Faculty FAQs

Am I eligible?

You can become a faculty member at any point in your career from Core Training level. Each course has its own requirements: please click here to see the criteria. You must be in good standing with the GMC or other appropriate regulatory body.

How do I apply?

Please submit an application form to edufaculty@rcseng.ac.uk. Make sure you meet the eligibility requirements before applying and send a CV only where specified on the application form.

What counts as a ‘teaching skills course’?

A course where you learn some education theory and get practical tips for improving your teaching. We accept a wide variety of teaching skills/pedagogical courses including, but not limited to, Training the Trainers (from any institution), GIC, ATLS Instructor, PGCert in Medical Education. Courses for educational supervisors (e.g. TrACE, TAIP) are not considered equivalent.

What happens after I send my application form in?

If we accept your application, you will need to sign policy documents relating to your new role as a volunteer for RCS. Then you’ll be invited to teach as an instructor candidate. The course director will observe you working with participants and give you feedback on your performance. 

Where can I find more information on the process of becoming faculty?

Become faculty

ATLS Instructor 

I taught the course a few years ago. Why do I have to teach as an instructor candidate? 

Faculty status is valid for two years. We believe that it is crucial for faculty to be up-to-date with course content, and if you’ve not taught for a couple of years, you may have missed important content changes. Teaching as an instructor candidate means you are supernumerary, so if something’s new to you, you can take a step back and watch experienced faculty. You will also get feedback from the course director to help guide you. 

Will I get paid?

All our faculty are volunteers and do not get paid for teaching. Reasonable expenses will be reimbursed if you are teaching at a Partner centre; if you are teaching at a Regional or International centre, please check their local expenses policy.

Can I be faculty for different courses?

Yes. You can teach as many courses as you have time for, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements. You can apply for multiple courses at once, or you can start with one course and apply again at a later time for any further courses.

What’s the time commitment? 

Ideally, you’ll teach at least once a year in order to stay up-to-date with the course. At a minimum, you must teach every two years to maintain your faculty status. If you teach on different courses (e.g. BSS and SSS), you need to teach at least once every two years on each course. Please consider the length of the course before committing – if you want to teach on CSES, for example, you need to be available for all three days of the course.

If you want to teach more than once a year, there are plenty of opportunities. Look out for our invitations!

Where can I teach?

It depends on the course. Most courses run at RCS and many are run across the UK at regional centres. Cadaveric courses are held in Brighton. We also have international centres in such diverse places as Malaysia and Norway. Smaller courses have limited availability, but if you’re keen, we’ll find space for you.

I’m based in the UK – how can I teach overseas?

There are two ways for registered faculty to teach overseas: 

1. You can contact international centres yourself and let them know you’re available (coordinator details can be found on our website by clicking the booking details button next to a course on the course page). It is then up to the individual centre to invite you if they want. 

2. We occasionally ask for UK faculty to help with opening a new international centre. This involves training local faculty and then supporting them to deliver their first course. To join one of our new centre teams, you need to be extremely experienced in the courses you will be setting up. Look out for notices in the faculty newsletter, or you can express your interest by emailing edufaculty@rcseng.ac.uk.   

I’m not based in the UK – can I still teach for RCS?

We welcome faculty from across the globe. If you are based outside the UK, you may be able to teach at an international centre: please contact us to find out if there is one near you.

You are also welcome to come to the UK to teach, but you will need to pay for any travel and accommodation beyond what we would normally pay for UK faculty. Contact us at edufaculty@rcseng.ac.uk to discuss your options.

Can I earn CPD points for teaching?

Preparing for and teaching on a course for the first time is usually eligible. Repeated teaching on the same course does not usually merit CPD points, but you may be able to negotiate some points for updating to a new edition. All points should be claimed with the agreement of your appraiser. Please see our guidance for further information.

How do I get a certificate to prove I’ve taught?

Login to your RCS account at www.rcseng.ac.uk, go to ‘Course Faculty History’ and download / print your certificate.

As an RCS England faculty member, you can access a range of exclusive discounts and offers on our world class courses, including:

• Introduction to Human Factors e-learning – 60%
• PGCert research methodology e-learning – 30%
• Excellence in Surgical Supervision – 20%
• Intermediate Skills in Laparoscopic Surgery – 20%
• CCrISP Instructor – 20%
• Damage Control Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery – 20%
• ATLS Provider – 10%
• ATNC Provider – 10%
• ATLS Reverification – 10%
• Definitive Surgical Trauma Skills – 10%
• Pre-Hospital& Emergency Department Resuscitative Thoracotomy – 10%
• Training the Trainers – 10%

Why am I being asked to complete an evaluation?

We are always working towards best practices on our courses. Faculty provide us with crucial feedback, such as how up-to-date content and materials are. We look at your comments alongside reviews from participants to determine the direction of the course and how to improve it. 

How do I give RCS feedback about the course?

There are two ways: you can complete the anonymous online evaluation (you will be sent a link after the course), or you can email us at edufaculty@rcseng.ac.uk. If you complete the evaluation, please give us as many details as you can so that we can follow up. 

What does RCS do with the feedback I give?

We read every evaluation and note any compliments or concerns you raise. We investigate any concerns around clinical safety, while non-urgent issues with content or materials are considered when we next update the course. 
An evaluation report is sent to your course director and coordinator, so any comments you leave about the centre's facilities or running of the course will reach the people who can make a difference. 
The evaluations are anonymous, so if you would like a response, please include your name with your comments and we will get back to you. Alternatively, you can email us at edufaculty@rcseng.ac.uk. 

How do I get feedback about a course I taught on?

An evaluation report is sent to your course director and co-ordinator about six weeks after the course. Your coordinator should forward a copy to you, but if you don’t receive it, please get in touch with them in the first instance. 

How do I become a course director?

Course directors are experienced faculty who have taken responsibility for managing the overall course. To be a course director you need to first be a co-director, and work with an experienced director to find out more about the responsibilities of the role and the potential pitfalls of running the course.

For co-director eligibility criteria, please check the criteria for your course.