RCP associate college tutors (ACTs) have an important and key role in supporting their local RCP CT. They do this by:
- acting as the link between resident doctors, the CT and RCP
- providing peer support to, and arranging regular meetings with, their physician resident doctors
- promoting education amongst trainees and supporting professional development and training
- maintaining regular contact with regional RCP resident doctor representatives and attending RCP meetings
- representing and championing the RCP within their trust.
ACTs are professionally responsible to the RCP and the local education and training board (LETB) but are managerially responsible to their trust.
Many trusts and LETBs also produce an ACT role description. Therefore, the RCP role description should be read in conjunction with local documents.
Once appointed, please make sure you contact your local regional office to notify them of your appointment.
ACT role descriptionHow to apply
If you would like to become a college tutor or an associate college tutor in your hospital, please download the RCP role description and express your interest to your college tutor postgraduate medical education department manager.
to find the college tutor in your hospital please contact your local regional office.
Since becoming an RCP associate college tutor in 2024, I have taken the lead on our hospital’s PACES teaching programme. After noticing that many trainees needed extra help with communication and consultation stations, I introduced focused sessions to better prepare them for the exam. I also set up a curriculum-based IMT3 teaching programme to help trainees feel more confident as they move into registrar roles.
On a national level, I represented ACTs on the RCP Next Generation Oversight Group, where I contributed to policy discussions and helped write the survey report identifying the top 10 priorities for resident doctor training. These experiences have helped me grow as a leader, teacher, supervisor and organiser. More importantly, they have allowed me to create useful training opportunities, bring colleagues together and support trainees in a practical way while helping to maintain high standards in postgraduate medical education.
Dr Muhammad Shamsher Ahmed
Associate college tutor
College tutor supporting statement, Dr Leo Khoo
Shamsher has been an outstanding and highly effective ACT, making a significant contribution to our CT team. They have played a pivotal role in developing and delivering our local IMT3 teaching programme and have consistently provided excellent guidance, mentorship and support to newly appointed ACTs. Their experience, leadership and commitment have been instrumental in the success of these initiatives.
Develop your career and gain CPD points
CPD opportunities will support you with progressing through your training programme and demonstrating evidence in teaching and leadership.
The RCP offers a range of one- and two-day in-person and virtual workshops, online courses, and podcasts, to help you develop in your career, meet the requirements of your curriculum and your personal development aspirations.
Explore our range of courses and workshops
ACT abstract competition 2026
The competition is now closed for submissions. Thank you to everyone who applied. We will be in touch in due course to advise you of the outcome of the shortlisting process.
This year we’re offering ACT’s the opportunity to gain national recognition by taking part in an on-site poster competition showcasing local quality improvement (QI), service development, or educational projects delivered whilst in role as an ACT. ACTs wishing to present a poster must submit a 300-word abstract which clearly outlines their project. These abstracts will be reviewed, and shortlisted authors will be invited to develop a poster to present at the conference in Liverpool on Friday 13 November 2026.
Prizes:
- Winner: £200 + in-person medicine 2027 ticket
- Runner up: in-person medicine 2027 ticket.
Competition categories
We invite submissions outlining QI, service development, or educational projects in which you have played an active role in improving practice.
Quality improvement (QI) focuses on systematically enhancing patient care, safety, and outcomes by refining existing healthcare processes. Using structured approaches such as the Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) cycle, QI projects identify gaps in practice, implement targeted changes, and measure their impact over time.
We welcome submissions describing data-driven initiatives that improve educational delivery, clinical efficiency, or patient experience. Projects should demonstrate how practical, iterative changes can lead to meaningful and sustainable improvements in healthcare.
Your 300 word abstract should clearly describe:
- the problem or gap identified
- the aim of the project
- the intervention(s) implemented
- the results and impact
- your specific role and contribution
- key learning points and future recommendations.
Eligibility
ACTs from 2025 and 2026 cohorts are eligible to apply. ACTs who have recently stood down (in the last 9 months) are welcome to apply. There is no limit to the number of entries per person. Joint submissions from multiple ACTs within a trust are welcome, but please be aware only one ACT can present per topic, and prizes would be allocated to the lead ACT. If shortlisted for presentation at the event, the lead author and any ACT co-authors will receive a certificate of recognition for their portfolios.
ACT conference poster competition winners 2025
Each year, ACTs are offered the opportunity to showcase real-time improvements delivered in post. The theme in 2025 was ACT success stories and we were thrilled to shortlist three winners:
- Read Dr Muha Hassan's blog on outpatient training
- Read Dr Hannah Parker and Dr Kieran Hardern's blog on simulation training for IMTs
- Read Dr Dominic Mears' blog on acting up as a registrar.