Welcome to UHCW for your CCE (Phase II of MBChB course) placement. So far you have had mainly classroom-based teaching. Now you need to thrive in an active clinical environment and access clinical learning effectively. You are encouraged to spend most of your time in a busy clinical environment. UHCW offers you a wealth of resource to achieve your learning outcomes in Medicine, Surgery, and Specialty blocks of CCE curriculum
Key objectives during CCE are to become competent at
- History taking
- Clinical Examination
- Constructing differential diagnoses
- Planning investigations
- Initial Management
- Communicating with patients and with teams in relation to common and important conditions.
There are three 10-week blocks in CCE. Total duration of CCE is 30 weeks.
Medicine block will provide you a wealth of learning opportunities in cardiology, respiratory, gastroenterology, endocrine, renal and oncology. You should actively participate in all teaching activities (clinics, ward rounds, grand rounds, multidisciplinary meetings, case review meetings).
Surgery block includes various sub-specialities such as upper GI, Hepatobiliary surgery, Colorectal, ENT and Ophthalmology.
During your 10-week specialities rotation you will rotate through women’s health, child health, community health, mental health, Perioperative medicine, Haematology clinics. Tutorials will be delivered on topics in Rheumatology, haematology and per-operative medicine.
During each 10-week block, you must complete three SLEs (CBD, Mini-CEX, OSLER) using your e-portfolio. Additional three SLEs need to be completed at GP. To ensure this is completed on time, regular engagement with your consultant and CCE team is essential. You should regularly attend clinical sessions, ward rounds, outpatient clinics, operating theatre sessions, multidisciplinary meetings with your consultant to maximise your learning from these opportunities. You should complete the SLEs at the earliest opportunity rather than leaving it to the last moment. You may use your mobile devices to access NHS E-Portfolio and to ensure that you get signed off. At end of each 10 weeks, you need to complete a end of block form. This must be signed off by your nominated CCE consultant. Please plan this well in advance as your consultant may be on holiday at week 9 and 10.
You should request for weekly tutorials with your consultant to ensure that you learn all topics allocated to that block. In a group of four you should delegate the topics among yourselves in preparation to tutorials. Using a bio-psycho-social approach, you should try to understand holistic approach to management of patient and their needs.
How to contact your consultant
Use the contact details from CCE Faculty timetable
Meet them directly in the wards, clinics or theatres, no need to wait for email response and no need for an appointment.
To improve your learning opportunities in the clinical environments
Ensure a good attendance and arrive on time to clinics, ward rounds and theatres.
Introduce yourself to the clinical team.
Observe your consultants and other clinical staff performing clinical skills
Observe clinical procedures and understand various steps involved in completing procedures.
Obtain consent, take history from patients, and perform appropriate clinical examination.
Make list of clinical cases seen and procedures observed and do further reading.
Keep a logbook and regularly update your weekly timetable.
If you are not clear on anything please ask questions, seek clarification, and show your interest in learning. Continuous engagement with your clinical team and in learning is very important to enhance your learning in the busy clinical environment.
“The more you put into your programme the more you will get out of it”
“You will need to make your learning opportunities happen”
“We are here to assist you”