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Your Stories

  • MSc in Pain Management

    I have worked part time in SAS posts (anaesthetics) for many years because of family commitments. Rather than return to a training post, I decided to study for an MSc in Pain Management at Cardiff University. This was to support a sub-specialist interest in Pain Management which I took on with a new post. Although many specialist nurses get funds from their employing Trust to study to Masters level, I was self-funding. My study leave budget was used for ongoing anaesthetic CPD but I was able to access SAS development funding towards some of my MSc costs.

    I have now completed my course and am waiting to hear the results. My dissertation subject has been directly relevant to developing our pain service and I have been encouraged to take a leadership role on this basis.

    I feel that I will have a qualification to demonstrate my commitment to my work and the course itself has fired my enthusiasm for research and evidence-based practice.

  • MSc in Medical Ethics and Law

    Having changed jobs from being a trainee to a specialty doctor in Anaesthesia I wanted a new challenge that was not directly related to my specialty. I have always been interested in the law and in day-to-day work I come across a plethora of ethical dilemmas. I found a distance-learning MSc in Medical Ethics and Law through Bristol University (entry point every two years) that would allow me to pursue these interests and gain a postgraduate qualification whilst still working. The MSc is divided into credits and this allows one to leave at certain points: with a postgraduate certificate, diploma or the full MSc. As with many courses it costs money as well as a dedicated amount of time and effort; the SAS development fund has supported me in pursuing this.

    I hope in the future that I may be able to become more involved in the hospital ethics committee and know that the background reading will allow me to reason ethical dilemmas more clearly. It is really enjoyable to be able to apply one’s mind to studying a subject outside of medicine and whilst being a lot of hard work it is fun being a student again!

  • Digital Mammography

    I have been most grateful to the SAS development fund for financing three educational days this year. My hospital study allowance had been taken up with core training. Having funding to attend a training day in digital mammography, which will soon be implemented in our unit, allowed me to better appreciate and understand the anticipated transition phase from other clinicians who had been through it. Attending the Breast Clinicians annual study day and AGM in London was not only of great educational value but allowed me to meet several other SAS grade doctors and share experiences of working in my specific field of medicine, which is almost entirely staffed by SAS doctors. Without these funds I would have struggled to take part.

  • Diploma in Paediatric Palliative Medicine

    I completed a Diploma in Paediatric Palliative Medicine (distance-learning) from Cardiff University recently and received funding from the SAS development fund for 2009/2010. It was hard going initially, trying to complete the modules/assignments on time while working full time. There was loads of material to read as well and I had to squeeze time between my other work to get it done. However it was well worth it.

    There is a tendency to get carried away with day to day service provision, which most SAS doctors do and limited opportunities for teaching at the work place. Doing a diploma like this forced me to undertake teaching/learning, and at the same time was very interesting. My awareness of symptoms control, medications, research methods, communication skills and team working improved tremendously. I could apply the knowledge I was getting into my daily work, for example to provide appropriate management for a patient with very challenging symptoms related to her nerve pain. The communication skills modules were very relevant, considering my previous practice in a different sociocultural background.

    The course is mostly online and you only need to attend 2 days per year at University.

  • GP Becomes Psychiatrist

    I am a consultant psychiatrist in Somerset. I was awarded a CESR approximately one year after submitting my final application to PMETB (Postgraduate Medical Education and training board, which has now merged with GMC) in early 2009.

    I had no expectation that it would be a speedy process, and was not disappointed! It really took 2 years; once I made the decision to go for it, I bought a box file and started to fill it with what I thought was reasonable and valid evidence. The application form tells you what this should be and how to put it in order. It took me around a year to gradually collect these things and address the missing bits. Your line manager essentially has to stamp and sign every sheet of paper validating the application – so you need to trickle feed this to whoever agrees to do it – it’s a fairly big task!

    PMETB allocated me a Certification Officer who checked my initial submission and sent the lot back a couple of months later (my heart sank), with an attached ‘Checklist’ listing all the weak points in the application with suggestions on how to address these before the final submission.

    In summary, be extremely patient and don’t stop contacting your Certification Officer regularly (monthly) for updates and prompting them to chase things up.

    If you are applying for CESR and want to contact the author, please email Maisie Shrubsall.

  • Sexual and Reproductive Health

    Last year I was working as an Associate Specialist in sexual and reproductive health. This was really interesting, challenging and gave me opportunity to take part in teaching, audit and management. I am now working as an ST3 in c-SRH (community sexual and reproductive health, a new specialty) within the same department having gone back into training and am loving it.

    Why did I do it?

    There were many reasons. These were primarily in relation to future job opportunities and in order to undertake specific training in areas that had always interested me but that I had never had the opportunity to do before (such as gynaecological scanning and public health).

    How did I go about it?

    I found the application process stressful and immensely onerous. Allowing plenty of time was the key – it took a month to complete the application form! I had to provide evidence of Foundation Year competencies (Alternative Certificate A) as proof of (e.g) venepuncture. This was hard to complete as I had been working outside of acute medicine for several years. I therefore had to write to my A&E and general medical consultants from 10 years ago who signed off what competencies they felt they could then my current consultant signed off the form based on their evidence. I found that using the person specification and scoring system (provided with the job advert) to guide me as to what to include on the application form was very useful.

    In preparation for the interview I spoke to as many senior colleagues as possible about current hot topics and possible interview questions. I attended an interview skills course which was immensely useful. I put together a folder containing work placed based assessments, peer and patient feedback, certificates for postgraduate qualifications and courses and conferences attended (in order to document evidence of experience). I practiced interview questions in front of the mirror and rehearsed the 5 minute presentation required at interview with a stop watch to ensure that I stuck to time.

    What’s it like now?

    I’ve now been back in training for 4 months and am really enjoying it. I’m based both within my old department and also in the gynaecology department at a local hospital where I’d never worked before. I feel very lucky to have the time and support to learn new skills, and everyone in both my old and new work places have been welcoming and genuinely interested to hear what I’m doing. Going back to being a trainee within my old department has been particularly easy as it is very non-hierarchical with doctors and nurses of different grades working alongside each other. However entering a new department as a trainee has at times taken me outside my comfort zone. I’ve felt very much the new junior surrounded by colleagues who are younger but in some ways more experienced. As time goes by I have been able to appreciate how much we all learn from each other and that I am also bringing new skills into the department.

    It wasn’t an easy process applying to go back into training, but all the hurdles have been definitely worth it.

  • Educational Supervisor - Staff grade in Paediatrics

    I was delighted to be approached by the Deanery to ask me if I wanted to become an Educational Supervisor to three Foundation Year One doctors. I do a lot of clinical supervision for our juniors that come through the department, and was interested in the educational aspect, so took myself off on a study day where I met GPs and Consultants who were supervisors already.

    I have three F1s that I see regularly. It is really pleasing to see them through this first year as doctors. The enthusiasm that I witnessed the first time we met was infectious.

    These early training years are very different now, and it is encouraging to see the doctors keen to participate. I have to talk to their clinical tutors and consultants if they are not being released for teaching, and we discuss how we can ensure enough cover for them, negotiating if necessary, to ensure that they hit their target of at least 75% attendance.

    Equally, if there are concerns about their ability I talk to those supervising and we look for where problems might be arising. I then talk to the doctor, and see what they feel. Sometimes the consultants’’ expectations are too high, and this balance needs to be redressed.

    I found one doctor had issues with a more senior colleague, which he had been trying to manage, and all he needed was encouragement that we are supporting him. This enabled him to tackle the issue directly with positive results. The next time we met he was enjoying the job much more. I do a lot of listening, ask a few questions, and maybe probe a little deeper. It is very much facilitation, helping the doctor solve their own problems.

    I am shortly seeing them all again as they move onto their second jobs. I shall see how their career plans change as they gain new experiences; I shall watch their knowledge and confidence as doctors grow, able to think, rationalise and diagnose, which is a rewarding part of the job.

    For the educational supervision, I get an hour per week in my job plan; my consultants know and allow me the time. The time I actually spend is about 10 hours per 4 month placement as a minimum, which might become more as issues arise. The hardest thing, on a part time contract, is trying to find time to meet all three early in their placements. But we manage it.

Page owned by Hilary Cooling | Last update 2011-12-13 16:00:02