News and Opportunities

Breaking news

• We hope all your ARCPs went smoothly. If you have any concerns do get in touch.
• Please fill in this very short survey: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/GMPB3LN. Evidence on the availability of training opportunities and the experience of current trainees in Bronchoscopy is essential to inform any future curriculum changes.
• There was a disappointing turnout to the Pan-London CF training day, which was very well organised. Please feed back to us, or Angshu directly, why you did not attend so we can address any particular issues. Thanks.
• LJ will be part of a team representing the UK against our European colleagues in the ERS Championship on Sunday 4th September. If you’re attending the ERS please book into this free session – she is going to need support (and a knowledge transplant…?).

Respiratory Training Programme

• You should have received further information on the EoE repatriation of posts via email from David Tihanyi at UCLP. If you have any questions please have a look at the EoE HEE website or London HEE website and The Repatriation Project Committee FAQs on their website. If you have any further questions contact Emilie and all answers will be collated.
• The next training day is tomorrow: Fri 29th July at Homerton Hospital. The programme looks great, and includes curricular areas not often covered such as legal aspects of practice (2016_07_29 Homerton Timetable). There will also be SpR presentations, with tips on how to make the most of OOP time. There is also a day at The Royal Free on 1st November.

GIM Training Programme

• Look out for details of new monthly acute medicine teaching sessions, run by registrars for registrars at UCLP on Tottenham Court Road and worth 2 RCP CPD points. The next session will be on 25th August 16.00-18.00 on Radiology on the Acute Take. Keep an eye on your emails and the UCLP site for booking details.
• The next GIM teaching day is 28th September at BHR and includes acute Oncology, Haem and Palliative Care. Following this there will be a day at Basildon on 8th November, programme to be announced.   Don’t forget that all GIM info is on the UCLP site.
• UCLPartners Education Conference 2016 – Educational Innovation Through Partnership will be on 6th December 2016 at Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Regents Park. Only £25 for trainees, and there is an opportunity to submit posters. Book via Eventbrite.
• There will also be SIM sessions at Homerton on 24th September and 1st March focused on planning transfers of care, complex discharge planning, ethics, DNAR discussions, consent and leadership skills. Look on the UCLP website and book by emailing:  simulation@homerton.nhs.uk
• The Mind-body interface conference: Re-exploring the connections will be on 16th September at the RCP. A really interesting programme on the intersection between physical and mental health, highly relevant to the NHS 5 year forward view and our future practice. Read more on the EventBrite page.

External/Additional Training

• Upcoming Teach-Ins at the Royal College of Physicians include: Rheumatological emergencies on 4th October. These are free, and usually include high quality up-to-date speakers and presentations.  A good source of GIM CPD points and a bonus of living in London. The RCP are streaming some events, including Teach-ins, and has an archive so you can catch up with events you missed.
• Upcoming BTS short courses include: Lung Transplantation on 22nd September.
• Don’t forget courses on occupational lung disease at the National Heart and Lung Institute. Dr Jo Szram also invites trainees to shadow in the Occupational Lung Disease clinic. See the FAQs for more information.
• Dr William Man is hosting a course at The Royal Marsden on 2nd September “Latest advances in pulmonary rehabilitation”.
• Test your knowledge and earn some cash in the process, by piloting the GMC’s fitness to practice assessments. The Respiratory Medicine pilot is on 24th August and will consist of a knowledge test (single best answer like the SCE) and an OSCE. It is open to consultants, registrars and other junior doctors (with at least 4 months experience in respiratory medicine in the last year) and will be held in London at the Royal College of Anaesthetists. It is a useful exercise for any doctor and may inform learning needs, PDPs etc. If that wasn’t incentive enough you will be paid. Please see website for full info.
• Sign up to the PLAN (Pan-London Airways Network) newsletter to hear of free educational events open to the Respiratory MDT – regular sessions on leadership, management and integrated care. A great opportunity to learn alongside MDT colleagues and sign-off curriculum competencies.
• Follow @resptrainees and take a look at the new site for Respiratory trainees on the BTS linked Respiratory Futures website. Get in touch to recommend resources and information, and to get involved as an associate editor.

Jobs/Research opportunities

• The ERS has a number of short and long-term fellowships to fund research, which may be an alternative to MRC/Wellcome/NIHR fellowships for some trainees.
• The Peel and Rothwell Jackson Postgraduate Travelling Fellowships are now open for applications. Up to £30,000 is available for a fellowship in order to complete research, advanced study, or the acquisition of a new clinical skill unlikely to be available in the UK. Up to two fellowships will be awarded in this round. The closing date is Friday 4th November. For more details see the Peel Trust website.
• The BTS highlights a number of funding opportunities relevant to Respiratory trainees on its’ pages.
• Remember that even if specific research jobs are not advertised, Consultants with academic positions are always looking for enthusiastic SpRs to join them. They may have pots of money for projects, or may have ideas that could become an MD/PhD. You’ll never know if you don’t ask. Ask around, and get in touch with anyone on the research pages for more info.
• Wondering whether you want to pursue a future in academic Respiratory medicine? Why not watch the BTS video featuring Dr John Hurst?

Committees

• TPMC
  • Please get in touch to raise issues you want us to bring up at the next TPMC. Let us know what concerns you so we can be an effective trainee voice on the committee.
• BTS 
  • Remember that a number of our trainees hold positions on BTS committees: Abi Moore is on the BTS Specialist Trainee Advisory Group committee, focusing on education and training and LJ Smith is ‘Digital Champion’; Jess Potter is on the TB Specialist Advisory Group; Ricardo Jose and Hannah Woodcock are on the Science and Research Committee; Elspeth Potton is on the Lung Infection Specialist Advisory Group; Zaheer Mangera is on the Tobacco Specialist Advisory Group. Why not ask them about their roles at the next training day, and consider joining a committee yourself? The BTS frequently advertises for trainees to join a range of advisory groups, committees and working parties. If a committee doesn’t have trainee representation why not email the Chair and offer your services?

• ERS International Congress 2016 3-7th September, London
• BTS Winter meeting 7-9th December, London
• Annual BTOG Conference 25-27th January 2017, Dublin

Other

• We hope you are keeping your morale up in these times of uncertainty regarding the junior doctor contract. Support each other, and your colleagues in other healthcare professions. If you are struggling and would like to talk please approach you educational supervisor, get in touch, or consider contacting the Professional Support Unit at HEE.
• Do you have ideas for future themes we should cover in Respiratory training days? Let us know. The teams organising upcoming days are trying to match up to gaps identified by our ongoing curriculum mapping, but are keen to hear suggestions.
• Don’t forget to have a look at the ‘clinic aide-memoires’ on the Resources page and ‘favourite papers‘ from Consultants around the region. If your Consultant is not on there, please encourage them to recommend a useful paper.
• Many of you will have received emails from us requesting information we can use on the prospectus pages about each hospital on the rotation. Please consider sending info on your current or previous jobs directly by email, or through the anonymous survey. If you are currently out of programme please send information on your most recent, most liked or most hated post!
• Are you level 1 Ultrasound accredited? Do you have the skills necessary to lead small group teaching of the principles and practice of thoracic ultrasound for CMTs/ACCS trainees/A&E docs/early Respiratory SpRs? If yes get in touch and we’ll pass your details on to the co-ordinator of a (commercial) London USS course. Several Respiratory and Radiology Consultants and SpRs from our hospitals already teach on the course, and they are looking to expand their pool of facilitators and future lecturers. Experience in teaching, a certificate for the portfolio, the chance to try out the latest USS machines, and a (pretty decent) fee are available in exchange for your time and skills.