PDIP Specialist Professional Development (SPD) - Onco-Aesthetic Breast surgery

Key details

PDIP SPECIALIST PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (SPD) - ONCO-AESTHETIC BREAST SURGERY

Start Year

2020

Attendance

Part Time

Award

Postgraduate Diploma

This unique course will provide accreditation in Breast Surgery techniques, tailored to the need of each individual learner, and utilising existing online modules in oncoplastic and aesthetic breast surgery.

Students will be practising breast and plastic surgeons. They will choose freely from the full range of current online modules available for the established oncoplastic breast courses, and the newly approved aesthetic breast course. In this way, they can build a course which is tailored to their own clinical and educational requirements.

Specialist modules will provide higher level theoretical understanding of all aspects of the management of breast disease, including the development of critical reasoning and decision making for complex breast surgery. Applicants can also choose to enhance their management and leadership skills, and research knowledge by engaging in these stand-alone modules.

Allowing students to select from a full range of currently available modules will empower them to tailor their learning to their individual needs, and thus support their clinical and professional practice accordingly. Students will be able to enrol on a maximum of two modules simultaneously, thus providing sufficient time to engage with the educational process and achieve the required online participation and assessment standards.

About

This unique course combines the disciplines of oncoplastic and aesthetic breast surgery. Delivered entirely online, our course is designed to provide surgeons the world-over with access to high-quality education in onco-aesthetic breast surgery. Using training techniques developed over seven years by a specialist team at Norwich Medical School, our course is comprised of six core modules. Each module will allow you to acquire CPD accreditation supporting your professional appraisal, and can also be used to build towards a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma award in Onco-Aesthetic Breast Surgery. This challenging and rewarding programme has a flexible structure designed around the working lives of busy surgical practitioners. It is facilitated by our dedicated Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), which hosts a thriving online community of students and senior specialists from all over the world.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.

Assessment for Year 1

You will need to demonstrate a minimum of 80% online engagement to receive CPD accreditation for each module. You will also have the option to take a summative written assessment for each module; complete it successfully and you’ll be awarded 20 university credits. Acquire 60 credits and, in addition to your CPD accreditation, you’ll also be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate. Successfully complete assessments for 6 modules and you’ll acquire 120 credits and receive a Postgraduate Diploma. The assessment format is a reflective essay, which will be submitted and marked online, and which can also be utilised as evidence towards your professional portfolio. Your research and management modules will involve the online submission of a piece of written work, marked according to the UEA postgraduate senate scale.

Structure

You can choose to undertake a combination of the following 16-week-long online modules, providing advanced learning opportunities in oncological and aesthetic breast surgery.

You must complete at least one oncoplastic module and one aesthetic module within your studies to qualify for the combined onco-aesthetic award.

Oncoplastic modules

Benign breast disease
Malignant breast disease
Oncoplastic breast conserving surgery
Oncoplastic breast reconstruction

Aesthetic modules

Breast Augmentation
Breast Reduction
Mastopexy
Complex aesthetic breast surgery

Generic modules

Leadership and management
Integrated research module

Each module is structured as 7 or 8 two-week topics, with learning outcomes mapped to the UK ISCP breast surgery curriculum, which all UK surgeons are expected to work to. We designate time for background reading and revision, and you will be required to undertake approximately 10 hours of independent study each week, including:

Reading core texts and the latest clinical papers
Discussing an online clinical case with your peers to draw out learning opportunities and evidence-based practice
Completing formative assessments to aid your learning, including multiple choice questions and script concordance tests (SCT). SCTs help you develop your critical thinking.
Constructing a personal management plan for the clinical case to demonstrate your understanding of the topic and develop your decision-making skills.

You will need to demonstrate a minimum of 80% online engagement to receive CPD accreditation for each module. Following adequate online participation and successful completion of a summative assessment covering the 16-week module, you will be awarded 20 credits. If you acquire 60 credits at the end of your first year and decide to leave the course, you’ll finish with a Postgraduate Certificate; 120 credits (6 modules) over two years will earn you a Postgraduate Diploma if you decide to leave. However if you choose to progress to complete your third year with its dissertation module, you’ll earn 180 credits and a Master of Surgery degree.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

All teaching will take place online, using range of teaching techniques, including peer-group (PBL) discussion and specialist formative testing.

Our e-tutors are all highly experienced senior clinicians working both in the UK and internationally, so you will be able to maximise your exposure to global discussions and comparisons of best practice.

Independent Study

You will complete the course in parallel with your clinical duties in breast or plastic surgery. We allocate time for background reading and will provide you with access to the UEA online library to facilitate your evidence-based learning.

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How to apply

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Modules commence in January, May and September. Students will be permitted to select one or two modules that are available at each start point.

Assessment for Year 1

Compulsory Modules

Optional A Modules

(20-40 credits)

APPLIED BASIC SCIENCES AND BENIGN BREAST DISEASE

Code MED-7061E

Credits 20

This module covers Benign Breast Disease and Mastalgia, Family History and Imaging, Congenital and Acquired Breast Anomalies, Nipple Discharge and Breast Infection, Screening and QA Process, Patient Declining Treatment / B3 Lesions and the Lymphatic System

ONCOPLASTIC BREAST CONSERVING SURGERY

Code MED-7062E

Credits 20

This module covers Pre-Operative Decision Making, Local Glandular Displacement, Principles of Mammoplasty, Therapeutic Mammoplasty, Local Pedicle Flaps, Lipomodelling and Breast Symmetrization

INTEGRATED RESEARCH MODULE

Code MED-7065E

Credits 20

The module examines service improvement and innovation and provides the scope and skills for you to undertake an evidence-based service improvement project. At the start of this module you must begin to think about their Research Dissertation. It is your responsibility to find a local Supervisor, who will be the primary contact during the dissertation, to arrange sponsorship, funding and ethics

BREAST AUGMENTATION

Code MED-7068E

Credits 20

This module will provide participants with comprehensive knowledge in all aspects of breast augmentation, including the assessment of patients, consideration of psychosocial issues, informed consent, selection of appropriate devices, optimal peri-operative care, management of post-operative complications and effective addressing of medico-legal issues. Topics will be discussed in depth on-line, analysing the most up-to-date evidence and identifying models of best practice. Participants will develop their decision-making and critical thinking skills, and can compare their learning to expert opinions in the field.

Optional B Modules

(20-40 credits)

MANAGEMENT OF MALIGNANT BREAST DISEASE

Code MED-7063X

Credits 20

This module covers Screening and DCIS, Management of the Axilla, Postmenopausal and Premenopausal Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer in High Risk Patients, Locally Advanced Breast Cancer, Metastatic Breast Cancer

BREAST RECONSTRUCTION

Code MED-7064X

Credits 20

This module covers: Principles of Implant Selection Implant / ADM Immediate and Delayed Reconstruction LD Reconstruction TRAM / DIEP Reconstruction Other Free Flap Reconstruction Options and LN Transfer Secondary Breast Reconstruction Symmetrisation and NAC Reconstruction

MASTOPEXY

Code MED-7069X

Credits 20

This module will provide participants with comprehensive knowledge in all aspects of breast mastopexy surgery, including initial patient assessment, choice of surgical approach, essential elements of informed consent, management of post-operative complications and effective addressing of medico-legal issues. Topics will be discussed in depth on-line, analysing the most up-to-date evidence and identifying models of best practice. Participants will develop their decision-making and critical thinking skills, and can compare their learning to expert opinions in the field.

Optional C Modules

(20-40 credits)

CLINCAL LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Code MED-7066D

Credits 20

This module is about developing candidates as clinical leaders. It covers (TBC) How to write a business case, Innovation and strategy, Personality and leadership, High performance teams, Understanding your organisation, Managing resources and Healthcare economics

BREAST REDUCTION (SPD)

Code MED-7067D

Credits 20

This module will provide participants with comprehensive knowledge in all aspects of breast reduction surgery in female and male patients, including initial patient assessment, choice of surgical approach, essential elements of informed consent, management of post-operative complications including medico-legal issues. Clinical case discussions will cover auto-augmentation, augmentation mastopexy and massive weight loss surgery. Topics will be discussed in depth on-line, analysing the most up-to-date evidence and identifying models of best practice. Participants will develop their decision-making and critical thinking skills, and can compare their learning to expert opinions in the field.

COMPLEX AESTHETIC BREAST SURGERY

Code MED-7098D

Credits 20

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How to apply

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.

PDIP SPECIALIST PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (SPD) - ONCO-AESTHETIC BREAST SURGERY