Welcome to all new trainees who have joined us this year for Paediatric training in South London.
The bi-monthly South London Specialty Training Committee (STC) meeting was held on Tuesday 12th September. Here is an update summary of what we discussed and future plans:
Who’s Who in South London?
Training Programme Directors (TPDs) have specific regional responsibilities for trainees. They are in place to ensure training runs well, continues to improve, and to help trainees with specific problems when required. They are all available to contact when needed, but please do ensure you have spoken to your local supervisors and college tutors first.
This is who they are:
Camilla Kingdon: Head of School, ST 6-8 Pan London
Simon Broughton – Sector Lead (South)
Ruth Shephard – ST1-3 TPD
William Barry – ST4-5 TPD
Atefa Hossain – Assessment
Kum Gomez – Faculty Development
Jonathan Round – Quality Assurance
Marilyn McDougall – Simulation
Update News …
RSM Study Days
All dates for 2017-18 are now posted at www.LondonPaediatrics.co.uk
Recruitment – We heard from the trainees committee re. existing and new recruitment strategies under development. Paediatric recruitment remains challenging nationally.
ST1 Induction – established, well received and improving year on year.
ST4 preparedness
ST4 preparedness is always a concern for trainees and trainers. As a group we brainstormed ways to improve ST3 preparation for ST4. Currently training rotations are arranged as: ST1: DGH, ST2-3 Tertiary Hospital Specialities, ST4/5: DGH.
We considered various models of training where trainees might get better opportunities to step up during the ST3 year.
– post rotations could be modified to ensure minimum 6m DGH working in ST3 to allow acting up opportunities. This might require ST1 to only have 6m DGH working. Implications of this were considered. Conversely, trainees considered that a whole year in one place as ST1 can be important for team and confidence building, which is important for self-development and staff retention.
– If ST1-3 rotated August-August, and ST4+ rotated Sep-Sep, this would give 1 month between ST3-4 which could enable shadowing and preparation for senior tier working. Paid shadowing would have cost implications.
We also considered other initiatives that would / do help trainees to prepare for ST4:
– consider a pan-London ST4 induction comparable to the ST1 induction offered in August before new trainees start.
– local induction always benefits from improvement to ensure trainees are given truly practical advice to get them up to speed on the wards. Experiences and ideas for improvement were shared.
– ST3 Transition to leadership course has been accessed by many, receives good feedback and is valuable.
– ST3 full immersion and part-task simulation aims to assist trainees preparing to step up.
– a pan-London ‘top tips’ survival guide for Paediatrics would be useful. Many units have local survival guides.
Hospital Induction
We talked in detail about hospital induction and shared experiences of induction processes around London. Many trusts are trying to minimise corporate induction and expand the practical ‘on the shop floor’ advice given during induction.
New RCPCH Paediatric Curriculum
We discussed the new paediatric curriculum, which is being launched now. Lewisham were involved in the pilot study. A webinar has been provided on the RCPCH website for trainee and trainer use. The new curriculum is welcomed as a refreshing re-focus on trainees and their development.
One of the 2018 Trust Rep and College Tutors days will be dedicated to Shape of Training and the new curriculum; we’ll update you when this has been scheduled.
ARCP
ARCP panels complete this week for summer 2017.
All trust reps, supervisors and college tutors are requested to ensure all trainees prepare thoroughly for ARCP; many people fail to gain outcome 1 at first review for unnecessary reasons, often due to incorrect or absent paperwork evidence of training. Common failures include missing mandatory WPBAs, incomplete or unsigned Form Rs, missing Trainer Reports, documents not being organised into an ARCP folder in e-portfolio: all easily correctable problems that result in a lot of wasted ARCP panel review time. Please, please do ensure you’ve prepared thoroughly.
Top Tips (ARCP):
Trainees are recommended to use the ‘trainee led’ supervision forms, which allow you to prepare and pre-fill your supervision forms.
If you rotate to 2 trusts in 12 months, you must have 2 educational supervisor (ES) Trainers reports. Ensure your ES also fills in the Clinical Supervisor sections lower down also.
South London Paediatric Conference: this will be replicated for 2018 and provided as a pan-London event. Date TBA.
OOP: Deadline has passed. The review panel will sit shortly.
Surviving and Thriving Day – for level 1 trainees. December 15th 2017.
Socials: A ball is being planned …. Prepare your finest regalia.
