Elderly Medicine
Welcome to Elderly Medicine!
This well structured training programme runs over 5 years for the current specialist registrars and the new run-through programme trainees commencing at ST3 level. At least 2 years of the training will be based in teaching hospitals and 2 years based in district general hospitals in the Yorkshire deanery.
Trainees will be doing 2 years of general medicine to achieve level 2 competency in Acute Medicine. During the general medicine years, trainees will be able to work in different subspecialties of medicine including cardiology, respiratory medicine, gastroenterology, rheumatology, diabetes and endocrinology.
During the geriatric medicine years, there are excellent opportunities for training in rehabilitation, intermediate care, day hospitals, general out-patients clinics and subspecialty clinics such as movement disorder clinics, TIA clinics, falls clinics and continence clinics. Trainees will also be doing sub-specialty training in orthogeriatrics, stroke medicine, old age psychiatry and palliative care. Trainees are encouraged to develop special interest in one of the above sub-specialties.
Research, Study and Personal Developement
The timetable for all training attachments should incorporate 2 designated sessions (half-days) for study, to enable trainees to develop or continue research. The Yorkshire deanery runs an excellent course on research skills and methodology for SpRs. Trainees are also expected to perform audit, leading to oral or poster presentations and publications. Trainees can also take time out from the training to do research leading to MD or PhD.
Undergraduate and Postgraduate Teaching
There are plenty of opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. Trainees who are interested in clinical teaching can pursue the Certificate or Masters in Clinical Teaching.
Regional Teaching Programme
Monthly training days in geriatric medicine are held on the last Wednesday of each month. These training days are co-ordinated by Dr Eileen Burns, Department of Medicine for the Elderly, LGI. These meetings are rotate through the various training centres in the deanery. Trainees are expected to attend at least 70% of these training days. Currently, there is a plan to implement an MsC in Gerontology commencing in 2009 for trainees within the deanery.
There are also regional RCP training days in General Medicine, co-ordinated by Viva Baillie at the Royal College of Physicians Leeds Branch. Trainees are expected to attend at least 4 of these training days in general medicine per year.
Study Leave
There is a designated study leave budget for trainees to attend courses and meetings. These include British Geriatrics Society meeting, various general medicine courses (run by the RCP) and the different Yorkshire Deanery Courses such as Core Module, Reseach Skills, Skills of Effective Teaching, Legal and Ethics, Leadership and Management modules.
Support for Trainees
There is plenty of support for trainees who encounter difficulties or have concerns about training. Trainees can seek help from their clinical supervisors, educational supervisors, rotation co-ordinator, Dr Heseltine (Speciality Training Committee Chairman), personnel or educational staff at the deanery. There are also trainee representatives in the Speciality Training committee, currently Dr Sally Delves and Dr Gillian Fox. If trainees have any general concerns about training, they can be directed to Sally or Gillian, who can raise them directly to Dr Heseltine, or bring them to the Speciality Training Committee meeting.