Clinical Training

Year 1

The structure of the programme is such that the first-year Residential Schools act as the candidates initial contact with the concept of supervised clinical training. These face-to-face teaching programmes are very much focused on skill acquisition. Intensive teaching in these skill areas is critical to the success of the candidate as they embark on the Year 1 mixed mode learning that is strongly oriented toward applying what is learned at the clinical interface between patient and practitioner.

Further "at-distance" supervised clinical training is undertaken in the form of collecting clinical data from patient consultations, recording it in a required format and reporting on it to the study supervisor via a series of structured assignments.

Year 2

There are two Residential Schools required during the second year of the course. Candidates are grouped into small study cells of 4-5. Each cell is asked to work as a group in solving clinical problems in an interactive learning environment in addition to consulting patients as a group at the paediatric outpatient clinic. A study supervisor presents each case study and all consultations with patients are fully supervised. A case conference is held at the conclusion of each consultation.

As in the first year, the mixed mode study materials are designed to focus the candidates learning on the patient-practitioner interface and all the assignments are designed to reinforce the process of clinical decision-making.

During the programme of the three years of study, candidates are expected to see an increasing number of paediatric patients in their private practices.  Support for the candidate is provided in the form of a free on-line clinical advisory service. Advice is available to candidates in relation to patient presentations from a number of chiropractors in different countries around the world and a number of medical specialists all of whom are actively engaged in paediatric health care.

Final Exit Examination

At the end of the second year and after the satisfactory completion of all mixed mode learning assignments and the Residential Schools, candidates may undertake their final exit examination. This examination takes the form of an OSCE conducted by a study supervisor. The OSCE is based on one long case and a series of shorter cases. In addition there is a viva voce examination that focuses on the candidates general paediatric knowledge drawn from the entire course.