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Master of Podiatric Surgery (Advanced Clinical Practice Apprenticeship)

2023-24 (also available for 2024-25)

How to apply
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Start date

18 September 2023

Duration

3 years part-time

Places available (subject to change)

15

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About the course

Reasons to study

  1. You will be taught by practising podiatric surgeons meaning you will learn the very latest practice and techniques.
  2. It offers you the opportunity to work in a surgical unit, meaning you will benefit from real-world experience with your practice-based learning.
  3. This course is the first in England to lead to eligibility to apply for annotation by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a podiatrist practising podiatric surgery. 

Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs) are a relatively new career pathway in heath provision. Trainee ACPs can be from a variety of multi-professional backgrounds bringing with them a wealth of clinical experience. ACPs are part of Government plans to modernise and transform the health service and will help to meet ongoing changes and challenges of the NHS, including increasing service provision to meet the needs of patients in a variety of clinical settings. Advanced practice in all fields requires expert clinical, leadership and education skills underpinned by high quality research and evidence base to support practice developments. The course challenges the depth and breadth of your knowledge and supports you to demonstrate a high level of practice so you can function at the leading edge of advanced practice. Podiatric surgery is a specialist area of advanced clinical practice for podiatrists.

The Master of Podiatry Surgery (ACP) apprenticeship course provides the opportunity for experienced registered Podiatrists to gain 180 FHEQ level 7 credits while undertaking their podiatric surgery training. It is designed to provide those who are working as ACP apprentices, with an opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, behaviours and values required to meet the Institute for Apprenticeships Advanced Clinical Practice Standard and for an Advanced Clinical Practitioner role as part of the health and social care workforce.

  • This course is the first in England to lead to eligibility to apply for annotation by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a podiatrist practising podiatric surgery.
  • It offers those who have already studied the Theory of Podiatric Surgery MSc an opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge allowing them to practise in this specialist area.
  • The course incorporates the College of Podiatry fellowship training programme.
  • It is supported by tutors from the College of Podiatry faculty of podiatric surgery.
  • It contains a large placement element consisting of 600 hours per year, providing you with an opportunity to experience real-world scenarios prior to qualifying.
  • You will be taught by academics who are all practising clinicians within podiatric practice.

Through utilising up-to date research evidence, policy documents and a wide range of clinical experience, you will be assisted to further update and develop your clinical practice.

If you’re thinking of studying an apprenticeship course or are an employer looking for an apprenticeship for your employees, you’ll also find useful information on our Degree Apprenticeship webpages.

Course detail

Podiatric Surgical Assessment and Diagnosis

This module will focus on pre-operative care in podiatric surgery and will incorporate theoretical principles of podiatric surgical assessment and diagnosis into your clinical practice. It will explore the links between systemic disease processes and possible perioperative complications focusing on the optimisation of these conditions prior to considering surgical intervention.

Podiatric Surgical Treatment Planning

Your understanding of the principles of podiatric surgical techniques will be expanded. You will explore the importance of early recognition of post-operative complications and appropriate first line management. Your knowledge of surgical procedures, techniques and underlying surgical principles will also be developed. Learning will take place primarily through work-based reflective practice but also via a series of key lectures and practical demonstrations.

Year two

Communication and Consent in Podiatric Surgery

You will develop your existing knowledge and skills in communication related to the challenges of podiatric surgery. You will broaden your knowledge of the theoretical and practical aspects of effective communication in your practice. You will explore service user views and needs about podiatric surgery and the impact of your practice has on service users.

Evaluating Podiatric Surgical Practice

You will focus on evaluating your practice in podiatric surgery through design and implementation of a project. In this module you will be supported to develop your understanding of evidence-based practice. You will study the critical appraisal of a variety of aspects of published research in practice settings and will consider the utilisation of outcome measures to evaluate surgical practice.

Year three

Developing Podiatric Surgical Practice (Advanced Clinical Practitioner Apprenticeship)

You will demonstrate that you adhere to the principles that underpin safe surgical practice. This module allows you to focus on the progress you have made in your surgical training post by exploring your surgical activity and focusing on the new procedures you have performed, as well as your management of post-operative complications. You will critically reflect on your surgical practice and learning. Learning will take place via reflective-work based learning activities, lectures and practical workshops.

Podiatric Surgery in Practice (Advanced Clinical Practitioner Apprenticeship)

You will demonstrate that you have met the required standard to work as a podiatrist practising podiatric surgery. This module will ensure that you are a safe, competent, reflective and effective practitioner who meets the HCPC standards of proficiency for podiatric surgery. You will show that you can manage surgical cases through all stages of surgery including, pre-, peri -and post- operative. You will display an ability to critically evaluate your own practice and establish that you have sound clinical judgement, as well as problem solving skills.

Advanced Podiatric Surgery End Point Assessment

This module will focus on the End Point Assessment (EPA) of the Advanced Clinical Practice apprenticeship. The module is designed to provide independent synoptic assessment of the knowledge, skills and behaviours of the apprenticeship standard. Apprentices will explore their own knowledge, skills and behaviours across the Advanced Clinical Practitioner apprenticeship standard.

Entry requirements

You must:

  • have an MSc in Theory of Podiatric Surgery or an equivalent qualification.
  • be registered as a Podiatrist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and annotated in Prescription only Medicines – Sale/supply (POMS-S) and Prescription only Medicines – Administration (POMS-A).

The University also requires applicants to have achieved GCSE English Language or English Literature and Maths at grade 4 or above, or grade C or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme, or Level 2 Functional Skills in Maths and English.

You also need satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and Occupational Health Clearances prior to registration on the course. These will be provided by your employer and checked by our admissions team.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our Where are you from information pages.

Placements

The course contains a large work-based learning element consisting of 600 hours per year. The College of Podiatry faculty of podiatric surgery will help to facilitate this work-based learning. The work-based learning will take place in your place of work as a surgical ACP apprentice on a podiatric surgery unit, though you would also do a series of rotations in other departments and in other podiatric surgery units

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

A wide range of resources are also offered within the School of Human and Health Sciences, which provides you with support in a variety of areas. These include:

Student Hub: a one stop shop for students, studying within the School. Their services include offering advice on extenuating circumstances, extension requests, course progression, suspension and welfare support, organising appointments with academic staff and signposting to other support networks.

Academic Skills Development Team: support students to develop their academic skills and build their confidence in order to improve their grades. The team provide support with academic skills including essay writing, being critical, reflective writing, numeracy, research skills, presentations and group work skills; as well as personal development for example time management.

Learning Technology Support Unit: helps students with any problems they experience with the University’s Brightspace Learning System, including logging on or difficulties experienced when accessing and using modules, and with the PebblePad platform, which is used by students when they go out on placements.

Support services will also be available from your employer.

Important information

When you enrol as an apprentice learner of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and our disciplinary procedure. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as an apprentice. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons:

Changes to a course you have applied for but not yet started

If we propose to make a major change to an apprenticeship course that you have applied for, then we will tell you and your employer as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.

Although we always try and run all the courses we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or delay your course start date if we consider this reasonably necessary, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you and your employer as soon as reasonably possible. In such instances, we will work with you and your employer to agree a deferred start date, or cancel your application and, if appropriate, provide information regarding other local apprenticeship providers.

Changes to your course after you enrol as an apprentice

We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that materially changes the services available to you, or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days, classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.

For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the requirements of an updated version of the apprenticeship standard relevant to your course; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you and your employer as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered or claiming an interim award and exiting the University.

If a major change affects your course, we will notify you and your employer as soon as possible and will carry out suitable consultation with affected apprentices. If you and your employer reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment we will work with both of you to try to find an appropriate solution. Where one cannot be found we will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring your remaining apprenticeship learning to another training provider if you and your employer wish to do so.

Termination of employment

As your employer is funding your apprenticeship course, you must remain in relevant employment for the duration of the course until you have completed your end point assessment. Under the apprenticeship rules, if you are made redundant and you have completed 75% of the practical period or have less than 6 months left, then you may complete the course. Otherwise, unless you find alternative relevant employment within 12 weeks of the date you are made redundant, then you will be withdrawn from the course.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University. The ESFA is the principal regulator for your apprenticeship course.

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