Feedback From College Trainees
Required
In order to identify and provide for your
educational and personal development needs and ensure that the
upcoming Trainee Conference is focused on some of these, we would
be grateful if you could complete this anonymous
questionnaire/survey.
NCHD BST Training Schemes in Psychiatry - Intake July 2010
Dates of
Interest:
04/02/10: Advertise
19/02/10: Closing date for receipt of
applications
PLEASE
NOTE:
2 OTHER SCHEMES (DUBLIN
UNIVERSITY PSYCHIATRIC ROTATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMME & ST JOHN
OF GOD) HAVE ADVERTISED SEPARATELY
|
|
Handbooks / Useful Documents/ Forms
Basic Specialist Training(BST)
Higher Specialist Training(HST)
Annual Training Plans
Postgraduate Training Information
|
| |
|
|
1.
INTRODUCTION
The College of Psychiatry of Ireland (CPsychI) is
responsible for all aspects of postgraduate training in psychiatry
in Ireland. It aims to provide the best possible training at
both Basic and Higher Specialist levels in psychiatry.
Satisfactory completion of Specialist Training confers eligibility
for inclusion on the Specialist Division of the Medical Register
maintained by the Medical Council.
To achieve its aims the CPsychI has developed
and organised training in a two stage format of Basic
Specialist Training (BST) followed by
Higher Specialist Training (HST).
Basic Specialist Training
BST takes approximately 3 years at the end of
which time the trainee will take an examination. Currently,
Basic Specialist Training is said to be completed when the trainee
has passed the membership examination of the Royal College of
Psychiatrists(MRCPsych). New methods of assessment of
clinical competencies will be introduced from 1 July 2010 which
will also have to be passed before a Certificate of Completion of
BST will be achieved.
Higher Specialist Training in
Psychiatry takes a minimum of 3 years.
Following the successful completion of Higher
Specialist Training the doctor should have achieved the skills to
be awarded a Certificate of Satisfactory Completion of Specialist
Training (CSCST) in one of the specialties of psychiatry recognized
by the Irish Medical Council viz Psychiatry, Psychiatry of Old Age,
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatry of Learning
Disability.
Back to
top
2.
BASIC SPECIALIST TRAINING
Basic Training is delivered through recognised
training schemes (see paragraph 3
below) generally involving rotation between a number of
hospitals and the associated community services. Each
hospital has a Psychiatric Tutor who organises training locally
which includes:
- Weekly journal club and case conference.
- Individual and group teaching of trainees to prepare them for
the Membership of the Royal College of
Psychiatrists(MRCPsych).
- Advice to trainees on the clinical experience required in
general adult psychiatry and the various specialities.
- Encouragement of trainees to attend at the weekly half-day
academic course.
- Career guidance.
At the commencement of Basic Training, Co-ordinating
Tutors of rotational training schemes are required to ensure that a
comprehensive induction, together with an accompanying handbook is
provided for all trainees. This induction includes details of
the variety of teaching methods they are likely to experience,
together with information on assessment methods.
Educational methods employed in
Basic Training include:-
(i) supervised clinical training and skills
acquisition in approved posts;
(ii) attendance at an academic course suitable for
preparing trainees to take the MRCPsych Examination, and
(iii) a weekly one hour face-to-face supervision
session with the trainee's consultant (Supervising
Consultant). [This is a mandatory
requirement. Such sessions are for the sole benefit
of the trainee and cover such topics as research, careers advice,
interviewing techniques and talking with patients. Eelementary
skills in counselling and psychotherapy, practical principles of
drug prescription, some instruction in presentation techniques, use
of the Mental Health Acts, and multi-disciplinary working also form
part of this supervision].
During initial training in
General Adult Psychiatry, the CPsychI requires
that trainees are exposed, with active Consultant participation and
supervision, to the following:-
(a) an Acute Admissions ward in a General
Hospital;
(b) a Psychiatric Day Hospital;
(c) a Community Mental Health Centre;
(d) a long-stay ward, preferably attached to a
rehabilitation team and
(e) a unit for the psychiatric care of the
elderly.
Other educational activities include attendance at
ward rounds, multidisciplinary case conferences, journal clubs,
clinical audit and instruction in management techniques.
Experience in Community
Psychiatry including domiciliary visits, home assessments
with Community Nurses or other team members is essential. All trainees should
also have experience of:-
(a) working with Community Psychiatric Nurses(CPNs),
Social Workers and Clinical Psychologists;
(b) giving a course of electroconvulsive treatment
(ECT) in conditions meeting the College's standards, i.e. under the
supervision of a Consultant in a designated ECT suite and
(c) managing patient care under the Mental Treatment
Acts.
All trainees should experience supervised research, and have a
nominated Consultant/Tutor to
advise them on the suitability of projects for their level of
expertise. The early phase of research training could be
limited to a case report or small literature review, whilst more
advanced trainees might concentrate on the design and
implementation of research protocols.
Comprehensive information on Basic Training is given
in the Basic Specialist Training
Handbook (which can be found on the top right hand
side of this page). Information on where training places
are advertised publicly is given in paragraph 3 below.
Back to
top
3. BASIC SPECIALIST
TRAINING SCHEMES
There are currently 13 Basic Specialist
Training Schemes in Ireland - see list below:-
1.
Cavan/Monaghan Postgraduate Training Scheme
2.
Donegal Mental Health Services Training Scheme
3.
Dublin University Psychiatric Rotational Training Scheme
4.
Mater/University College Dublin Psychiatric Training Scheme
5.
Mid-Western Psychiatric Training Scheme
6.
Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland/ HSE Dublin Area Psychiatric
Training Scheme
7.
Sligo Mental Health Service Training Scheme in Psychiatry
8.
South Eastern Regional Rotational Training Scheme in Psychiatry
9.
Southern Region Psychiatric Training Programme
10.
St. Fintan’s Hospital, Portlaoise Training Scheme
11.
St. John of God/ St. Vincent’s University Hospital Postgraduate
Training Scheme in Psychiatry
12.
St. Loman’s Hospital, Mullingar Training Scheme
13.
Western Postgraduate Training Scheme in Psychiatry
Posts on the Training Schemes are
advertised in February and early Autumn each
year. The advertisements appear in the Irish medical press -
Irish Medical News ( www.irishmedicalnews.ie ),
Irish Medical Times ( www.imt.ie ) and for most of the Schemes
on the website http://www.careersinhealthcare.ie/
[this is a website operated on behalf of the Health Service
Executive (HSE)].
Back to top
4.
REGISTRATION
To work as a doctor in training it is
necessary to be registered in the Trainee Specialist Division of
the Register established by the Medical Council. Enquiries
about eligibility for registration should be addressed to the
Registrar, Medical Council, Kingram House, Kingram
Place, Dublin 2.
Tel: +353 1 498 3100
Web: www.medicalcouncil.ie
5.
POSTGRADUATE QUALIFICATIONS IN PSYCHIATRY
The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland
awards a Diploma in Clinical Psychiatry; further details of the
examination can be obtained from the Registrar, Royal College of
Physicians of Ireland, 6 Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Tel: +353 1 669 8801
Web: www.rcpi.ie
The main qualification in Psychiatry is the
Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists(RCPsych), which
can be taken during the course of training. Further details
of this examination are available from the Royal College of
Psychiatrists, 17 Belgrave Square, London SWIX 8PG.
Tel: + 44 207 235 2351
Web: www.rcpsych.ac.uk
Back to top
6.
HIGHER SPECIALIST TRAINING
Higher Training is undertaken in a national scheme in
a series of Senior Registrar posts approved for that purpose by the
College of Psychiatry of Ireland and takes a minimum of three
years. As a general principle, skills acquired in Higher
Training will be at a higher standard than those required at Basic
Specialist level and, as well as improving core psychiatric
knowledge and skills, the following aspects of training are also
addressed: trainee's professional attributes; experience of
research and audit; teaching and supervisory skills, and management
ability. In devising an individual’s training programme
account is taken of the trainee's preferences, past experience and
special interests; a portion of Higher Training may be spent in
research or abroad. Comprehensive information on Higher
Training may be viewed in the National Higher Training Scheme
Handbook on this website.
Each January the College of Psychiatry of Ireland
advertises in the Irish Medical News (http://www.irishmedicalnews.ie/),
the Irish Medical Times (http://www.imt.ie/) and on this website
inviting applications for appointment to Senior Registrar
posts. Competition is very keen, with an annual average of
about 10 appointments being made to the higher training scheme in
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and about 20 to the higher training
scheme in General Psychiatry (and the related psychiatric
disciplines of academia, forensic, learning disabilities, old age,
rehabilitation and substance misuse).
On completion of Higher Specialist Training doctors
should be capable of functioning as autonomous medical specialists
with an ability to provide high quality clinical care in a
multidisciplinary setting and to fulfil all the responsibilities
and functions of a Consultant Psychiatrist.
Back to
top
March, 2009
Psy3081