Search “free teach the teacher course” and you’ll find webinars, NHS study days and YouTube playlists promising to teach you how to teach. Some are genuinely useful. But if your goal is a teaching point on an IMT or ST3 application — or a credential you can put in your portfolio — “free” often costs you more than it saves. Here’s an honest comparison for doctors deciding between free and paid teach-the-teacher courses.
What free teach the teacher courses actually give you
Free options usually fall into three buckets: short NHS or deanery teaching sessions, free webinars from training companies (often a sales funnel for a paid product), and self-directed content like videos and blog posts. All can build awareness of teaching principles. What they rarely provide is the combination an application assessor wants to see: depth, CPD accreditation, and a certificate that evidences a structured course.
The hidden costs of “free”
- No accredited certificate. Without a formal certificate of completion, you may have learned something but have nothing to attach to your portfolio.
- Shallow coverage. A one-hour webinar can’t cover adult learning theory, feedback models, lesson planning and multiple teaching settings the way a full course does.
- Fixed dates. Free study days run when they run — rarely when your rota allows.
- Your time. Hours spent on fragmented free content can exceed the time to complete one structured course, with less to show for it.
Why this matters for IMT and ST3 scoring
Application frameworks reward training in teaching, evidenced by a recognised, ideally CPD-accredited course — not informal learning. A free webinar without a certificate generally won’t score the teaching point, however good it was. (For the full picture, see our guide to teaching points for IMT and ST3 applications.)
Free vs paid: side by side
| Factor | Free options | Paid accredited course |
|---|---|---|
| Depth of content | Usually shallow / fragmented | Full syllabus (12+ hours) |
| CPD accreditation | Rare | Yes |
| Certificate for portfolio | Often none | Formal certificate |
| Scores application point | Usually no | Yes (entry tier) |
| Flexibility | Fixed dates / scattered | Self-paced online |
| Cost | £0 | A fraction of classroom (£390+) |
When free is the right choice
If you simply want to become a better teacher and aren’t chasing application points, free resources are a fine place to start — deanery sessions, reputable webinars and books will all help. Be honest about the goal: learning for its own sake, or evidence for an application. They need different things.
The middle ground: affordable, accredited, online
You don’t have to choose between “free but won’t score” and “£390 classroom course you can’t fit in”. An online, CPD-accredited teach the teacher course for doctors gives you the full syllabus and the certificate, self-paced, — built by doctors for doctors. It also bundles a live interactive session, so you get classroom-style practice without the classroom logistics.
Bottom line
Use free resources to learn the basics if you like. But if you need a teaching point on your IMT or ST3 application, a recognised, accredited course is the dependable route — and online options have made it affordable enough that “free” is rarely the smart trade.
Want the accredited route without the classroom price tag? See the Teach the Teacher course for doctors.
