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Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine has partnered with the Royal College of Physicians of London to launch the Diploma in UK Medical Practice (DipUKMP).
This professional diploma is open to International Medical Graduates (IMGs) working in NHS Trusts across the UK, as part of the RCP’s Medical Training Initiative (MTI).
“LSTM is delighted to be partnering with the RCP on this initiative given the strong complementarity of the Vision, Mission and Values of our institutions and our joint commitment to improving the health of communities across the globe,” said Michael Lurie, LSTM’s Director of International Education. “The programme will allow graduates to maximise their development during clinical training. Currently MTI participants exit the scheme with a certificate of participation but this diploma represents the first formal postgraduate qualification, with potential to enhance careers and medical care.”
Currently, around 125 IMGs enter the MTI annually and receive a certificate of participation on exit. They will now be able to study for a postgraduate qualification developed by two renowned institutions.
This new programme, which is led academically by LSTM’s Senior Clinical Lecturer Dr Clare van Halsema, who is also an NHS consultant, aims to maximise the opportunities presented by clinical training in the NHS to develop clinical competence and understanding of UK hospital medical practice.
RCP President Professor Jane Dacre said: “The Medical Training Initiative provides an excellent opportunity for UK and overseas doctors to learn from one another. I’m very pleased that the diploma will help participants demonstrate the extent to which they have developed during their placement when they return to their home countries.”
The diploma will be awarded by LSTM and is complementary to and based on the structure of the two years NHS training provided through the MTI, which sees the IMGs rotating though work placements in their chosen medical specialties. During these work placements they will produce a portfolio of evidence of their achievements in clinical practice and other aspects of NHS hospital work and a reflective piece of written work based on their NHS experience.
LSTM’s Director, Professor Janet Hemingway FRS, said: “It is fantastic to be partnering with the RCP to formalise the skills that the MTI offers graduates each year. LSTM has a long history of collaboration with organisations throughout the world and we appreciate the importance of what can be learned by working with each other.”
The first trainees are expected to register for the diploma at the upcoming MTI induction (a GMC-endorsed introduction to UK practice) on 4 July, and if successful, will be awarded the diploma at a ceremony at the RCP in summer 2018.
Read more about the DipUKMP here.