News and Opportunities

Breaking news

• You may have already spotted LJ on the latest RCP Speciality Spotlight, singing the praises of Respiratory Medicine, in conversation with Imperial’s Graeme Wilson. Please point FYs and CMTs to the video and the page as it contains loads of useful resources, and we need to recruit the best and nicest people into our speciality!
• Help your colleagues and pass on the essential information to make switchover less painful. Why not create a handover document with all the info you wish you’d known when you started working in your current role. Please use this template if no handover document currently exists at your trust –> Resp guide for SpRs template.
• Thanks to Angshu for pushing forward with a standardised logbook. This can now be used to document all Bronchs, Pleural procedures, NIV etc and then uploaded to your personal library in the ePortfolio. It is possible that after a few years, a more functional app may become available, but for now, this standardises the information required.
  Please remember that no patient identifiable information should be recorded – only age and gender. Trainees do not have to transfer data already collected, but should use this template from now on to log all procedures. You can find the logbook on the JRPCTB website, or download directly here –>  Respiratory Logbook_2017
• FAQs have been updated to include info on fulfilling the 100hrs external GIM CPD requirement, and guidance on written reflections on the ePortfolio.

Respiratory Training Programme

• We have a number of training days booked in – thanks for the advance planning! If you don’t see your hospital on this list, why not ask them to confirm a date after June? Why not offer to help find a speaker or two, or suggest a topic?
  • Thurs 20th April, Pan-London Training Day on Genetic and Developmental Lung disease (location TBC)
  • Fri 12th May, Princess Alexandra (date changed)
  • Wed 7th June, The Whittington Hospital
  • Thurs 21st September, Broomfield Hospital
  • Tues 14th November, Pan-London Day on Occupational Lung Disease
• The Summer BTS meeting is 22-23rd June – don’t miss the early bird rate which ends on 2nd May

GIM Training Programme

• The next regional GIM teaching day is on March 27th at Homerton, on IBD. After this we have 29th June at UCLH, 14th July at Whipps Cross, 13th September at Barnet, and 8th November at Newham (topics TBC).  Don’t forget that all GIM info is on the UCLP site and that you need to book onto these days via Eventbrite.
• The next monthly acute medicine teaching sessions, run by registrars for registrars at UCLP on Tottenham Court Road is on Thurs 6th April, (they are on the 2nd Thursday of every month) 4-6pm, Tottenham Court Road. Book via Eventbrite.
• A number of other UCLP training sessions are available, focused on professional development. These include sessions on quality improvement, leadership, selfcare and resilience, and cultural health factors.  Find details, dates and links to book via Eventbrite on the UCLP pages. The trainee Reps have been on several of these so ask them about which ones were particularly good. 

External/Additional Training

• The 2017 BTS short course programme has now been announced and includes Pulmonary Rehab in Birmingham (26th April), Acute and home NIV in London (11-12th May), Integrated Care in London (7th June), and more!
• Upcoming Teach-Ins at the Royal College of Physicians include: Diabetes 4th April, Infectious Diseases 2nd May, and Endocrine emergencies 6th June. The RCP are streaming some events, including Teach-ins, and has an archive so you can catch up with events you missed.
• The next Cambridge Medical Seminars meeting is in July covering Neurology, Haematology and Oncology. Good value GIM. Booking open.
• Sign up to the PLAN (Pan-London Airways Network) newsletter to hear of free educational events open to the entire Respiratory MDT. A great opportunity to learn alongside MDT colleagues and sign-off curriculum competencies. Next meeting 8th June (half-day), with the theme of Respiratory Failure, featuring speakers including Paddy from the Lane Fox. Sponsored by a number of drug companies through undirected educational grants, so lunch is free.
• Follow @resptrainees and take a look at the Respiratory Futures Trainees website. Resources are being added all the time, and a podcast series on Respiratory careers is planned for this year. Recommend your own resources and share the love with your fellow Respiratory trainees.
• Need an update on genomics? The Genomics Education Programme is the NHS’s method of ensuring its staff have the knowledge, skills and experience to ensure that the health service remains a world leader in genomic and precision medicine. Find the great, free resources at HEE Genomics Education.
• HEE (what was The London Deanery eons ago) provide a load of funded courses, free career advice and individual support. Make the most of these great opportunities by having a look at the website and booking yourself onto something.

Jobs/OOP/Opportunities

• The ERS has a number of fellowships on offer.
• The BTS highlights a number of funding opportunities relevant to Respiratory trainees on its’ pages.
• The BTS has announced the 2017 BTS Best Practice Travel Grants. If you have an abstract accepted for the European CF Conference or ERS then complete an application form and you might get your flights and accommodation funded.
• 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.
• UCLP
  • The next UCLPartners Trainee Forum is on June 13th. Let Camus or Anita know if you want to ask any questions or give any feedback on GIM or issues that affect multiple specialities.

Conferences

• BTS Summer Meeting 22-23rd June. Early Bird deadline May 2nd. Clinical Grand Round deadline 7th April.
• ATS Meeting 19-24th May, Washington.
• ERS Congress 9-13th September, Milan.

Other

• There is a new COPD audit forum on the Respiratory Futures BTS site. It brings together information, learning and QI resources. Don’t reinvent the wheel – use the experiences of others to improve care for patients with COPD in your Trust.
• The BTS have launched a new Environment and Lung Health Position Statement. Climate change is a major threat to human health and the BTS are determined that the Society, members and the wider respiratory community play a part in promoting lung health for all by helping to reduce the impact of climate change. Have a look and think about how you can get involved. Respiratory physicians must be leaders in sustainable change.
• 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.
• Please send us 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!