happens if I have to complete the programme over two years? | As per the information in the Programme Overview and Attendance requirements page, there are a minimum number of taught sessions participants need to complete. Participants in that category at the end of year one are automatically e-mailed to invite them to re-enrol to year two in order to complete any missing sessions. Participants need to respond to the e-mail by the date specified to confirm re-enrolment to year two of the programme. If no response is received by the date specified the participant's details will be removed from the database. |
| What is the VLE and how do I get access to it? | The VLE is the Virtual Learning Environment. On acceptance to the IFME programme you will be provided with login details to this system. |
| Why do I need access to the VLE? | Participants will need to be able to access the VLE to obtain the online programme materials including the learning resources such as background chapters to each session, view/download copies of the handouts and slides, suggested reading lists, templates and advice for completing Peer Reviews and keeping a Learning Log, an online forum for connecting with other participants to discuss the programme and arrange Peer Reviews, and for participants to upload their final written assignment. |
| When and how can I book onto the taught sessions? | As soon as you have been accepted onto the programme you will be e-mailed your login for the VLE. You will then be able to access the details of how to attend sessions (virtually or face-to-face). |
| How far in advance do I need to book onto my preferred sessions? | For face-to-face sessions, participants may book onto their preferred sessions via the VLE as soon as they are available for booking on. The cut off date for booking onto sessions is 3 working days prior to the session date. Please see next question about what to do if you miss the cut-off for booking onto the session on the VLE. For virtual sessions there is no need to pre-book but you will need to ensure you are able to access the links via Moodle. |
| If I miss the cut-off date for booking onto my preferred sessions can I still attend the session? | Yes, participants may still turn up to the session if face-to-face. However, participants MUST print their name clearly on the registration list on arrival. We are unable to provide a certificate of attendance without this. In these instances participants should also make their own parking arrangements as they will have missed the e-mail with parking permits/codes (where provided). If participants have special dietary requirements they should bring something to eat in the event that they are not catered for. |
| What can I expect at the taught sessions? | Virtual sessions will require you to have an up-to-date version of Zoom already installed on your computer. We consider it the responsibility of the participant to make sure that they are using a reliable internet connection, and that they are speaking from a quiet location without too much background noise. If you have never used Zoom before, it would be advisable to attempt a test Zoom meeting with a friend in advance of joining the sessions. Refreshments are provided at all the face-to-face taught sessions only. Usually tea, coffee and biscuits. Where sessions take place around lunchtime (including half day sessions) a sandwich buffet and fruit will also be available 30 minutes before the start of the session. Parking spaces are not guaranteed. Where available parking permits are sent out to those who have booked onto the sessions and parking at all venues is on a first come, first served basis. |
| I have special dietary requirements. How can I let the IFME Administration team know about them? | Participants should notify the IFME Administration team on receipt of their acceptance onto the programme via e-mail to: ifme@medschl.cam.ac.uk |
| How do I find details about the venues? | Face-to-face sessions will be clearly detailed with venue information on the VLE |
| Will I receive a certificate for the sessions I attend and when will I receive it? | Yes, for each year participants attend sessions they will receive a detailed certificate showing each session they attended along with the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points attached to each session. These are e-mailed to participants after all the taught sessions have taken place (usually in March each year). In order for us to know which sessions you have attended you MUST attend the required virtual and/or face-to-face sessions and if face-to-face you must sign in / print your name clearly on the registration list at each session. |
| What is the submission date for the final written assignment? | The submission date for the final written assignment will be provided on the VLE each year. It will be after all the taught sessions have taken place and the actual date may vary but is usually around April each year. Participants should check the submission deadline in advance on the VLE. PLEASE NOTE: Only participants who have attended the minimum required taught sessions will be eligible to submit an assignment. If a participant has completed the required number of taught sessions in year one of the programme, the expectation is that they will submit their assignment at the end of the first year. Those that are eligible to submit will be sent details of how to submit their assignment on the VLE. For details about the final written assignment please see the Programme Overview and Attendance Requirements page. An Assignment Timeline will be published on the VLE giving the submission deadline and when participants can expect to receive their results. The timeline will also detail the re-submission deadline and when participants can expect to receive their re-submission results. |
| What can I do if I need to request an extension to the deadline for my final written assignment? | In certain circumstances where a participant has experienced difficulties due to clinical commitments or personal circumstances and they feel that they will be unable to submit their assignment by the assignment closing date, and require an extension to the deadline, a request MUST BE MADE IN ADVANCE IN WRITING to ifme@medschl.cam.ac.uk with 'Extension to submission deadline request' in the subject. The request should provide details of the reason for the extension request being made. The request must be made to the above e-mail address by the 31st March of the year the participant is expected to submit (see above). The participant MUST get a confirmation in writing IN ADVANCE OF THE DUE SUBMISSION DATE that they have been granted an extension to the deadline. Extensions, normally granted for 2 weeks from the original assignment submission date, may be made for one year only and one extension request per participant is allowed. The decision to grant the request is at the discretion of the Director of the IFME programme and no appeals may be made thereafter. |
| What can I do if I need to request a deferral of my assignment submission for one year? | In certain circumstances where a participant has experienced difficulties due to clinical commitments or personal circumstances and they feel that they will be unable to submit their assignment by the assignment closing date, and who wish to defer their submission for one year, a request MUST BE MADE IN ADVANCE IN WRITING to ifme@medschl.cam.ac.uk with 'Defer submission request' in the subject. The request should provide details of the reason for the deferral request being made. The request must be made to the above e-mail address by the 31st March of the year the participant is expected to submit (see above). The participant MUST get a confirmation in writing IN ADVANCE OF THE DUE SUBMISSION DATE that they have been granted a deferral. Deferral may be made for one year only. It is the responsibility of the participant to ensure that they contact ifme@medschl.cam.ac.uk in advance of the deferred submission date (usually the following April) to ensure that they are set up on the VLE as 'eligible to submit'. The decision to grant the request is at the discretion of the Director of the IFME programme and no appeals may be made thereafter. |
| What can I do if I am not sure whether to request an extension to the deadline or a deferral of my assignment submission for one year? | It is highly unusual that both an Extension to the Deadline AND a Deferral of submission for one year will be made to a single participant. Participants ought to make a decision early on whether they would like to request an Extension to the Deadline or a Deferral for one year. Where a participant's circumstances are such that they have been granted an Extension or a Deferral and are still experiencing extreme difficulty in meeting the extended or deferred deadline they may make a request to ifme@medschl.cam.ac.uk to explain, provide details, and where applicable, provide evidence of the circumstances of why the participant has been unable to meet the deadlines set. This may be granted WITH EXPRESS ADVANCE PERMISSION from the Director of the IFME programme. The decision to grant the request is at the discretion of the Director of the IFME programme and no appeals may be made thereafter. |
| When will I receive my certificate of attendance ? | Certificates of attendance are produced after all the taught sessions for one year have taken place. They will be sent by e-mail and will detail all the sessions you attended in the year along with the associated CPD points gained. |
| I need evidence that I am participating in the IFME programme for interviews/portfolio. How do I request this? | A letter confirming your participation in the IFME programme can be sent to you on request. Please e-mail ifme@medschl.cam.ac.uk. |
If you still have a question that has not been answered here please e-mail: ifme@medschl.cam.ac.uk.
Quick Links
Here are some other programs that may be of interest to you if you would like to further develop your teaching skills. The programmes below are not run by the School of Clinical Medicine but by the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education. Contact details for them will be on their web pages below.
PG Cert in Med Ed – http://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/course/postgraduate-certificate-medical-education
PG Dip in Med Ed – http://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/course/postgraduate-diploma-medical-education
Foundation Programme for Clinical Educators – http://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/course/foundation-programme-clinical-educators
