Introduction to the Course

The Core Psychiatry Training Course is a taught course, for all Core Trainees who have a National Training Number in Yorkshire and the Humber.
The course is delivered to core trainees in psychiatry over 3 years, jointly by the University of Leeds and Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, across Yorkshire and Humberside.

Partnerships
The University of Leeds collaborates with psychiatrists from Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, Humber NHS Foundation Trust, and the Yorkshire part of Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust to provide teaching for the West, North and East of the region.
Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust (SHSC) collaborates with psychiatrists and academics from the University of Sheffield, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield Hallam University, the University of York and the University of Central Lancashire to provide teaching for the South of the region.

Both centres work closely to build upon the strengths of each course and thereby optimise the quality and outcomes of the course for all trainees. We share resources to enhance trainees’ learning experience and support trainees in their educational and professional development in preparation for sitting the MRCPsych examinations.

Teaching
Teaching takes place on one day per fortnight over two semesters each year. The format of the course includes lectures, workshops, interaction with simulated patients and self-directed study. Most teaching is face-to-face in the two centres and maps closely onto the MRCPsych syllabus. Additionally, some specialist teaching is delivered in joint sessions which trainees from both centres attend and via live video-linked lectures.
Year 1 teaching covers the content relevant to Paper A and is on Fridays; Year 2 teaching on Tuesdays, covers the content relevant to Paper B. In Year 3, the focus is on further developing clinical interviewing skills for CASC and there are opportunities to practice under exam conditions in bi-annual "Mock CASC" sessions. There is also teaching on preparing for higher training. In each year of the course there is teaching on communication skills with formative assessments of communication skills (FACS) at the end of years 1 and 2, to help trainees’ development in this important area.
Trainees consistently give positive feedback on the quality and relevance of the course content and we continually strive to improve the course to keep trainees engaged and feeling prepared for their examinations and further clinical practice.