Tutor club - functions and benefits

Functions

The "tutor club" has been set up to provide a forum for those specifically involved in

• providing career guidance on a one to one basis
• training others in the provision of career guidance
• training doctors in how to manage their careers

Membership was originally restricted to career tutors in medical education but we are willing to consider membership for anyone involved in medical educational roles that requires them to provide career support to others (eg includes medical school based tutors).

Career guidance is increasingly on the agenda in medicine and now outlined in the job descriptions of medical educationalists and trainers. Yet there is often little time to provide career guidance, few resources to rely upon and sparse training available in the techniques. When combined with growing complexity, continuous change, recruitment/retention challenges and sheer variety of options within medical careers - the demand for career guidance is likely to rise.

Medical Forum aims to assist the development of career guidance services throughout the NHS by

•  being a focus for resources - both our own and those being developed by others
•  developing training materials ( based on our years of experience (since 1990) solely working in this field)  that are simple, reproducible, effective
•  increasing integration, accessibility, speed and quality of career guidance for the profession
• strong collaboration and liaison with deaneries, DOH, Royal colleges, medical schools etc.

Benefits

There is a range of benefits available to tutor members:

• factsheets to assist in referring to Medical Forum or for challenging career conundrums
• our newsletter (without having to join as an individual)
• direct access for discussion (anonymously) about specific career guidance cases (anonymously if neccessary)
• discussion documents such as "Elevating and delegating career guidance" - a Medical Forum report December 03 and a feedback report from delegates to a medical school event we provided several years ago
• promotional materials download (leaflets, posters, fliers etc)
• career tutor introduction "pack"
• a soon to be launched "calendar" in which members can add details career guidance related events on two levels - A) for doctors to attend - eg careers days and B) for those providing career guidance to attend.

We also plan to develop a tutor club members forum  (launch due summer 2007) for discussion of hot topics in career guidance and where challenges in the provision of career guidance can be aired and solutions proffered.

If you are involved in a medical educational role where the above listed benefits and functions are of interest please register.