WEST OF SCOTLAND POSTGRADUATE DAY RELEASE COURSE IN PSYCHIATRY
The West of Scotland Postgraduate Day Release Course in Psychiatry is an educational programme directed towards the needs of Core/Specialty Trainees in Psychiatry. The Course Organisers Committee actively seeks and welcomes feedback about all aspects of the course. This may be given informally or formally, through trainee representation on the course organisers committee, through the evaluation forms distributed at each session and via the end of session feedback meetings.
There are two semesters each year; Semester One runs from late August – December and Semester Two from late February – June. Teaching takes place on Thursdays, consisting of both morning and afternoon programmes. Further details of the course can be found under the heading ‘Course Structure’ below.
The first semester begins on the 3rd September 2009 and ends on the 17th December 2009. You should discuss your attendance at this course with your local College Tutor. See list of tutors below. GP trainees are invited to attend relevant parts of the course, see below, after discussion with their College Tutor.
REGISTRATION
1. Specialty Trainees in Psychiatry
Specialty Trainees in Psychiatry must attend the course in order to be eligible to sit the College Membership exams.
Trainees in their FIRST YEAR of Psychiatry should attend BOTH MORNING AND AFTERNOON sessions.
Trainees in their SECOND and THIRD years should attend the AFTERNOON sessions.
STs wishing to attend must individually complete a Study Leave Form (available from the college tutor or from Tracy Aitken).
Fees (see below) for the course are automatically taken from your annual Study Leave Budget held by the Postgraduate Dean.
2. GP Specialty Trainees
GP Trainees attend MORNING sessions only. For trainees commencing in August these are the morning sessions held at Reid Macewan Training and Conference Centre Erskine Hospital. Trainees commencing placements in December, February or April attend morning sessions at Gartnavel Royal Hospital. See timetable.
GP Trainees wishing to attend must individually complete a study leave form (available from the college tutor or from Tracy Aitken)
2. Staff Grade Doctors
Staff Grade Doctors working in psychiatry are eligible to enrol if their Clinical Director supports their application. Staff Grade Doctors usually attend the afternoon programme only.
Staff Grades wishing to attend must individually complete a Study Leave Form.
Fees for the course are charged directly to you. You should claim expenses back from your employer in the usual way. It is not possible for us to invoice your employer directly.
STUDY LEAVE
Study leave is allocated according to the following formula for each half year period:
Morning sessions only - 4 days leave
Afternoon lectures only - 8 days leave per semester ie 16 days per year
Full course - 12 days leave per semester ie 24 days per year
Currently the fees are:
Morning course £175
Afternoon course- £375 per annum
Full course- £550 per annum
Fee for GP Trainees on 4 month placement attending Morning sessions: £70
(Study Leave forms are available from the postgraduate administrator at Reid Macewen)
COURSE LOCATION
The course is held at Reid Macewen Training and Conference Centre, Erskine Hospital (see map).
COURSE STRUCTURE
The course programme involves morning and afternoon sessions; trainees in their fist year of psychiatry should attend both whereas trainees in their second and third years should attend the afternoon sessions only.
Thursday Mornings –Teaching Programme for CT1s
Morning sessions take place on alternate Thursdays (coinciding with the ‘external’ training days) and cover ‘Fundamentals of General Adult Psychiatry’. There are eight sessions per semester. The session usually comprises a clinical case presentation followed by a lecture on the topic, presented by a Consultant and higher trainee.
Thursday Afternoons – Teaching Programme for CT1s, ST/CT2s, and ST/CT3s
Afternoon sessions take place weekly in term time except when there is a UGASP presentation, see below. Two teaching programmes run simultaneously; PROGRAMME ONE is for trainees in their first year of psychiatry and for second years who have not yet passed papers 1 and 2 of the MRCPsych examination and PROGRAMME TWO is for trainees in their second/third year of psychiatry.
Both programmes have two components: 1) seminars on topics in psychiatry, associated sciences and disciplines broadly directed towards the topics covered in the three written papers for the MRCPsych exam and 2) skills based training led by higher trainees in psychiatry. These sessions are targetted at the develoment of clinical skills appropriate to stage of training.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ATTENDANCE AT INTERVIEW SKILLS TRAINING IS MANDATORY FOR FIRST YEAR TRAINEES. This is particularly important in helping trainees to lay down good clinical assessment and history taking skills which will underpin their clinical practice and will also lay the foundations for the clinical skills to be assessed in due course at a higher level in the CASC exam. For CT/ST3s CASC training sesions are provided.
PROGRAMME ONE FOR CT1s. ALSO FOR CT/ST2S WHO HAVE NOT YET PASSED PAPERS 1 and 2 MRCPsych
Time Programme
1.30 pm - 2.15 pm seminar
2.30 pm – 3.15 pm seminar
3.30 pm – 4.15 pm Skills based training in
Interview skills
PROGRAMME TWO FOR CT/ST3s ALSO FOR CT/ST2s WHO HAVE PASSED PAPERS 1 AND 2 MRCPsych
Time Programme
1.30 pm - 2.15 pm } Skills based training
2.30 pm – 3.15 pm } CASC preparation
3.30 pm – 4.15 pm Seminar on Advanced Clinical Topics
Preparatory reading for the seminars will be posted on the MRCPsych course website, trainees are expected to make maximum use of the seminars by preparing for them in advance.
Thursday Mornings – Teaching Programme for GP Trainees on 4 month placements in Psychiatry
GP trainees are invited to attend a series of seminars on ‘Fundamentals of General Adult Psychiatry’. Trainees starting in August join the morning programme for CT1s in Psychiatry – the seminars take place in Reid Macewan Conference Centre Erskine Hospital. Trainees commencing their placements in December and April attend seminars in Gartnavel Royal Hospital, see timetable.
JOINT UGASP/CPD MEETINGS
These meetings are a formal part of the course and are free to trainees enrolled on the course. A buffet lunch is available (free of charge) commencing at 12.45 pm. The meetings commence at 1.30 pm, finish at 4.30 pm with a break halfway through. Meetings are in various venues in the the Greater Glasgow area please check the UGASP timetable and appropriate venue maps on the webpage.
The meetings involve collaboration between the University Department of Glasgow, the West of Scotland CPD Committee of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Course Organiser. The series of meetings represents a joining together of two previous initiatives – The University of Glasgow Academic Series in Psychiatry (UGASP) and the Joint CPD/MRCPsych Day Release Course meetings. Meetings are open to all psychiatrists in the West of Scotland, both training and non-training grades.
The format is of afternoon meetings taking a didactic approach. Each session generally involves two speakers. Speakers include academic psychiatrists with national/international reputations, local experts, Higher Trainees involved in relevant research and presenters from out with the discipline of psychiatry who have interests and expertise in areas germane to mental health. There is both a clinical and research focus; the meetings are pertinent to trainees studying for the MRCPsych exam.
A small fee is charged to psychiatrists who are not enrolled on the course. The series is intended to be relevant to psychiatrists in all psychiatric sub-specialties.
COURSE CONTENT
Trainees are advised to refer to the competency based curriculum on the college website, www.rcpsych.ac.uk especially Appendix 1 ‘Syllabic Curriculum Content’ which is an indicator of the content of the new MRCPsych examination.
The course is designed in accordance with the curriculum of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, 17 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PG (Telephone 0171 235 2351).
DIRECTION STATEMENTS
1. The course aims to help prepare trainees for sitting the MRCPsych examinations.
2. The course aims to develop the clinical skills, knowledge and attitudes of trainees.
3. The course aims to help trainees integrate knowledge.
4. The course aims to involve trainees in their learning –
a) By participation in sessions in the course
b) By helping trainees understand areas of and resources for further study
c) By undertaking preparatory study in advance of the seminars
d) By practising and developing skills e.g. through role play
5. The course does not aim to cover everything which is relevant for the development of a trainee psychiatrist. Other aspects of learning for trainees include –
· Educational supervision
· Clinical supervision
· Psychotherapy supervision
· Case work
· Personal study including reading, study groups and online learning
· Other courses (e.g. neuropsychiatry at Maudsley)
· Internal case conferences, journal clubs and other teaching meetings
· Scheme based training including audit training, doctor-patient relationship groups and interview skills training
FEEDBACK
If the Course is to improve it is essential to have constructive feedback from trainees. Please complete and return Evaluation Forms. You can also make your views known to your Course Organising Committee representatives (see below).
COURSE ORGANISING COMMITTEE
This committee which meets three times per year is chaired by the Course Organiser and has representatives from trainees (both basic specialist and higher specialist), College Tutors, and the University Department. It is a sub-committee of the Basic Specialist Training Committee.
ROYAL COLLEGE OF PSYCHIATRISTS
All Specialty Trainees in Psychiatry are required to be registered with the Royal College of Psychiatrists, 17 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8PG (tel 0207 235 2351) so that progress in training can be kept under review and supported when required. Benefits of registration include electronic access to the British Journal of Psychiatry and the Psychiatric Bulletin and participation in the activities of the Collegiate Trainees Committee.
The College Web Site – www.rcpsych.ac.uk has a large amount of helpful material relating to all aspects of training and the MRCPsych exams.
WEST OF SCOTLAND BASIC SPECIALIST TRAINING COMMITTEE
The West of Scotland Basic Specialist Trainees’ Committee is made up of representatives of all training schemes affiliated with the West of Scotland teaching. It is run by trainees to collate all information, issues and concerns of training from all schemes as well as providing an opportunity to provide feedback to the Committee in Psychiatry. The Committee also provides representation to the Postgraduate Teaching and Psychotherapy Committees.
DR ANNE M NIGHTINGALE
Course Organiser
West of Scotland MRCPsych Day Release Course
EVALUATION FORM
Date:
Title:
Presenter:
Rate1 – 5 (disagree - agree)
or
N/A / COMMENTS
(If you rate at 1 please comment)
1. The session was useful clinically
2. The session was useful for the exam
3. The presenter was a good teacher
4. I felt involved in the way the subject was taught
5. There were helpful handouts
6. There were helpful pointers for further study
7. The session was over my head
8. The session was too basic
(If you rate at 5 please comment)
Please detail any suggestions for changes to this lecture/module:
PSYCHOTHERAPY TRAINING
Throughout the first year trainees should attend and participate in the local case-based discussion group. During core training they should treat a number of patients psychotherapeutically, using at least two modalities and at least two durations of treatment (that is both longer and shorter durations).
Trainees should be pro-active in accessing experience in psychological treatments in their placements as well as through formal psychotherapy experience. The local clinical tutor will advise on availability of psychotherapeutic supervision and experience. Trainees are advised to take on patients for psychotherapy from the start of CT/ST2.
THE ARTHUR SHENKIN PSYCHOTHERAPY PRIZE
This is an annual prize (currently £100) awarded to the best submitted case report. Entry to the prize is open to any Core/Specialty Trainee in Psychiatry. The psychotherapy report should be an account of the treatment of a patient seen weekly in individual therapy for 12 to 18 months. The format of the case report is left to the trainee, but should include an account of the process of therapy as well as its contents. The report is primarily a clinical account, although the final formulation could include a brief theoretical discussion. The total length should not exceed 3,000 words and the names of the patients and others should be altered to preserve confidentiality. The local Psychotherapy Tutor (who may or may not have supervised the therapy) will meet with the trainee to provide educational feedback on the report and also to discuss whether the report should be put forward for the Arthur Shenkin psychotherapy prize.
The prize is not open to higher trainees (that is ST 4-6s) specialising in psychotherapy (either full-time or on a sessional basis) or higher trainees who have undertaken a specialist training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Two copies of the report should be lodged with the Chairman of the Psychotherapy Sub-Committee of the Committee in Psychiatry by 31st March annually.
Each report will be marked by two independent members of the list of supervisors, and graded “Distinction”, “Merit”, “Satisfactory” or “Unsatisfactory”. The case supervisor and the trainee’s psychiatric tutor will be informed of the grading and the prize will be awarded to the best report of “Satisfactory” standard or above.
POSTGRADUATE ADVISERS
Chairman, Committee in Psychiatry Dr Susan M Miller 0141 211 0235
(Gartnavel Royal Hospital)
MRCPsych Course Organiser Dr Anne Nightingale 0141-211 3558
(Gartnavel Royal Hospital - Lansdowne Clinic)
CPD Regional Co-ordinator Dr Douglas A Gray 01555 840293
(State Hospital, Carstairs)
Flexible Training Adviser Dr Andrea Caldwell 01698 855 578
(Kirklands Hospital, Bothwell)
SPECIALTY TUTORS/ PROGRAMME DIRECTORS
for SPECIALIST REGISTRAR TRAINING
General Adult Psychiatry
(Gartnavel Royal Hospital) Dr David Brown 0141-211 0235
(RSNH Larbert) Dr Keith Brown(Deputy) 01324 574320
Old Age Psychiatry Dr Seamus McNulty 01563 578646 (Garnock Day Hospital. Ayrshire Central)
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Dr Kathy Leighton 01475 504447
(Child and Family Clinic, Larkfield)
Psychotherapy Dr Mark Cohen 0141-232 0100
(Carswell House)