Welcome to the South Birmingham General Practitioner Vocational Training Service web pages.

This home page contains an introduction to the scheme.  
For all other information please follow the links on the left hand side.   
We can be reached by telephone or e-mail through the contacts page.  

We meet at The New Queen Elizabeth Hospital Postgraduate Centre on a Thursday afternoon at 2.00 pm. (Please note the recent change of venue).
The dates of the next terms are 12th August to 14th October, 18th November to 16th December, 3rd February to 17th March and 28th April to 16th June. Your practices have already been informed about these.
 Please follow the links off the Current Timetable page for resources.

South Birmingham Vocational Training Scheme 2009/2010.

The South Birmingham VTS has evolved over many years and remains a thriving, popular scheme. Our overall aim is to provide general practice registrars( ST3’s) and SHOs (ST1’s and 2’s) with a high quality, interesting and relevant course, which will help prepare them for their future careers as general practitioners. We are a combined course, which means we have ST 1-3’s on the scheme. One aim is that the ST 1’s & 2’s derive a sense of direction and community from the course, anchoring them during their hospital years. We also wish to facilitate the personal development of the course members, looking forward to the changing career that lies ahead.

It is difficult to summarize the competencies that are needed to become and remain a general practitioner, practising as we do in the ‘swampy lowlands’ of medicine. Much has been written recently in the new curriculum document about the skills, knowledge and attributes required by the competent general practitioner and the needs of learners finding their way there. The course provides an ideal climate and balance for looking particularly at all three areas. Time is too short to spend the majority of the time addressing knowledge, which is also freely available elsewhere.

Methods

On the course we use a variety of learning techniques, especially small group work. The course includes a broad content and we try to respond to requests to cover particular subjects. Whilst wishing to be innovative we recognize the need for registrars to gain membership of the RCGP. Our course covers a large proportion of the nMRCGP curriculum.

We introduce the principles of different learning tools, for instance, self-directed learning; portfolio based learning (including the use of educational diaries) and problem based learning. Communication skills’ teaching is provided and includes the use of video consultations and role-play. Participants are helped to develop critical appraisal skills. This necessitates a grasp of epidemiological principles. Participants are encouraged to make presentations to other participants as individuals, or as part of their small group. We start the afternoon with a presentation by one of the course participants of either a DEN (Doctors Educational Need) or a paper from a medical journal. We then break into educational groups. After a break mid-afternoon, there is usually an activity involving the course participants as a whole. This is facilitated by the Course Organisers or occasionally the course participants.

The Course

The complexities of placing so many doctors on the schemes means there has to be some flexibility as to exactly which posts are available, bearing in mind the requirements of hospital trusts and the deanery.  Following these posts registrars spend a further year in a training general practice. Recently the number of registrars training in Birmingham has exceeded the number of practices available. We have accommodated them all by doubling up in a few practices.

Doctors at all stages of the scheme attend the half day release course; many doctors attend the course for three years continuously. In effect, we have a three-year course, which is of a rolling nature; we do not have a new intake every three years. We cannot (nor should we) cover everything in a year. Our basic formula therefore is in each year, to provide a course, which includes video work, critical appraisal, project work, presentations by participants, communication skills, and ethics, along with specific subjects suggested by course members. In the final year of training many participants form n MRCGP study groups which meet independently of the VTS.

The Course Organisers

David Taylor, Anne Gillies, Malcolm Laird, Andy Ross and Joyce Williams are all general practitioners in Birmingham. Between us we have a considerable amount of general practice experience. We have a range of additional teaching skills, with experience of training, medical politics administration and research. However, our chief asset is that we work very well as a team.

The SHO (ST 1 and 2) Years

During the hospital years it is important to keep your eyes on your ultimate goal, general practice. Each craft has its own set of skills, some of which will be useful to general practice (minor surgery) some of which will not (major trauma). It is important to know the basics of major trauma, but not the detail, and making the most use of your ST 1 and 2 posts is an important part of your time in hospital. For instance, outpatient work is often important, you will see there conditions which have been referred up by GPs for further management. The reason for the referral, the content of the letter, and the subsequent management will be illuminating.

Each craft has a set of core skills useful for general practice. The RCGP in association with the craft, (and the MPS!) publish these as a series of booklets. These are also displayed in the new regional assessment package.

While in a particular post your education will still be geared towards general practice. This means that while doing paediatrics, it may be the best time for you to attend your practical or theoretical family planning course. This is important for several reasons. You need to book ahead. If everybody doing O&G tries to go on the family planning course, the hospital cannot allow so many of the ST 1 and 2’s to go at one time and some will be disappointed. You may need to book the course and approach the clinical tutor of your next post. It is also important for the hospitals that you plan ahead; we are frequently reminded that sorting out duty rosters can be a nightmare. The money for these courses comes through the educational budget given to each clinical tutor.

The four Course Organisers are available for support and advice. You will find fellow course members; particularly those ahead of you on the scheme are a great source of wisdom.

The Registrar Year (ST 3)

Is fairly crowded! However with preparation and steady work it is possible to comfortably achieve all your goals. You are now required to pass new n MRCGP to practice in the UK (there are a few odd European legal exceptions to this). This consists of a Clinical Skills Assessment, an Applied Knowledge Test and satisfactory completion of an e-portfolio.

Your week in practice will vary according to the practice, but it should include10 sessions of 4 hours, doing: 

Study Leave