Sligo Specialist Training Programme in General Practice

PROSPECTUS 2012

Contact Details
Address: Level 6 General Hospital, Sligo
Tel/Fax: (071) 9174603
E-mail: sligo.gpts@hse.ie

Directions: See a map of the area

INTERVIEW DATE

Tuesday, 21 February 2012

TRAINING CHARTER

We are also posting our current Training Charter below. It is not a legal document but a guide which elucidates the aspirations, rights and responsibilities of Trainers and Registrars in the Training Programme.

OVERVIEW

The Sligo Specialist Training Programme in General Practice, founded in 1982, has been a four year programme since 1988 and is one of the smaller schemes in the country with an annual intake of six doctors. We prepare doctors for a professional career as general practitioners. The majority of our graduates remain in practice in the region. It is not necessary for applicants to the programme to have extensive previous experience.

LOCATION

All hospital jobs and professional teaching days are based in Sligo town. Training practices are currently spread throughout the region from Ballina in Co Mayo to Ballinamore in Co Leitrim, from Tubbercurry in Co Sligo to Ardara in Co Donegal. Most training practices are in, or within easy reach of, Sligo town.

TRAINING PROGRAMME STAFF

Our team consists of a director, four assistant directors and a programme administrator. Four of the team are general practitioners and one a psychotherapist. All five have active clinical commitments.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

Trainees spend the first two years in hospital posts and the second two years in the community as GP registrars.

Hospital Training - GP Trainee Posts

Year 1: Three four-month attachments in psychiatry, emergency medicine and obstetrics and gynaecology.
Year 2: Two six-month attachments in medicine and paediatrics.

Hospital teachers are encouraged to guide trainees in developing the knowledge, skills and practical wisdom appropriate to their specialty to help them provide excellent service and maintain themselves effectively throughout their career in general practice. Trainees spend at least four one-week educational-leave attachments in general practice during these two years.

Community Training - GP Registrar Posts

Year 3: Third year starts with a short community services attachment which introduces registrars to the wide range of primary care services provided by the HSE West and identifies referral routes. Registrars then spend two six-month periods in each of two different teaching practices. Workload and supervision are tailored to experience and learning need. Most GP registrars will gain experience of a variety of forms and styles of practice in the two registrar years - urban/rural, single handed/group.

Year 4: Registrars spend the year in one teaching practice. During this time, registrars also spend:

• Two weeks in hospice/palliative care.
• Two weeks study leave in an "outpatient rotation", fulfilling learning objectives in ENT, ophthalmology, dermatology, rheumatology, minor surgery and other specialties with which there is no direct attachment on the programme.

AUDIT & RESEARCH

GP registrars in their first training practice in third year complete a practice audit which not only allows them to learn the skills of audit but also may leave a lasting gift to their practice. GP registrars in their final year complete a primary care based research project. Taught sessions and support meetings help registrars in completing their audit and research.

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

• Thursday afternoon for First and Second Years.
• All day Thursday for Third and Fourth years.

All trainees and registrars attend professional training throughout their four years on the programme. Sessions tend to be in the small group format and may be resourced by doctors in training, the programme team, hospital teachers or outside speakers.

These days are flexible, responding to changing learning needs, changing societal expectation, feedback from doctors in training and the ICGP core curriculum for general practice. The aim is to facilitate the development of professionalism in its widest sense.

EVALUATION

Doctors in training benefit from formal twice yearly individual educational planning with a programme team member. Also, there is ongoing assessment and reflection through trainee and GP registrar logs, and hospital and GP trainer reports.

TIME IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD

We can facilitate one registrar at a time if they wish to spend a year working in medicine in the developing world. This takes place normally between Third and Fourth Year, but can happen a year earlier. Registrars have previously spent time in Palestine, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zambia.

THE TRAINING CHARTER

We are also posting our current Training Charter. This is a regularly reviewed document agreed between GP registrars and GP trainers. The 2011 review is happening at the moment. It is not a legal document but a guide which elucidates the aspirations, rights and responsibilities of trainers and registrars on the training programme

FURTHER INFORMATION

If you would like further information about the scheme, please contact the programme administrator who will channel your enquiry appropriately.

03/11/2011