It is my pleasure as RCSI President to welcome you to the first RCSI Trainee eZine. COVID-19 has resulted in many unwelcome changes to our personal and professional lives however with disruption comes opportunity for innovation. While I cannot claim that the launch of the Trainee eZine is that innovative, it is a welcome improvement in the in how RCSI and trainees communicate.
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unforeseen and unprecedented challenges for surgical training worldwide, including here in Ireland. The almost complete cessation of elective surgery has profoundly impacted the operative surgical experience for trainees. This is clearly reflected in the electronic logbook records of trainees at all levels of training.
TheIrish Surgical Training Groupwas set up to provide trainees with a voice within RCSI. We represent trainees within the college at various committees, and have representatives from ST1, ST2 and each surgical specialty on the committee. Trainee-centred events are also run throughout the year.
As you very keenly aware the changes to how surgical services are being delivered are colossal, with online and tele consultation and changes to the entire perioperative process.
The individual surgical specialties all have their own unique requirements for courses and exams and it is important to understand the financial supports that are in place for trainees, these are all funded by the HSE NDTP.
We’re delighted to advise that RCSI’s innovative part-time interprofessional postgraduate programme in Human Factors in Patient Safety is now available to complete in one year as a Postgraduate Diploma or over two years as a Postgraduate Master’sDegree. The progamme brochure can be viewedhere.
If you have just started your ST2 surgical placements for this year it won’t be long before you begin considering your options for next year and we would like to update you on how this process was managed in March this year.
The College, in consultation with both trainers and trainees, has developed a mentoring programme which aims to ensure every surgical trainee has the opportunity and access to the benefits that structured mentoring by an experienced surgeon can offer.
The HSE National Health Library and Knowledge Service (NHLKS) have now made the BMJ’s decision support tool BMJ Best Practice available to healthcare professionals and patients across the Republic of Ireland.
The Spark Innovation Programme is an initiative that encourages healthcare providers to develop and implement their ideas so that we can improve our health service.
The NDTP Aspire (Post CSCST) Fellowships are fully funded supernumerary posts.
These fellowships are designed to address the need to provide the specific post CSCST training opportunities required for a range of roles and skill sets at consultant level in the Acute Hospital system at present and into the future.
In April the HSE has announced there will be an increase in the annual intake of medical interns this year, from 734 to approximately 1,100. The medical interns recruited took will up their posts at the earlier start date of May 18, 2020.
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