Message from your STP Training Programme Directors
Namir Al Hasso, Dr EMma Bowers, Dr Jo Horne, Jane Lynch and Aarti Makan
This month’s message is from Jane Lynch.
Welcome to the first STP memo of 2023! January can be a gloomy time of year, when the excitement of the holiday season is over and the days are still short. The start to 2023 is likely to be challenging, particularly for those working in an extremely busy healthcare environment. Monday 16th January has sometimes been dubbed ‘Blue Monday’. I much prefer the term used by the Samaritans ‘Brew Monday’, making it a positive day for people to reach out to friends, family and colleagues over a cup of tea, to check they are feeling OK. Low mood and poor mental health are of course not restricted to a single day so it’s important to do this throughout the year.
My Top Tips to improve health and wellbeing:
- Get outdoors – as sunlight is likely to be in short supply, make sure you get outside when possible. Being in nature can be particularly helpful. I love to get out for a walk when I can – preferably in the mountains or beside the coast but just walking around my local park can calm my mind and raise my mood.
- Exercise – walking, running, cycling, playing sports – whatever makes you happy!
- Eat healthily – balancing cravings for carbohydrates with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Get enough sleep – mindfulness techniques can help you relax.
- Talk to friends and family – talking to others can help you cope with feeling low.
- Look forward – I always try and have a few events planned in my diary – catching up with friends, days out or a treat following submitting an assignment can really help to keep motivated.
- Seek help when needed – remember to check out our support pages on the website, which include advice, blogs by previous trainees and links to support services.
Information for all trainees
Reflective practice resources
We are pleased to announce the launch of a new set of reflective practice learning resources, which are available for all trainees and their training officers or supervisors to use.
Click here to find out how to access the reflective practice resources.
We have organised several webinars to introduce you to the reflective practice resources available on the Learning Hub. These webinars will specifically introduce you to the purpose of the resources and how they can benefit your training. The webinars will also show you how to access and use them.
Please register for one of the following webinars if you wish to attend:
- Tuesday 7th February 2023 10.00am – 11.00am
- Wednesday 8th February 2023 4.00pm – 5.00pm
- Thursday 9th February 2023 12.00pm – 1.00pm
We welcome attendance from trainees, training officers and assessors.
Update on plans to introduce external assessment in the workplace
In November we outlined our intention to explore the introduction of a lightweight amount of external assessment of workplace-based assessment (OCEs, DOPS and CBDs) for trainees on the new curricula.
In consultation events since then, we have received valuable and detailed feedback from trainers about this proposal. Trainers have told us that overall they are in favour of the proposals but that they have concerns about their logistical feasibility.
In response to the concerns raised we have decided to use the early months of this year to test out some revised approaches to external assessment that are very sensitive to the concerns we have received. A finished model of external assessment is therefore unlikely to be ready to begin in the Autumn of 2023. We would rather pilot and learn than drop an untested proposal on to trainees and trainers. We still plan for external assessment to form part of the assessment strategy for trainees in the 2022 cohort.
We are looking for volunteers to help us to test out some of our revised proposals. Follow the link below to find out more.
Click here to read the full update on plans to introduce external assessment in the workplace.
Protecting sensitive information in OneFile
We have published some new guidance about how trainees should protect and exclude patient identifiable information in their submissions on OneFile. This includes guidance about anonymisation, patient consent and fully removing and redacting (rather than just hiding) sensitive information from files uploaded.
Click here to read the guidance about protecting sensitive information in OneFile.
Dates for the IACC 2022 spring assessment
The published dates for the release of results and deadline for academic appeals have been updated and brought forward:
- Candidate results will be released by Thursday 23 March 2023
- Academic appeals must be submitted by noon on Thursday 6 April 2023. Click here to find the academic appeals policy.
- Requests for reasonable adjustments must be submitted by noon on Friday 3 February 2023. Click here to find the reasonable adjustments policy.
- Mitigating circumstances applications must be submitted by noon on Friday 10 March 2023. Click here to find the mitigating circumstances policy.
Click here to find the key dates for STP 2022 final assessment.
Information for training officers
New programmes to provide training within Respiratory and Sleep Science
We are excited to announce two new programmes to provide training within Respiratory and Sleep Science, developed in response to the Richards’ review (Diagnostics: Recovery and Renewal – Report of the Independent Review of Diagnostic Services for NHS England) and the NHS Long Term plan.
- Graduate Diploma in Respiratory Science
- Postgraduate Certificate in Sleep Medicine
We are holding a webinar on Thursday 2nd February at 1:30pm to introduce these new programmes.
Click here to register for the webinar on Thursday 2nd February at 13:30pm. (expired link)
Planning for the new curriculum: drop-in sessions
We are hosting more drop-in sessions for anyone who will be involved in hosting a trainee on the new STP curriculum from September 2022.
The drop-in sessions will be an open Q&A forum. Our next sessions are:
- Thursday 26th January 12pm to 1pm
- Thursday 23rd February 12pm to 1pm
- Thursday 30th March 12pm to 1pm
- Thursday 27th April 12pm to 1pm
Click here to find the drop-in session joining links.
STP Assessor recruitment
We are delighted at the response to our recent assessor recruitment drive during the last three months of 2022. Thanks to a recruitment campaign conducted by the School’s Digital team and to work led by Lisa Quince, our graduate trainee, we received 86 enquiries from colleagues interested in becoming an STP assessor and 20 enquiries about becoming an HSST Examiner.
We are following up on all enquiries in January 2023. In the meantime, please sign up for the relevant support webinars listed online.
If you are interested in becoming an STP assessor then there is still time to register. Please register your interest on our website and we will be in touch. Click here to express your interest in becoming an STP assessor.
Apply to be an STP external reviewer
We are seeking to appoint three external reviewers for the STP as part of our quality assurance processes for progression and assessment. We wish to appoint one external reviewer per theme (life, physical and physiological sciences). The role and person specification and vacancy details are available online.
The closing date for applications is 22 January 2023.
Click here to find more information about the role and the application form. (expired link)
Managing your trainees
We have created a section on our website providing answers about issues ranging from study leave to funding.
This month’s featured FAQ is:
Q – Who do trainees speak to when they are having problems with training?
A – The trainee must always speak first to their training officer about any problems with training. The School’s Training Programme Directors will support training officers if they need further advice.
Click here to find FAQs on management of trainees for STP trainers.
Missed a previous edition of the STP Monthly Memo?
We’ve published copies of the Monthly Memo for STP trainees and training officers on our website.
Click here to view previous editions of the STP Monthly Memo.