Teach the teachers

Who is the workshop for?

This workshop is ideal for clinical educators, educational supervisors, training leads, and both postgraduate and undergraduate clinical tutors. It is also suitable for anyone responsible for teaching, supervising, and assessing healthcare students and professionals, particularly those aiming to integrate empathy into their educational practices. Whether you are teaching in medical schools, healthcare training programs, or clinical settings, this course will enhance your ability to foster empathy in your learners.

Delivery

The workshop is interactive and designed to engage educators in hands-on activities. It will begin with a brief plenary session on the research and evidence behind empathy training, followed by group exercises focused on observing clinical interactions and providing constructive feedback. Through collaborative work, participants will develop and refine their own empathy-focused teaching interventions, gaining confidence in creating environments that promote empathic learning. Educators will also be provided with valuable resources and strategies to continue developing their teaching practices beyond the workshop.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the latest evidence demonstrating how empathy impacts patient outcomes, clinician well-being, and healthcare systems, and its relevance for educators.
• Explore effective methods for assessing and measuring empathy in healthcare trainees during clinical consultations.
• Design practical, time-efficient strategies to teach and assess therapeutic empathy in healthcare students and professionals, even in busy clinical environments.

This workshop aims to equip educators with the knowledge and skills to ensure that empathy remains a key focus throughout the healthcare training journey.

Workshop facilitators

This workshop has been developed by Dr Andy Ward and will be delivered by experienced educators from the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare team, who aim to educate, inspire, and entertain. Find out more about the Centre team.

Cost

We can offer this workshop face to face and online for various group sizes, tailored to your team. To discuss your requirements and for current prices please contact us on empathy@leicester.ac.uk.

Booking details

All available workshops can be booked via the University’s conference and events.

Feedback from previous participants

“Really fantastic, thank you, the group work really helped me think about how to implement what I had learned. Lots of opportunity to ask questions.”

“Brilliant refresh to myself and tips to help resident doctors to improve empathy in daily patient care.”

“All of it was very interesting. And great mix of theory and interactive activities.”

“It was a new thing to me to actually learn ways to teach empathy.”

Who is the course for?

Leaders in healthcare education with an interest in developing, improving and delivering empathy-focussed training in undergraduate and postgraduate curricula.

Delivery

This 3-day face-to-face course will include:

• Keynotes from international leaders in empathic healthcare
• Plenary sessions to discuss general issues in planning, executing, and evaluating of empathic healthcare education
• Interactive small group sessions allowing participants to develop and test empathy training interventions relevant to their setting
• Networking opportunities to encourage free discussion and the establishment of ongoing links.

The course is interactive and most of the course will be conducted in small groups in which participants will be expected to contribute actively to develop and test their own ideas for empathy training. Participants can test and receive expert feedback in simulated teaching scenarios. Plenary sessions will present and discuss general issues in planning, executing, and evaluating empathic healthcare education, and will demonstrate large-group strategies for teaching empathy.

Participants will receive a workbook describing the evidence for empathic healthcare, and exemplars of how it is taught, together with key references. Prior preparation will be provided to enhance the experience of the course.

Learning outcomes

• Explore different educational models for teaching empathy.
• Identify and discuss issues of pedagogy, curriculum design, development and evaluation.
• Enable the embedding of empathic healthcare education within your institution.
• Extend and advance participants’ existing critical appraisal and teaching skills.
• Develop understanding of the components of an effective curriculum for empathic practice.

Course facilitators

This course has been developed by Professor Jeremy Howick and the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare team. Plenaries and small group workshops will be delivered by a range of international experts in the field and experienced educators from the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare team and our collaborators. Find out more about the Centre team.

Cost

The next course is due to run in 2026 and course fees will be confirmed nearer the time.

Booking details

All available courses and workshops can be booked via the University’s conference and events.

Places for this course are limited to increase opportunities for interaction with leading experts, encourage personal development and to allow the co-production of bespoke implementation plans. Early booking is advised.

Feedback from previous participants

“The energy and buzz created by the delegates was amazing, everyone was so keen to learn and share which created a really enthusiastic and safe environment. The plenary talks were brilliant and inspiring and the small group sessions were the perfect way to apply what we had learnt in the sessions before.”

“I thought the group sessions over the days allowed time to get to know each other and share learning really effectively. I also liked having such world-renowned speakers all in one place sharing their expertise. It felt like such a privilege to hear them speak and share their knowledge. I also loved just speaking to whoever I was sitting next to, having really interesting conversations with them and learning more about who they are, their work, their challenges, why empathy matters to them in their role.”

“Participation, learning, interactions, generosity of years of research shared and being continued. So many incredible minds meeting towards  understanding their patients as a whole rather than their parts.”

“It was incredibly inspiring and motivating. I learned so much. I think it will take days to reflect and digest everything I've been immersed in.”