This unique Professional and Generic Skills programme is a collaborative venture provided by NHS South West and delivered by the University of Plymouth.

The Professional and Generic Skills programme is specifically for doctors in training (GP and Specialty ST3+), with a limited number of places for SAS doctors (Speciality, Staff Grade and Associate Specialists) and LEDs (locally employed doctors ST3+), plus a small number of places for dentists in training. The programme is designed to provide a unique combination of practice skills, knowledge and thinking to develop your career path as a clinical leader within an evolving NHS.

You will need to commit nine days within the academic year to attend seven CPD modules plus provide a written reflection. All sessions will be held virtually via Zoom. 

The programme is stand-alone and awards 49 CPD credits. It also provides the opportunity for further postgraduate progression in either healthcare management, leadership and innovation or clinical education at the University of Plymouth.

We set up this programme to offer a full and comprehensive overview of all the added value learning you’ll need as you progress towards a substantive post in the NHS. For this reason we ask you to sign up for all seven modules at the point of registration, and to make attendance an absolute priority.

However, we recognise that life can sometimes get in the way, and so if you are obliged to miss a day (due to sickness, or other extenuating reasons) then you must let our administrator know so that she can report back to HESW. HESW will follow up all absenteeism, usually with your clinical supervisor at work.

Whilst we’d like to guarantee a place on a replacement module, this isn’t possible unless we know that there is a space. The same is true about transferring into next year’s programme. So we’ll be as flexible as we can if you have to miss a day – but our priority will always be the delegates who have signed up for all seven modules.

If you do have to miss a day due to extenuating reasons (and it proves impossible for you to attend another replacement day), then our Programme Lead will consider a detailed personal reflection from you based on the content of the day you’ve missed, in lieu of attendance. 

To prepare this, we recommend that you make contact with a fellow participant to gather their reflection on the day they attended, as well as studying and considering the materials on the open-access learning website (MOODLE). Following this, you may email the Programme Lead ( Judy Ravenscroft ) and copy to professionalskills@plymouth.ac.uk with up to 500 words which clearly show that you have understood the key learning outcomes, your reflections on the content, and how it will be of use to you at work.