The challenge of being a community tutor on the Manchester Medical Undergraduate Degree Programme

The Manchester Medical Undergraduate Degree Programme is extensively delivered by a problem-based method in which community tutors act as a learning resource. Evaluation has continued to reveal that some community tutors find difficulty in working within this role. The aim of the study was to identify how community tutors approach their task of facilitating student learning in order to inform future tutor support and development. A concept map was produced by 20 community tutors who have students from year 3 or 4, and seven concepts were identified: tutor preparation and enthusiasm, skills and knowledge of tutor, time issues, student attitudes, student expectations, practice infrastructure, and nature of learning process. The study highlighted the challenge that community tutors face when trying to facilitate student learning on a programme that uses an extensively learner-centred problem-based method. There is a constant balancing act between the needs of the tutor, the needs of the student and the available resources. It is suggested that any strategy for future community tutor support and development should address the issue of how to balance these demands.