Jocelyn Pryce, IBMS Deputy Head of Education, gives an overview of the complimentary education and CPD sessions at Congress.
As Congress approaches and excitement builds, here is Part One of our Here to Help Congress special. This month and next we will highlight the talks and workshops that are available for those of you attending the Hall 4 seminar programme, which is free, as is the trade exhibition.
I am proud to say that the education programme and exhibition hall talks have been designed and developed to support those involved in all aspects of training, including candidates on our various qualifications, training officers, verifiers and examiners.
On Monday 23 September, we will be myth-busting; trying to debunk the various misconceptions and falsehoods that have grown around the registration portfolio, training, verifying and much, much more. Please do come along and test your knowledge. This will be useful to anyone involved in training.
On Tuesday 24 September, we have a talk on honing study skills; where candidates will get tips on how to approach studying, writing at the appropriate level and other things besides. This will be particularly useful if you have been out of education for some time.
Distance learning and e-learning pose challenges of their own, so we will be putting studying at a distance under the spotlight, discussing the pros and cons and offering ways to overcome some of the hurdles of studying in this way, enabling you to get the most out of this increasingly popular way of learning.
On that afternoon, we will be hosting a mentoring and coaching workshop that will explore the difference between the two roles. Both are important support interventions but they are often described incorrectly and used interchangeably. This workshop will be particularly useful for those supporting candidates undertaking our qualifications, most of which are underpinned by self-directed learning.
On Wednesday 25 September, we are hosting a mini verifiers training event. We are looking to run a shortened version of the training days we run regularly elsewhere, giving delegates the opportunity to attend a training event that will enable you, providing you meet the other criteria, to become a verifier.
We have seen a large increase in the number of requests for verifications, so we are always keen to encourage new verifiers to join our pool.
Being at the biggest CPD event in the biomedical science calendar means that it would be remiss not to talk about CPD. We are going to look at what CPD is and how you can find CPD in almost any activity you undertake. We’ll look at common excuses and how to turn those negatives to positives by changing mindsets. The talk will appeal to individuals, trainers, CPD officers and managers alike, as it will broaden horizons about the perception of CPD and look at ways to make undertaking CPD virtually painless. Many people struggle with reflecting on their practice and this talk will look at the value of becoming more proficient at reflective thought and writing.
Next month we will be unveiling more of the talks planned for Hall 4, so be sure to read August’s issue. The latest information can be found on the IBMS Congress website – congress.ibms.org
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