East of England Inter-Disciplinary Cases Workshop a success

By Rachel Dale and Alexandra Nance, Co-Chairs of the East of England Healthcare Science Trainee Network

On 23 May, the East of England Healthcare Science Trainee Network gathered at Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire for an Inter-Disciplinary Cases Workshop. The aims of the event were to enable STP trainees to:

• Teach one another about their disciplines
• Gain a broader understanding of how clinical scientists are involved in the patient pathway
• Gather evidence towards four specific professional practice competencies
• Get to know one another better by working in small, cross-specialism groups.

One week before the event, participants were divided into two groups and emailed cases in order to be able to prepare for discussion on the day. 17 trainees attended from a range of life and physiological sciences specialisms, and it was really fascinating to hear about the different ways in which we have an impact on our patients, and the various aspects of our jobs that are straightforward or more challenging. Each trainee talked about a small part of the patient pathway, and together we created a larger picture of the patient experience, which helped us all to a better understanding of each case. Positive feedback from participants referred to the opportunities to both learn how to communicate our specialism with non-specialists, and to learn from trainees in other specialisms.

We hope to make this an annual event, and would be very keen to hear from any physics or neurosensory trainees in the region who would like to attend next year, or even to suggest a case we could discuss. We have produced a report which is available on request to anyone considering running a similar event. Email us eoehcs@gmail.com