Surgeons from all over the country have descended on London this week to take part in the Core Surgery National Selection. Over ten days, 1340 junior doctors are interviewed through 3 stations: Portfolio, Management and Clinical. These are run as five 'circuits' across three floors of the Amba Hotel Charing Cross. Each station has two interviewers and an observer who could be a Consultant surgeon (eg the clinical lead for the circuit) or Senior Registrar or a lay observer.
We start each morning gathered in our circuits to listen to a preparation video where @Humphrey_Scott reiterates the process before taking up our posts for the day. This was Circuit 3&4:
Great care is taken to standardise the interviews so that every candidate can have the same experience. That was my job this week, as 'clinical lead' for my circuit I sat in on each of the stations, made sure there was no wide discrepancy between marks from the two panellists and checking up on any issues flagged up in the portfolios.
Data Protection
The commonest issue was patient identifiable data. You may think that just means names, but it also means hospital numbers so please check your logbooks. Imagine if, say on your way back from the interviews, you left your portfolio on the train. Your logbook details are then fair game to any passing Daily Mail "journalist" who has the name of the institution, date of procedure, hospital number, age and operation details. It's a very short step to get a name then a front page splash.
We have to take those pages out and shred them on the spot. Nearly all of you are using elogbook - use the filters to generate anonymised data and summary sheets. Get into the habit, you'll be doing that for every ARCP.
Thank you cards: black out the names of patients or sadly we will have to take those out and shred them too. As consultants, our entire appraisals @ASPHFT, a whole year's worth of collated data and professional development, can be rejected by the Responsible Officer if a single patient's name is even faintly discernible under the black marker pen (oh yes, he's THAT finnickety) so get used to the process.
There's still a week of interviews to go: good luck to all those candidates. It has been wonderful to see the standard of so many dedicated junior doctors, it's is fantastic to see.
LETB Visit 26th February
Quick update for all those who are on leave or unavailable to attend the Deanery Visit:
Trainees, particularly Urology trainees who have their ARCP in Brighton that day, the Visitors will take email submissions so @unclehester get in touch with me and I will pass on email details. If you're on nights or leave, you can do the same: I know @youngseokcho has already done so, thank you.
Educational supervisors, you can do the same. @HEE_KSS are particularly looking for any areas you've been struggling to develop improvement projects: they would like to help if they can.
Tackling Undermining @ASPHFT
You may know that a couple of years ago I was part of a pilot project with @HEE_KSS led by Dr Kevin Kelleher @fflintstone11 looking at trying to improve the trainee experience. At that time, Obs & Gynae was the speciality with the highest reported incidences of bullying & undermining & @RCObsGyn had initiated a network of champions through the Trusts to address it.
Once the pilot project came to an end I wanted to maintain the spotlight it had cast on addressing challenging behaviours. No one underestimates how hard it is to manage a bully in the department. The perceived easiest option, to sit it out (4 months just flies by, doesn't it?) doesn't help those of us here for the long haul improve the educational environment. And it does nothing for patient safety.
I was this week alerted by one of our Educational Supervisors, to challenging behaviour exhibited towards a very junior trainee. I cannot ignore this, just as the Educational Supervisor could not ignore it.
What annoys me is how this behaviour can go unreported and therefore unacknowledged as an issue, and this is what I want to change.
I have completed Datix reports on behalf of the trainee with their consent, withholding their name and I will update them on developments. Once a Datix is done, there is a time frame within which a response is required, but more importantly it is a record, a log of events and as such must be taken seriously.
Please come and tell me, or if not me your Educational Supervisor, if you are not experiencing a healthy working environment. I promise you, you won't be told as I was when I was training to 'put up or shut up'.
And if you're wondering why @DeanMichael1971 is shouting at @hine_jo in the illustrating photo, they very kindly staged a photo story for me for a presentation at last year's "Student & Trainee Voice" - he's a big softy really!
If you've been following the story of Dr Caroline Tan, http://m.theage.com.au/victoria/surgeon-caroline-tan-breaks-silence-over-sexual-harassment-in-hospitals-20150311-141hfi.html you'll know the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons @RACSurgeons has been forced to act strongly to overthrow the perceived culture of 'an Anglo-Saxon old boys' club' where surgeons have been described as 'eating their young'. And it wasn't just pale, male surgeons either http://m.smh.com.au/national/senior-monash-surgeon-accused-of-bullying-20150522-gh7oi8.html
We owe it to our colleagues to create the best working environment we can, for better communication, for better team building and ultimately for the safest patient care.
Surgeon of the Week
We have a new arrival in the Rowley Bristow Orthopaedic Unit and a sad goodbye too: say hello to Spinal Surgeon Mr Vish Prasad and farewell to Fracture Clinic's Sr Ann Fletcher
Vish was with us a Registrar and rejoins us having been a Consultant at Medway Maritime. He's married to @ASPHFT anaesthetic consultant Claire Cunningham.
February 12th is the last day in the Trust for Sr Ann Fletcher. I won't embarrass her here (I'll save that for her leaving party send-off) but there's no doubt she'll leave a massive void in the department.
Forthcoming Attractions
This year's ASiT @ASiTofficial 40th Anniversary Conference is fast upon us: if you haven't booked leave or your place in Liverpool, you still have time
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