The true skill and speciality of a General Practitioner is in how we communicate efficiently and empathically with patients to generate diagnoses and patient-centred management plans.
Developing these skills takes practice and experience, but also a good grounding in the theory and established research around “how to consult”. The Consultation Skills Course is designed to help trainees move from hopsital-style clerking to more nuanced and patient-centred style of consultation, to prepare trainees for both their MRCGP examinations, as well as their future careers.
ST2 Consultation Skills Course
The Consultation Skills Course usually takes place during the GP or ‘GP Plus’ post placement and runs along side the ST2 Education sessions at the education centre. The sessions are arranged and delivered by Dr Julian Tomkinson.
If you are an ST2 in a GP or GP+ post, you will be allocated to either the February or August start. The course is repeated each year so that everyone can attend.
Session Times for September 2023 – January 2024 Cohort
| Date | Time | Location (Education Centre) |
| 19th September | 1400-1700 | SR1 |
| 3rd October | 1400-1700 | LT |
| 17th October | 1400-1700 | LT |
| 31st October | 1400-1700 | LT |
| 14th November | 1400-1700 | LT |
| 5th Dec | 1400-1700 | LT |
| 19th Dec | 1400-1700 | SR1 |
| 16th Jan | 1400-1700 | LT |
| 30th Jan | 1400-1700 | LT |
TALC
We very much recommend supplementing the course with TALC.
TALC stands for Teaching and Learning Consultation Skills and is an entire programme designed for those who consult with patients. It is developed by the Greater Manchester Training Hub and led by experts in GP Training.
Consultation Skills Resources
Page last reviewed: 12 September, 2023