PG DIPLOMA PROGRAMME (REMOTE LEARNING)

[Key words: 

Pg Dip: Postgraduate Diploma

MSc: Masters]

 

 

1. REMOTE LEARNING – PROS AND CONS

2. WHY I CHOSE LEARNA

3. MY EXPERIENCE

 

 

 

1. REMOTE LEARNING

PRO’S:

• More flexible schedules and can complete assignments at your own pace
• Comfort of home (you can study and complete tasks in pyjamas) 
• Save money on accomodation and transport (Overall expenses are low)
• Needs a very basic knowledge in operating the website in order submit your work (Don’t have to be tech savvy)
•  Can be done while working or preparing for exams

 

What appealed to me the most was the flexible hours as I am preparing for my PLAB 2 exams side by side and the affordability compared to an offline/in-person course.

 

CON’S:

• No face to face lectures
• Lack of social conversation
• Time differences, especially for international students
• Hard to concentrate 
• Format isn’t well suited for all students (Entirely self-directed learning)

 

I prefer face to face lectures as they motivate me more to study. I lose concentration easily and procrastinate a lot due to the flexibility.

 

  

 

2. WHY I CHOSE LEARNA?

 

• Learna has over 10 years experience in delivering online courses 
• Offers a wide variety of choices: Health care EMBA, Postgraduate diploma, MSc, Masterclass, JCCP FTA and multiple CPD courses
• Even within each course it has a wide range of subjects that you can choose of your choice (Acute medicine, nephrology, dermatology, reproductive health care, cardiology, psychiatry and many more) from reputed universities
• Great flexibility
• An affordable price (Value for money)
• The course is open to multiple fields of practice (GPs, Practice Nurses, Specialist Nurses and Pharmacists)
• High rate of being accepted into the course
• You will be supported throughout your studies by a committed team of internationally recognised educational experts

 

 

3. MY EXPERIENCE

 

Why I applied Learna:

 

• To help build my CV (it adds two points according to https://www.imtrecruitment.org.uk/recruitment-process/applying/application-scoring)

• I loved the fact that it is flexible as I am preparing for my exams at the comfort of my home. 

• It is also very affordable (£4980 for PG Dip Dermatology and £8880 for Masters) when compared to the standard Postgraduate Diploma or Masters offline/in-person dermatology course in the UK (£25000-28000 pounds for a year).

 

Documents required:

 

• A copy of your updated CV including your address and date of birth 
• A copy of your undergraduate degree certificate
• The name and email address of someone who is able to provide a reference, this can be a work colleague, employer or former tutor
• A detailed personal statement explaining why you would like to undertake the course
• A copy of your proof of English competency

 

  

How it works:

 

• There are a total of 6 modules in Pg Dip course (1 year) and 2 modules in the MSc course (another 1 year). You can do these courses separately one after the other. 

• The six modules in Pg Dip course (which I am doing currently) have the same assessment format and for all modules you will be assigned a dedicated expert tutor. Your tutor will then facilitate case discussions with the group, whilst monitoring, assessing and marking your work throughout. You will also participate in a combination of module activities that may be group and/or individual based, dependent on the module. 

• There will be an academic forum where the tutor will initiate case discussions on various topics. You will have to individually surf through published articles, reviews, books, websites, etc and come up with solutions to the questions asked with proper referencing. The tutor will then go through the answers and give their input. So, it is completely self directed approach without any spoon feeding. Do understand that there are no videos or lectures offered. 

• At the end of each week you will have to write a reflective journal (a feedback about the week) in about 300 words.

• There will be an end of module test with 30 multiple choice questions which needs to be answered within one hour and a module activity (essay, poster etc.).

• This is how you will be graded:

Academic Forum	40%
Reflective Portfolio	10%
Module Assignment(s)	20% (for a group OR individual activity)
Exam	30%

 

My experience so far:

 

• Its been around one month since I have started my course. Like I mentioned before, I am enjoying the flexibility to do the course at my own pace . Don’t mistaken there are deadlines that you need to meet, you have to submit your work by every Sunday but I find it easier to accommodate time by completing everything over the weekends. The tutors are very knowledgeable and encourage a detailed discussion on every topic. 

• Initially, I found it difficult to adjust to the learning environment. Searching answers from authentic resources, avoiding plagiarism and referencing them perfectly in Harvard style reference. I used to take a lot of time to finish the assignments. Now, I have improved and am able to swiftly finish everything by spending approximately 1-2 hours a day. 

• I definitely recommend this platform for those who seek an affordable yet good quality education via distance learning to get a better grasp and update their knowledge in the subject of interest.