Stepping into a consultant post brings new responsibilities, expectations and influence. Starting strong as a new consultant is a practical, interactive 1‑day workshop designed to support doctors as they make this pivotal transition in their career.
Whether you are about to take up your first consultant post or have recently been appointed, this course provides a structured opportunity to reflect on the consultant role, explore common challenges, and develop the skills and confidence needed to lead effectively.
You will work alongside peers to share experiences, consider real world scenarios, and reflect on the kind of consultant you want to be. By the end of the day, you will feel better equipped to lead and support your team and to contribute meaningfully at a strategic level within your organisation.
What will you learn?
During the workshop, you will:
- Explore the key traits of the consultant role, including your professional power and influence
- Reflect on how to build effective teams and reduce or manage conflict
- Learn how to create and sustain safe learning cultures for yourself and your team
- Identify the starting points for service development and managing change
- Develop leadership skills to help you identify and prioritise responsibilities
- Discuss essential knowledge areas, including job planning, appraisal and revalidation, and dealing with complaints.
This workshop provides a high‑level summary of the consultant role rather than an in‑depth exploration, highlighting the key considerations for new consultants. For those seeking a deeper dive, we recommend the Six-step programme for the new consultant.
This workshop is approved for 6 external CPD credits.
This programme is suitable for:
- Doctors considering taking on a consultant role
- Newly appointed consultants.
This event is delivered on regular dates throughout the year. You can join us in-person at the RCP venue in London (RCP Regent’s Park), or Liverpool (RCP at the Spine), or join a virtual classroom session and attend online from the comfort of your own home or office. We are increasingly delivering our most popular workshops in regional centres as well. So keep an eye on all available dates and locations via the booking links at the bottom of the page.
We offer significant discounts to RCP Members on all our education activities. Non-members are always welcome, but we encourage you to join the RCP, whatever your grade or specialty, to benefit from great-value professional development opportunities. Find out more about membership.
Click on your chosen event below to see the full rate options. Resident members will pay slightly less than consultant members, and our virtual classroom events are priced lower than in-person sessions to ensure professional development is accessible and affordable to everyone. You must be logged in as an RCP Member to be eligible for the membership rates.
Flexible payment plans for higher value in-depth programmes can be arranged, and we can directly invoice employers with the appropriate authorisation. Please contact education.courses@rcp.ac.uk if you have any queries about fees or payments.
Our experienced medical educationalists work collaboratively to co-design programmes with senior clinicians who are active in hospitals throughout the UK. This ensures our courses remain relevant and respond to the changing needs of the clinical workforce, enabling high quality patient-centred care.
This unique partnership approach is key to the value and success of our programmes both in the UK and internationally. Each course combines on-the-ground experience and professional knowledge of medical practice in the NHS, alongside educational theory, teaching and practical skills, designed for every stage of your career.
This workshop is also available on a commissioned basis. Please contact us to discuss the RCP delivering this event exclusively for your doctors and healthcare teams, delivered in-person at your workplace, at the RCP sites in London or Liverpool, or in a virtual classroom.
To discuss your specific requirements and how the RCP can work with you, please give us a call on (0)20 3075 1555 or email consultancy@rcp.ac.uk
Further information about commissioned programmes from the RCP.
