Clinical Teaching Associates FAQs
What is it all about?
At Oxford Medical School, we teach medical students how to examine women by putting women at the heart of the process. Students trained in this way demonstrate higher levels of technical and communication skills. This style of teaching also emphasises the importance of patient-centred care in women's health. We introduced this teaching method into the Oxford curriculum in 2007.
What exactly are you asking the Clinical Teaching Associates (CTAs) to do?
We hope to recruit several women to join our team of teachers on the women's health course. These women will be employed as clinical teaching associates (CTAs). CTAs will be asked to lead teaching sessions with students. The aim of these sessions are to teach how to perform a vaginal examination and how to communicate with patients about vaginal examination, with a focus on patient comfort and consent. CTAs teach students by role playing a cervical smear test. CTAs demonstrate the examination by examining one another whilst explaining the steps involved to the students. Students then examine the CTAs to develop their skills.
What training will be available for this role?
We will provide as much training as the CTAs need. This will include training in how to teach and give feedback, as well as the practical aspects of how to do a vaginal examination, which most lay women will never have done before.
How much time will be involved?
At Oxford, students spend two months learning gynaecology. They have an initial three week teaching block and the CTAs are asked to take 4-6 teaching sessions each, during this three week block. This amounts to about 48 -72 hours a year. The sessions are usually in the early evening (6-8pm).
How much will I be paid?
CTAs are currently paid £39.26 per hour (under review) through a formal variable hours employment contract. We hope women will be able to provide a long term commitment.
What support will be available for this role?
CTAs will be supported directly by the gynaecology consultants who will be available to answer any queries. The administrative and teaching staff will be available to support the programme. A major source of support will come from the CTAs themselves. We aim to recruit a group of women who will work well as a team.
What experience and qualifications do I need if I want to take this forward?
None! We are hoping to recruit motivated women who are comfortable with their own bodies. Most women in the CTA programme have had no prior experience of performing vaginal examinations. No formal teaching experience is needed. Please note that we will ask for your GP contact details and will request a letter from your GP as part of the application process.
We are looking for candidates who are team-players, and who have an interest in women's health and in teaching. Please note that it is a requirement of this role that you will perform vaginal examination on your CTA colleagues, and be willing to be examined by your CTA colleagues and medical students. You do not need any prior skills to do this - you will be trained on these skills, as well as communication and giving feedback.
What do the CURRENT CTAs think about the programme?
“It is rewarding to learn about the process of educating the next generation of doctors and have the opportunity to then teach medical students an important clinical skill. Being part of a team of lay women supporting each other in this process is also a special aspect to this role.
It is a great job for any woman who is open-minded and enjoys a completely unique challenge!”
What do the students think about the programme?
“I felt the CTA session was incredibly useful and one of the most valuable teaching experiences I have had at university - it would have been very hard to find opportunities to be taught this from scratch on placement.”
The CTA session was excellent - I felt much more confident examining consented patients after the session.”