BAUS Education Committee
The BAUS Education Committee (BEC) was established in 2012.
The rationale for establishing the Committee stemmed from the aspirations of BAUS to develop a clear and comprehensive strategy for the identification and support of the educational requirements of clinicians in the practice of urology, medical students with an interest in developing a career in urology and other healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of urological patients in order to support their continuing professional development needs from “cradle to grave”.
BEC acts as the conduit for effective communication and collaboration between the BAUS Specialist Sections, the SACs in Urology and Core Training, the Royal Colleges, medical schools and other providers of urological and generic professional courses and masterclasses to support, drive and encourage relevant, comprehensive and quality educational provision.
The organisation of education within BAUS has evolved over time. BEC took over the mantle of the BAUS Office of Education which aimed to provide high-quality educational activities to trainees, established urologists and all professionals involved in the speciality of urology in the UK. The Office of Education had a Director (appointed by BAUS) but this role has now been replaced by Educational Leads who are responsible for key areas of education / course provision:
BEC also supports the planning, delivery and review of the BAUS Annual Meeting under the direction of the Honorary Secretary and Honorary Secretary Elect who sit on the Committee.
The specialty Sections have become increasingly important in the provision of education and they are all represented. There is also close liaison with the Journal of Clinical Urology (JCU) and the BJU International (BJUI).
The Specialist Advisory Committee (SAC) in Urology, in association with the General Medical Council (GMC), sets the necessary standards to become a qualified urologist in the UK and the Intercollegiate Specialty Board (ICSB) in Urology tests those standards through the FRCS (Urol) examination. The aim of the Education Committee is to ensure adequate teaching is delivered to maintain these standards.
SAC on this site GMC ICSB
The current plans for revalidation have emphasised the importance of the activities of the Education Committee, particularly in relation to the assessment and recording of Continuous Professional Development (CPD).