UKFPO Bulletin
September Bulletin
Introduction
Welcome to the September bulletin.
I hope those that started new posts in August are settling in and that our newly qualified colleagues have found their feet and, importantly, are enjoying their new posts.
Now is a good opportunity to remind everyone that the UK Foundation Programme (UKFP) is the first step in postgraduate medical training and should offer opportunities for ongoing learning and support for professional development. The ongoing learning is provided almost entirely by clinical placements designed for doctors to learn ‘on the job’, be supported to develop their practice in the clinical environment and for their work to be regularly assessed by established professionals who provide ongoing feedback. This is supplemented by some classroom-based learning including simulation and personal reading/e-learning.
To complete the training programme, Foundation Doctors are required to demonstrate the Foundation Professional Capabilities (FPCs) in the 2021 curriculum (p71). This is done by the development of a professional portfolio (Horus in England, Turas in Scotland, Wales and NI).
The evidence in the portfolio will be a mix of personal reflection, Supervised Learning Events (SLEs) (p34) where a suitable professional gives feedback on a FDs performance and completes a form, a learning log (p35) detailing teaching sessions attended/e-learning undertaken and feedback reports from supervisors.
It is important that all FDs log their attendance at teaching and start to collect SLEs as soon as possible. If you are unsure what to do, then speak to your supervisor or postgraduate team.
As well as accruing evidence for the portfolio, it is also important for FDs to take opportunities to explore potential careers and consider building evidence of ‘commitment to specialty’ required for application to training programmes. Opportunities within placements include spending time in theatre and/or clinic, team meetings and MDTs. For those keen to explore other options, taster days/weeks are available; most PG centres will have lists of contacts in various specialties to provide introductions to specialists in a variety of fields. For those in F2 wanting to move straight into higher training, the application windows for specialty training will soon be open and details of person specifications for application can be found on the specialty training website.
Finally, it is important to remind everyone that being a FD is tough. The work can be demanding at the best of times and many FDs are working for the first time away from home and support networks. If you are struggling, please seek advice; if a colleague is struggling, help them to get advice. Educational Supervisors are a good point of contact but PG teams are used to dealing with doctors in training and aware of the issues many face and can be approached. Overwhelming workloads can be tackled via Junior Doctors’ Forums (JDFs), Foundation reps and, in England, by Guardians of Safe Working. Bullying and harassment must not be tolerated in the workplace and all employers will have policies to deal with it.
It is important that we take good care of ourselves and each other to ensure we also take good care of patients.
As always, there is information on all this on the website. You can also email questions to educationandsupport@foundationprogramme.nhs.uk
Best wishes
Tony Choules, Operational Advisor to the UKFP
Webinars
The Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB) are hosting an interactive and informative webinar providing information and guidance on Internal Medicine Training and the recruitment and application process. This will be relevant to doctors applying this year and considering an application in future years. A team of dedicated experts and doctors in postgraduate training will lead you through:
· An introduction to Internal medicine training (IMT)
· An overview of the recruitment process
· The trainee experience:
1. Experience of IMT
2. The application form
3. The virtual interview
· Q&A
There is no need to register, just join on Tuesday 12 September 2023 from 17:30-19:00 via this link. The event will be recorded and made available on the JRCPTB website.
Recruitment Updates
We are pleased to invite FP2024 applicants to two recruitment webinars this month, on the following topics:
- FP2024 Pre-allocation
Wednesday 6 September 2023, 18:00 – 19:00 BST
- FP2024 Preference Informed Allocation (PIA)
Wednesday 13 September 2023, 18:00 – 19:00 BST
Details on our Events page.
Surveys
Closing soon! All FY1 doctors are invited to complete the F1 induction survey 2023. This survey is part of a long-term project to identify any concerns/anxieties you may have about starting your F1 post. The information you provide will help to develop a realistic evaluation of induction programmes and help us to improve working life for future doctors in postgraduate training.
Access the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/F1inductionsurvey2023 or via QR code below
E-learning for Health Update
Please check the link to view the elfh September update.