31st October 2016

Happy Surgeons 

Starting this week’s blog with a gratuitous shot of happy surgeons: 

Consultants Jon Trickett & Humphrey Scott with Moutaz Alkhusheh

Usual busy week this one: good to catch up with most of my Core trainee charges to see how their getting on. 

“ISCP” is the Surgeons on-line portfolio. As Local Programme Director (aka Surgical Tutor) I get an overview of trainees’ progress in the form of histograms: 

Only Work-Based Assessments that have been validated by trainers show up which prompts me to make two pleas. The first to trainees: submit submit submit. My HST Andy now knows that I expect to open my email every day and find WBAs to validate as every patient interaction can be a learning experience. Forget about the piffling ‘targets’, these should be useful tools to enhance & demonstrate your learning.

The second plea is to trainers: please VALIDATE asap. There are some issues with Version 10 & communication (for example I am alerted via email to outstanding WBAs but not the internal messaging system) so please develop a habit of checking in to ISCP at least once a week. 

I know there have been exams going on but now that they are out of the way, I’d like to see some portfolio activity and I hope you know after this week’s meetings that I am keeping tabs on you…

Starting Young

Much talk in the medical press again this week on the surgical environment & role-modelling including this “Are surgeons still all privileged white men?” 

As I took children round the College this week it did feel a bit like that with all those portraits staring down so it was good to encourage another generation to see how much more there is to the job. 

Taking swabs, making up slides and performing stains took me right back to BSc projects…

… whilst the competitive hand washing to get full marks under the black light smacked of our current annual mandatory training. 

(In an aside, can I warn you that if you want to see the Hunterian Museum, you have only until May 2017 to do so as after that it is closed for 3 years)

Trainer of the Week

Congratulations to Arshad Khaleel for hosting the 17th Annual Chertsey FRCS (Orth) Revision Course this weekend, demonstrating some serious staying power & a phenomenal commitment to education 

And Finally …

Interesting info graphic from the Guardian this week on where our doctors come from. Let’s cherish the diversity of the NHS 

24th October 2016

This week I engaged in some education for myself. It is easy for Educational Supervisors to get wrapped up in the demands of ISCP & eportfolio for their trainees, yet neglect their own professional development which needs to cover the entire scope of their practice.

I was in Lyon with 6 other UK Hand & Wrist surgeons on an Advance Wrist Course. Trips like this are a great boost: the chance to talk with colleagues, share cases and trial kit in cadaveric labs. 

Najab Ellahee, Claire Edwards, Dave Clarke, Miguel Olivera & Lorenzo Garagnani

You might think that once you’ve got through training, that might be the end of collating certificates and clocking up courses – but it is only the beginning.

This summer, Consultant Appraisal expanded to cover Educational activity. Your trainers now need to demonstrate evidence of teaching & training so don’t be surprised if they (perhaps shyly) ask you for written feedback on their skills. Think of it as a quid pro quo for ALL those WBAs I know you are showering them with.

To help with this, I am launching early this year’s Surgical TOTY 2016 (that’s Trainer of the Year). 

2015 Surgical TOTY Mr Bill Dunsmuir

Clearly this cannot be a popularity contest as some excellent trainers may only have a single Trainee to supervise this term so I would like you to email me a Citation. 

This should be a paragraph on why you think this person should be nominated with an example of good practice. I had a few submissions last year that said things like ‘because he is lovely’ which of course is nice to hear but not quite what I was after.
All those cited are shortlisted and the Surgical TOTY is chosen on the quality of the work cited. I then anonymise the citation (to spare any blushes) and forward it to the Trainer to add to their Appraisal Portfolio.

The closing date in December 31st.

Forthcoming Attractions

A few of you have asked me about Ophthalmology as a career. There is an event taking place on Saturday 3rd December at @RoySocMed which make be of interest: the Annual Student & Trainee Ophthalmic Conference 

17th October 2016

Cheer up …

Interesting start for the NHS Whistling Blowing Tsar Dr Henrietta Hughes as she told us all we needed a greater dose of ‘trust and joy and love‘ on Monday morning. 

Dr Henrietta Hughes, GP & National Guardian

The National Guardian for Speaking Out Safely Dr Hughes said her role was ‘to create a really positive culture in the NHS so that all staff feel safe to speak up.’

It is a joyful coincidence on #WorldMentalHealthDay on Monday I went to experience Building Personal Resilience training. Katie Dodsworth, an Occupational Psychologist with Roberton Cooper, walked us through exploring psychological wellbeing. As Katie said, this was not about Zumba & fruit bowls but a practical analysis & strategies.

You might find the NHS Employers Toolkit on this helpful: 

Introducing… Smita Shetty

Welcome to Smita @smitashetty2016 who has started this month as our new Medical Staffing Liaison Officer and is already making a big difference 

Feedback and surveys have shown us we can no longer muddle along tacking on rostering to other administrative roles and Smita’s role is to focus on the needs of our T&O doctors-in-training. She has already made a terrific impact, in just a couple of weeks.

Surgical Local Faculty Group Meeting

For those of you new to @HEE_KSS, three times a year specialities hold Faculty Group meetings. 

In Surgery, this group is made up of Educational Supervisors, Trainee Reps, Library team, Administrators from Surgery, Urology & T&O, Nursing Reps and our Postgrad team. In the open part of the meeting we discuss trainee concerns, new developments in the AES role, updates on our GMC Survey efforts and feedback on how the August & October inductions went. In particular we went over the demands to be made of our Educational Supervisors with the new Contracts.

It was a busy afternoon.

Your Trainee Reps are Kwaku & Mo who both comprehensively reported back your thoughts & concerns. It was at times uncomfortable to hear but how else are we going to improve unless we have honest assessments. Particularly shocked to hear about the lack of registrar bleeps: and this has been going on for a while! If we don’t know we can’t help so please tell these guys your issues. 

Kwaku Baryeh & Mo Mobasheri

Forthcoming Attractions

I make no apology for highlighting lady-doctoring-stuff. The Medical Women’s Federation Autumn Conference is coming up: 

10th October 2016

Welcome to the new site for the Surgical Tutor’s Homepage. Previous posts can still be found on http://surgicaltutor.blogspot.com 

Fond Farewell

Tuesday was the last day for some of our Registrars in T&O, Urology and General Surgery. Very best wishes for your new attachments: you’ve been great and we’ll miss you

Mr Michael wrestles Mr Gallagher to prevent him leaviing

Mr Cole with Andrew Chetwood & Holly Ni Raghallaigh

Changeover Day
This week, we welcomed the new intake of Orthopaedic, Urology and Surgical Higher Trainees to Ashford & St Peter’s @ASPHFT.

The Surgical staggered start (Foundation & CSTs in August, HSTs in October) is really helpful in ensuring patient safety and communication. We welcomed four new faces to T&O: Andrew Stone, Chris Gee, Ziad Harb & Chris Jukes

Andrew, Chris, Ziad & Chris

 Surgeon(s) of the Week

Two for one this week: a pair of Urologists. Senthy Sellaturay (left) is one of @ASPHFT’s fabulous stone team who this week launched their part on a trial with @RoyalSurrey to treat A&E patients with Ureteric Stones in the lithotripter.

With him is Andrew Chetwood, who is staying with us as a locum consultant after completing his training with us and winning the Gold Medal at the FRCS (Urol) exit exam. He will be off in February to start Fellowship training in Australia.

Forthcoming Attractions

Two weeks till the @theBMA Careers Fair: 

… and the RSM @RoySocMed Speciality Careers Fair is on Friday November 11th