Training Opportunities.
The circumstances and aspirations of individual trainees will of course vary significantly, and we wish to support and accommodate these in a flexible fashion, whenever possible. Please feel free to discuss your requirements with your Educational Supervisor or Training Programme Director in the first place.
The School is sensitive to the needs of trainees who for personal and domestic reasons legitimately require this form of training, which of course lengthens the duration of training, and accommodates these needs as far as is reasonably possible - on a case-by-case basis. See the policies section for more information.
With proper senior supervision, 'Acting Up' to consultant level is regarded as being a valuable training experience towards the end of a training programme. The challenge of a new consultant post can then be met with more confidence, and the CV can be strengthened - thus increasing the chance of success at an Advisory Appointments Committee (AAC) for a substantive consultant post. It is not the same as a Locum Consultant post, which is unsupervised - these are not approved prior to completion of training.
Certain criteria have to be met, approval gained and formal processes followed before 'Acting Up' can take place. See the policies section for more information.
The School of Obstetrics and Gynaecology recognises that on occasion a transfer between regions, or even between localities within the same region, becomes desirable - usually because of a change in personal circumstances. Whilst sympathetic to trainees in such situations, transfer requests cannot always be accommodated. Well-founded reasons for the transfer request are required. Each case is considered carefully and individually. Formal procedures exist, and further details can be obtained on the policies section.
Trainees wanting to transfer to a different region will need to apply via the national process which is coordinated via the London office of HEE. There are two windows each year and all applications must be made within the speciifed window.
Transfers are not normally agreed within the first year of training.
There are valid reasons on occasion for a trainee to seek specific training outside the region, it not being available locally. This might require an attachment to a post elsewhere in the UK, or even abroad. The formal approval of an out of programme (OOP) allows the trainee to retain their National Training Number (NTN) and ensures that a place on the training programme will be reserved for the trainee upon return. Where this training is supported by the Training Programme Director, the School and PGMDE department are also supportive. Trainees must be have achieved an outcome 1 at their most recent ARCP to be eligible for an OOP. The OOP process requires prior approval from the PGMDE, the national specialty body (Specialty Advisory Committee - SAC) and the national regulatory authority (GMC or GMC) - this process is lengthy, so forward planning (minimum of six months) is essential. See the policies section for more information.
Statement from GMC on OOP:
"All training must be approved prospectively if it is to count towards the award of CCT or CESR (CP) – this is a requirement of the European Directive 2005/36/EC. In order to fulfil our statutory obligation, we will not approve training that has already been undertaken.
In the instance where an application is received after the training post has started, we will only consider approving the remaining part of the post. In order to do this, we will require confirmation from the relevant college that the competencies that will be counting towards CCT or CESR (CP) will be attained in the future part of the post. We will also ask the college to amend the number of months to count if necessary."
Clinical Lectureships are available across the School. Further details and news on vacancies are available on the Academic Training site.
Future Leaders posts are available in the School of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Please see the Future Leaders Programme section for further information. Trainees successfully appointed to the Future Leaders Programme will also need to apply for an out of programme, following the information above.