Personal Excellence Path

The Personal Excellence Path (PEP) is a unique feature of the MBChB programme at Manchester Medical School. PEP provides medical students with a flexible framework of modules between Years 1 to 4, in which they can focus on specialised topics of study. The PEP modules equip students with the necessary investigative and analytical skills required in modern medicine, complementing the broader MBChB curriculum. Students may pursue a specialism in a single theme throughout their PEP, or alternatively, explore modules linked to a range of themes. Students may choose to study modules from themes within or beyond the field of medicine such as ethics and law or include a broader interdisciplinary focus, for example, applied social science or humanities.

PEP allows students to:

• Access expert tuition in a variety of medical and non-medical areas
• Develop scholarly and critical skills in investigation and analysis
• Develop an understanding of disciplinary knowledge outside of but relevant to medicine
• Engage in teamwork to develop communication and project skills
• Develop skills in the use of applied research methods (qualitative and quantitative)
• Explore a range of topics or specialise in one
• Understand Quality Improvement and Audit in today’s social and health care environment

What value does PEP offer students?

PEP provides a structured set of learning outcomes that underpin a range of specialist study options. These outcomes focus on the development of a range of academic and scholarly skills which link directly to the Tomorrow’s Doctors 2009 requirements.

By combining these core skills with opportunities to learn from leading clinical and academic experts, PEP pulls together the best skills and expertise from across the School of Medicine, University and NHS. Direct input from experienced academics, specialist library staff and expert clinicians ensures PEP provides Manchester graduates with an advantageous lead in their future careers.

Students progress through a series of PEP modules, which will include a Preliminary module in Year 1, a Group Module in Year 2, Quality and Evidence modules in Year 3 and an Applied Module in Year 4.

In Year 1, the Preliminary PEP involves learning essential academic skills that underpin all future study themes. At the same time, students are supported in considering the choices available to them in future PEP modules.

The Preliminary PEP requires students to research and produce a comprehensive literature review on a specific topic. The process is supported by a supervisor and students produce a written report, which is assessed.

In Year 2 students employ collaborative working skills to produce a group poster, formatively assessed by peer review, and a presentation, which is assessed by examiners from different areas of medicine, health and life sciences.

In Year 3, the Quality and Evidence PEP focuses on the process and implementation of Quality Improvement. These modules aim to improve the understanding of processes (for example clinical governance) and audit tools as part of a Quality Improvement cycle in a medical environment.

In Year 4, the Applied PEP is a single module, in which students design and conduct a novel audit or research project, approved and mentored by their chosen supervisor. Students are independently assessed on their project report and presentation.

A key principle of PEP is the provision for students to select related modules in order to construct a themed path in a chosen topic or specialism. This is achieved through the use of themes. Each module will have a number of ‘topics’ attached to it in order for students to self-prescribe a path through the years, should they so wish. In order to achieve this, each of the PEP modules on offer will be identified or aligned with two PEP Themes.

The two PEP Themes are:

• Vocation: The broad career areas that a student might use to align to a given career path. These are based on the Royal Colleges and medical specialities, with an additional Non Clinical option for any modules that are truly unrelated to any Clinical area.
• Context: The context of a PEP specifies the topic and setting in which it is based. This may be a medical subject or topic that a module encompasses. This allows students to define their choices through a particular subject, or related subjects. For those modules outside the medical domain, this theme also includes the schools or institutes to which the Module relates.

As an example, a student may choose to focus their PEP on the subject of Global Health, in the vocation of Emergency Medicine. From their selections, they would see that an available context would be the Humanitarian and Conflict Response group. They may then choose, in proceeding modules, to follow other study options available within this context, such as Disaster Management and Response, or Health Policy.

The responsibility is with the student to choose and organise their PEP modules with relevant academic support. Whichever direction is chosen, the quality of the educational experiences, the academic level and access to opportunities will remain consistent. To support decision making, students will receive appropriate advice from academic staff and will have access to peer support.

• 2011 - Year 1
• 2012 - Years 1 and 2
• 2013 - Years 1,2 and 3
• 2014 - Years 1,2,3 and 4

If you have any questions about the PEP and what it means for you, please email:

• pep@manchester.ac.uk