Welcome
Welcome to the “Yorkshire School of Postgraduate Medicine (YSPM)” and the Yorkshire Deanery website. The Yorkshire Deanery serves a population of 3.5 million people and embraces a large number of inner-city conurbations with multi-cultural communities, as well as more rural areas. There are two Medical Schools within our area, Leeds and HYMS (Hull and York). The website is designed to introduce you to the Training Schemes and for you to take the opportunity to explore the different hospitals that you might work in, and the types of training that are available. Most of our hospitals are within easy reach of the Yorkshire Dales, the Pennines, the Lake District and the East Coast. Rail links and an extensive motorway network provide easy access to the rest of the country. A wide range of cultural and sporting activities are available, with opportunities to visit many historic sites and cities. For more information please visit ‘Yorkshire Visitor’ and the ‘Yorkshire Dales’ websites.
School Purpose
From the 1st August 2007 the previous SHO training grade becomes “extinct” and the era of RTG (run-through grade) training commences, as a consequence of MMC (‘Modernising Medical Careers’). Though the appointment process (MTAS) has been turbulent, there are many reasons for optimism regarding this entirely new venture, because of the advantages that should accrue. Whereas trainees for many years “learnt on the job”, unstructured experiential learning is no longer feasible because of the advent of the EWTD (European Working Time Directive) and shorter working hours, and because clinical governance requires evidence that doctors are suitably trained for their appointed tasks. The uncertainty and wastefulness of the previous lottery of a succession of junior posts is to be replaced by a single appointment to one geographical area, with guaranteed progression (subject to satisfactory progress) through to specialist certification. The implementation of modern educational principles will bring a new competency-based curriculum, with work-place assessments and an e-portfolio, supported by regular appraisal and career guidance by the Educational Supervisors. Of course this new agenda will inevitably also bring some challenges, which will require a degree of patience and co-operation for us to move forward.
Responsibilities
In order to supervise and manage the new RTG training, Schools are being established around the country. This Yorkshire School of Postgraduate Medicine will therefore be responsible for developing our local programmes, and represents a fusion of the training roles previously held by the Yorkshire Deanery and the Royal College of Physicians. This responsibility is delegated down from the PMETB (Postgraduate Medical and Education Training Board) – the statutory body. Our trainees will be based in hospitals throughout Yorkshire and will rotate at regular intervals, so good communication is imperative – hence this website is pivotal. Soon we hope to appoint a full-time administrator, and we have developed a network of trainee representatives from each training location. See under 'Trainee' section. Using the e-portfolio, with it’s extensive links to the new curricula, it is expected that the trainees will be largely responsible for their own career development and progression (self-directed learning), but the School obviously has an enabling role.
For further details, a comprehensive list of our responsibilities is also available.
Good luck with your new posts, and we hope that you find them both educationally-fulfilling and enjoyable. Please do not hesitate to contact myself, or the other named trainers, if you have any concerns or queries. If you can’t find what you are looking for on this site then please let us know – we’d like to learn what and where you expect information to be!
With regards,
Dr A.G.(Tony) Arnold - Head of School, and Associate Dean.
page updated 18/04/08