GIC | Generic Instructor Course

The APLS Generic Instructor Course (GIC) is an invitation-only program for potential APLS instructors to develop their skills as educators. 

 After being nominated as a potential instructor, the GIC is the next step in the pathway to becoming a full APLS instructor. 

This three day course, led by passionate educators from across the APLS community, aims to support you with a structured approach for teaching and orientation to the APLS instructor community. 

Focused around practical techniques to enhance your skills as facilitators of learning, the GIC explores the teaching modes of: 

  • presentations
  • scenario teaching
  • skills teaching
  • discussion groups
  • assessments
  • and feedback and debriefing techniques

Participants will be given opportunities to develop skills as facilitators through pre-course resources and preparation, simulated practice and peer-to-peer learning.

 

How to register

APLS runs 3-4 GIC courses per year. 

Confirmed dates for 2025 are: 

4-6 March 2025, Melbourne

18-20 June 2025, Melbourne

10-12 September 2025, Melbourne

25-27 November 2025, Melbourne

Please see your invitation email for registration links. 

 

Pre-course

The program comprises 6-8 hours of pre-course preparation. This includes recommended reading including the Pocket Guide to Teaching for Clinical Instructors (a copy of which is provided with your registration), online videos and materials for you to prepare for simulated teaching and assessment sessions. Materials for preparing your simulated teaching and assessment sessions will be allocated to you 8-10 weeks before the face to face program.

 

During the course

Plenary sessions will be aimed at enhancing your pre-course reading and clarifying expectations of you in the small group practice sessions. Facilitation is a dynamic process, so the priority of the program is to give you opportunities to practice. 

During the small group practice sessions, you will deliver or facilitate the following sessions: 

  • a presentation
  • a teaching scenario
  • a skills station
  • a workshop discussion
  • assessment of a candidate on a scenario

Your audience will include instructors and fellow candidates. Instructors will role play a candidate amongst the group you are teaching. Another instructor will provide you with feedback according to the feedback matrices which can be accessed after registration. 

You can see a sample course program here. Any updates to this program will be made available when the materials for your simulated teaching sessions are allocated.

These practice teaching sessions are a way of allowing you to put the principles of good teaching into practice. You will be demonstrating to the faculty that you have understood the principles of learner-centered teaching and are capable of achieving the educational aims of your sessions in the allocated time frame.

Formative assessment throughout the 3 days will be the basis for an invitation to join APLS faculty as an instructor candidate.

 

Course Outcomes

It is anticipated that this interactive program will provide you with:

  • Knowledge of current medical education practices
  • A structured approach to teaching
  • Development of your skills for facilitating small group learning
  • Measures to assess the effectiveness of teaching and learning

 

Post-course Instructor Development

Ongoing support is provided with two full courses as instructor candidates where you will be allocated to co-facilitate sessions with an experienced APLS instructor. Experienced faculty, course coaches and course director will provide feedback. Full APLS instructor status is awarded when instructor candidate courses are complete.



Eligibility

Registration is by invitation only. 

Numbers are limited to 24 per course

 

Course timetable 

Three day course

Day 1: 0830 – 1745 (followed by dinner with faculty and candidates )

Day 2: 0800 – 1730

Day 3: 0800 – 1500

 

Fees

$2400 doctors

$1920 nurse / paramedics