Are you a resident doctor who enjoys mentoring students on the wards? Or a medical student with an unquenchable thirst to learn? Then maybe a career in medical education (MedEd) could be your calling! I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with two experienced doctor-educators to contribute to this article.

Dr Virshal Rathore is a GP partner who has taught medical students from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Dr Aswin Chari is a neurosurgical trainee with a PhD, holding the role of Academic Clinical Lecturer in Neuroscience at UCL.

 

MedEd is more than just teaching– it’s shaping the future of healthcare. While you may be in the role of a teacher, remember that learning is a two-way street. Dr Rathore shared from her own experiences how the range of students and perspectives she has encountered has undoubtedly broadened her own understanding and knowledge, which has helped her to be a better clinician. MedEd is also not solely clinical; it can also be a rigorous academic discipline. Some doctor-educators have pursued PhDs and subsequently gone on to lecture, inspiring students to enter the research domain. Their work not only supports teaching but also advances scholarship in medicine.

🧐Does Teaching Matter and Is It For Me?

Even outside formal MedEd roles, teaching is an essential part of every doctor’s day-to-day work. As clinicians, you teach patients all the time from expaining diagnoses, helping patients to understand their treatment options, and support informed decision-making. Without this ability, you risk undermining patient autonomy and engagement. In the clinical environment, strong communicators who teach well tend to be more effective doctors overall because the process of explaining complex information enhances their ability to think clearly and empathetically about patient care.

MedEd takes that a step further. Rather than treating patients directly, you help develop tomorrow’s doctors, from guiding their clinical reasoning to introducing them to the world of research, enabling them to grow into competent clinicians. Although structured teaching training is not formally a part of the Medicine degree curriculum, the GMC recognises that teaching is a skill that all doctors must learn and maintain, with formal requirements and training for those who are employed as educators (which the medical school you work at will appoint and provide where necessary).

However, MedEd is not for everyone. Trying to teach without real passion can lead to superficial, unengaging sessions, or worse, misleads. GMC guidance emphasises in their supplementary advice to teaching that these roles should be fulfilled “on the basis of competence, aptitude and the ability to be a good role model rather than experience or clinical training alone”. Teaching is not a mere formality or a simple checklist item, the impact of your actions can ripple through a student’s learning journey and their perspectives.

🏫How to get Started with MedEd?

Both Dr Rathore and Dr Chari were unanimous in their opinion that experience and practically putting yourself in teaching roles is the best way to become a better teacher. Here are some ventures you can have a go at:

  • Informal Teaching during University- Host revision sessions for medical students in the years below you. Some universities have peer systems to help students struggling and societies surrounding revision, which you can help out with and develop your teaching skills.

 

  • Volunteer– Charities such as StreetDoctors gives you the opportunity to teach young people and foster your public speaking skills.

 

  • Courses– Complete accredited teaching courses (HEE, AoME, or university-led); here is a link for a few accredited courses (Our Accredited Courses).

 

  • Intercalation– There are iBSc courses in Medical Education available, including Queen Mary University of London (Barts) and Cardiff University. There is also a masters of Clinical Education (MClinEd) available at the University of East Anglia.

🛤️Pathways into MedEd

There is no single route, but some educationally and academically inclined doctors may undertake these paths to be a part of MedEd (there are not set requirements; each job role will vary with what experience or qualifications are needed):

 

  • Specialised Foundation Programme (SFP)

 

  • Fellowships– Universities usually advertise around Spring time role for Clinical Teaching Fellowships and Academic Clinical Fellowships. They can vary in length, but usually last for at least 1 year and are undertaken after completing your foundation years of training. There are opportunities available at part-time and full-time, with the salary usually being similar to the pay grade you were previously on as a FY2.

 

  • PhD– Dr Chari recommended that a PhD demands a strong commitment and interest in your chosen field, without which can risk burnout and attrition. Prior to his PhD, Dr Chari felt academically “lost” until he got the chance to do research with GOSH on child epilepsy, where his passion for academia was rekindled.

🧑‍🏫Pros & Cons of a MedEd Career

✅Pros:

  • Variety in your professional life– Dr Chari highlighted that pursuing activities beyond clinical responsibilities helps to prevent work from becoming repetitive.

 

  • Highly rewarding– you will be learning too, alongside making a meaningful impact on the future of healthcare and research.

 

  • Opportunities for academic recognition

❌Cons:

  • May require working beyond normal teaching hours (teaching preparation)- you have to be able to manage your time well and be organised.

 

  • Not always well-paid – Dr Rathore advised that those considering a career in teaching should be driven by a genuine desire to educate and inspire, not by monetary incentives.

 

  • Academic & PhD roles can be competitive (if you’re more interested on the academia side in teaching)

💡Takeaway Message

You can complete countless teaching courses or earn advanced qualifications, but without a passion for educating others, you will not have the same impact as those who truly care about teaching. MedEd is not about chasing titles or adding to your CV, it’s about showing up with curiosity, patience, and the willingness to keep improving. Like any clinical skill, great teaching comes with practice, feedback, and experience.

You grow by doing, whether that is explaining things to students on the ward or helping a peer out with their revision session. Importantly, we are currently facing a shortage of trained, dedicated medical educators (especially those who can teach while practicing clinically). If you enjoy teaching and find meaning in helping others grow, the world of MedEd needs you now more than ever.

📚Resources for Further Reading

 

 

 

Reviewed by Dr Vishal Rathore

Dr Vishal Rathore is a GP partner, who has worked within the NHS since 2004. With a lifelong love for teaching, she has been involved in education in various capacities, and has taught medical students from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry within her general practice setting since 2015.

Reviewed by Dr Aswin Chari

Dr Aswin Chari is a neurosurgical trainee with a PhD within the topic of paediatric epilepsy and has a research focus on the various surgical approaches to epilepsy treatment. He also holds the role of Academic Clinical Lecturer in Neuroscience at UCL, where he supervises MRes and Bsc students research projects, alongside delivering lectures on the university’s Master’s programme in Neurosurgery.