About the Unit

The Clinical Skills Unit consists of two components;

The Clinical Skills Centre (CSC) - a purpose built facility embedded within Addenbrooke's Hospital. The CSC is the main location for practical and communications skills training within the undergraduate curriculum and houses the offices of the Clinical Skills Unit manager, the Clinical Skills Tutor and their support staff.

The Clinical & Communication Skills (CCS) Office - responsible for organising the CCS course which runs as a vertical strand throughout the Clinical School curriculum. The overall aim of this strand is to provide students with a thorough grounding in the skills of medical interviewing.The Cambridge Clinical School has pioneered the development of a unique model of teaching medical interviewing skills involving integration of communication skills teaching with 'traditional' clinical method teaching known as the comprehensive clinical method.

Mission Statement

The CSC is a dedicated and purpose built facility primarily for the development of clinical medical students and doctor's in training. The centre provides a safe environment for the teaching and learning of clinical and communication skills where students can practise prior to performing skills on patients.

The Centre will provide additional resource and training to complement actual bedside and clinic based teaching to support doctors in training and ultimately improve the care that Addenbrooke's and Cambridge trained doctors give to patients.

The Centre aims to both ensure the quality of clinical teaching, learning opportunities and ensure the development of appropriate clinical competencies in medical students and doctors in training. The CSU staff, in collaboration with attachment directors will facilitate the delivery and co-ordination of learning events within the Skills Centre.

Objectives

• To initiate and develop the teaching of basic practical clinical
  skills to students in a safe and structured environment by reinforcing the existing bedside and clinical learning
• To support the transition of the student's clinical skills learning
  from the simulated training environment to the clinical area

• To provide a facility for the structured assessment of clinical
  skills and other competencies including continuing accreditation

• To ensure that the student receives uniform teaching opportunities
  whilst on clinical attachment to a local district hospital by working with local trainers and sharing educational resources

• To integrate the learning of practical clinical skills with the
  skills of communication and team working - enabling the patient's experience of the clinical encounter to remain central to a student's clinical skill development

• To promote clinical teacher development and enable research into
  medical education and assessment methods.