Postgraduate diploma in health sciences (clinical primary care)

Programme description

The Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Primary Care aims to give practitioners up-to-date, relevant, in-depth understanding and knowledge of common conditions to assist in the management of disease in practice. Practitioners can choose from a menu of modules covering relevant clinical areas. For those who are interested in developing their skills in relation to research or clinical teaching, modules are also available in these areas.

With the needs of busy health professionals in mind, this programme has been designed
to maximise flexibility in two ways:

1. Modules are delivered via a blend of distance learning and face-to-face experiential
   workshops/clinics.The distance learning component allows you to engage in learning at a
   time and place that suits your lifestyle.

2. Modules can be accumulated over a number of years (or one year) to achieve an award of Postgraduate Diploma (6 modules—at least 3 clinical) or Postgraduate Certificate (3 modules—at least 2 clinical).  Single modules are also available for those who do not wish to complete a full programme of study.

Programme aims

1. To develop clinical and therapeutic expertise of practitioners.
2. To increase understanding of human behaviour in relation to health and illness to assist the practitioner in providing effective, holistic, patient-centred care in the community.
3. To allow the development of a critical approach to practice by examining one's own work, learning about work of others and by developing a critical approach to published work.            
4. To provide training in research methods and an appreciation of the existing body of research findings to equip students to undertake their own research and critical inquiry.  
5. To provide the practitioner with the knowledge and skills for teaching in a clinical setting.

Programme objectives

 At the end of this programme students should:

1. Have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the clinical areas they have chosen to study.
2. Be able to apply this new learning to the benefit of patient care in their practice.
3. Have developed management plans and systems for the management of chronic disease in their practice.
4. Have developed transferable skills such as information management, academic
   writing, audit and I.T. skills.  

ECTS weighting

60 ECTS.

Programme fee

For fee information contact the Fees Office. 

Application

Applications to this programme are made online via The Postgraduate Applications Centre (PAC). Relevant PAC application code above right.

Applications for individual modules are made via the Department of General Practice.

Minimum entry requirements

Applicants must be clinically qualified health care professionals working in a primary care setting. Applications from those working in secondary care will also be considered.

Parts of the programme are delivered in distance learning format.  This includes opportunities
for mutual learning via web-based discussion using a virtual learning environment called
Blackboard. While training in the use of Blackboard will be provided, general computer literacy
is essential before undertaking this programme.

Selection criteria

Selection is based on the candidate’s relevant professional experience, their ability/opportunity to adapt the learning they will gain to their daily work, and their academic record.

Examination arrangements

Assessment is based on assignments, workshop attendance, and participation in online discussion.

Career opportunities

This programme is designed to meet the learning needs of community-based health professionals in a rapidly changing healthcare environment. Increasingly the burden of chronic disease management is being shifted to primary care. Increases in the numbers of elderly people, improved survival rates with chronic illness, an explosion in the numbers and types of treatments available,  policies of early-discharge from hospital and the development of shared-care protocols for disease management are just some of the developments that have contributed to the change in the educational needs of healthcare providers. In a discipline where the sands shift so rapidly as a result of new understanding and approaches to disease management, practitioners must themselves learn how to manage their  own knowledge and skills base.  Keeping up-to-date with health care developments must be on of the greatest challenges facing current clinical practice.

This programme will give practitioners up-to-date, relevant, in-depth understanding and knowledge of common conditions as well as providing knowledge and skills for the practice of evidence-based medicine, audit, and critical analysis of published research. It will also provide a forum for the development of transferable skills like teamwork, time management, writing skills, computer skills, and ethical practice.         

Programme content (subject to change)

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