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General Paediatrics: Essentials for New Doctors

Enhance your paediatric care proficiency and navigate your general paediatrics practice with confidence.

Female doctor with toddler patient

General Paediatrics: Essentials for New Doctors

  • 3 weeks

  • 3 hours per week

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Intermediate level

Find out more about how to join this course

  • Duration

    3 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours
  • 100% online

    How it works
  • Unlimited subscription

    $244.99 for a whole yearLearn more

Strengthen your paediatric skills and bolster your confidence

Establish your position in the world of general paediatrics, a crucial field ensuring the health and safety of young patients. This rigorous three-week course is designed for new doctors and healthcare professionals looking to strengthen their foundation in paediatric care.

Establish core paediatric clinical competencies

Embark your paediatric journey by establishing core clinical competencies. The curriculum provides an in-depth look at paediatric examination techniques, consultation methodologies, and accurate prescribing practices, essential for early-career medical professionals. Solidify your foundational knowledge to effectively navigate paediatric healthcare environments.

Advance in paediatric emergency protocols and life support

Elevate your capability to manage paediatric emergencies through advanced training in emergency protocols and paediatric basic life support. This essential module during week 2 equips you with the knowledge to handle acute physical and mental health crises in children, ensuring you provide critical care when it matters most.

Implement child safeguarding measures

Focus on the implementation of child safeguarding measures, learning to identify and act upon various child welfare concerns. You’ll gain expertise in conducting child protection medical examinations and utilising body maps as tools for safeguarding, crucial for fulfilling your role in protecting vulnerable young patients.

By the end of the course, you’ll be empowered with the expertise to deliver competent and compassionate care in paediatrics, ready to face the challenges of a paediatric department with confidence and skill.

This course bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical paediatric care, preparing you for a fulfilling career in paediatric medicine.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    The Basics

    • Yellow teddy sitting against a white backdrop, syringe and blue medical face mask.

      Week 1 Introduction

      Welcome to week 1 of the course, learn about this course and the educators who put it together

    • Two doctors consulting with child patient.

      Consultation Skills

      How to handle consultations with paediatric patients, listen to examples and reflect on your own practice

    • Doctor examining child patient with a stethoscope.

      Examination Skills

      Explore and learn how best to preform examinations on paediatric patients, considering their age and the three P's (Privacy, Permission and Puberty)

    • Two red and purple blood text tubes on a green surface.

      Clinical Skills

      Tips on performing some key clinical skills on paediatric patients especially in babies

    • Pills spilling out of a medicine bottle against a blue background.

      Prescribing

      Exploring some of the common mistakes in prescribing in paediatrics and practice your calculations in a short quiz

    • Young girl happily playing with a toy stethoscope while sitting on a sofa.

      Summary

      Summary of the week, reflections and looking ahead

  • Week 2

    Protection and Safety

    • Colourful wooden blocks in a row, spelling out 'child'.

      Week 2 Introduction

      Welcome to week 2 of the course based on protection and safety of paediatric patients

    • Boy wearing mustard dungarees, looking at colourful wooden blocks on a floor.

      Safeguarding

      Documentation during examination using body maps specifically for child protection medicals and safeguarding your paediatric patients

    • Two laughing teenagers on a laptop, holding a pen and paper.

      Adolescents

      Considering consent and capacity in adolescent patients and hearing an example of a consultation using the HEEADSSS assessment

    • A girl sitting on the floor, hands and face resting on her knees.

      Mental Health

      Reflecting on paediatric cases on mental health specifically on common conditions such as depression and eating disorders

    • Black and white image of young girl looking sad, holding a notebook.

      Areas Less Commonly Thought About

      In this activity we will look at inclusive language relating to LGBTQ+ healthcare and identity, as well as female genital mutilation. These may be topics you are less familiar with and may not have has much experience with.

    • Image taken high up of a toddler playing in a ball pit.

      Summary

      Summary and reflections of week 2 and looking ahead at week 3

  • Week 3

    Emergencies

    • Colourful doctor's toys.

      Week 3 Intro

      Welcome to the final week of the course on emergencies in paediatrics

    • 2 vials of blood on medical paper.

      Data Interpretation

      Exploring clinical data and interpreting this for paediatric patients with examples to work through

    • IV drip against a grey background.

      Resuscitation

      Performing life support and resuscitation in paediatrics using the WETFLAG tool in emergency situations

    • child wearing white trainers running on grass

      Physical Health

      Work through and reflect on a seizure paediatric scenario and another and explore assessment options

    • A child playing with wooden dinosaur toys on a white table.

      Summary

      End of week 3 summary and reflections with resources to support your paediatrics work

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Apply existing knowledge gained during medical school to the specific context of a UK general paediatrics department.
  • Identify the correct techniques in examining, taking a history and performing procedures from paediatric patients.
  • Reflect upon the appropriate care to be given to vulnerable children and young people by exploring safeguarding, child protection and laws surrounding their care.
  • Practice the ability to safely calculate prescription dosage for paediatric medicine.
  • Describe appropriate emergency care for paediatric patients with mental health and common physical challenges.

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for early-career UK doctors and paediatric specialists, offering key skills for treating children.

It’s suitable for those in training or considering paediatrics; it garners paediatric care expertise and benefits international doctors.

Who will you learn with?

Heidi Lawson

I am a paediatrics ST1 doctor in the Severn deanery with a passion for both paediatrics and medical education.

Laith  Evans

Hi, I'm a paediatric clinical research fellow in London! I've made a course on Future Learn about working as a doctor in paediatrics for the first time to help new starters hit the ground running!

Who developed the course?

St George's logo

St George's, University of London

St George’s is the UK’s only university dedicated to medical and health sciences education, training and research.

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$244.99 for a whole year

Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$54/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 6 Mar 2025

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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