Educators and the CDU
The CDU provides advice and training for trainers responsible for the professional competence and development of a doctor or dentist in training who has run into difficulty.
Helping a trainee who is in difficulty is often a challenge and requires time. The district clinical tutor or clinical director should be the first point of contact for advice and support.
A trainer who has identified that one of their trainees has significant problems is advised to:
- keep accurate training records
- enlist the help of others in the department, if appropriate
- if possible, create opportunities for personal observation of the trainee.
CDU resources for working with a trainee in difficulty
Helping a Trainee in Difficulty: a guide for educational supervisors is a CDU PDF booklet that sets down three levels of difficulty, allowing you to assess how significant a trainee's problems are. It shows who has responsibility for each level and who else you should involve, with guidance on when it is appropriate to refer to the CDU.
Coaching/mentoring - what the CDU can offer
What to expect from the CDU includes more detailed guidance on the sort of information the CDU will need a trainer to collate in order to work with the CDU
Writing a formal report gives guidance on how to write a formal report on trainee performance, which may be needed if the GMC, GDC, or courts become involved.
Oxford Deanery Helping a Trainee in Difficulty policy
External resources for educators
