Foreword

Welcome to the second edition of your Deanery newsletter for 2023. Spring has arrived as we enter one of the busiest times for doctors in training- job interviews, ARCP, preparing for new rotations. Generally, we can expect our clinical work to be a little lighter at this time of year, but that is not the current experience.

We understand how challenging it is not only to undertake training and to demonstrate competencies but documenting them too can be a challenge. If you have any innovative ways of doing this you could share with colleagues, we would love to share them.

A reminder is included in this edition for the General Medical Council National Training Survey. This is now open to trainees and closes on the 4^th of May. Please find the time to complete this important survey that aids with the quality of your training programmes thanks to your feedback.

For some it is a “simple” choice of General Practice or Speciality training; for others there is a desire to test out a few options via fellow posts or locums; and for a growing number it is stepping off the training conveyor belt and enjoying life as a SAS or Locally employed doctor or embarking in the new specialist grade doctor.

Over the next few editions, we will be sharing information and signposting on how to make these decisions work for you. This month Dr Lynn McCallum, medical director NHS Borders has written an invitation to experience a smaller DGH for training, the story of belonging and being valued certainly gives us food for thought. We will be working with doctors as they progress along the training pathway to identify who wants to set down roots, who is happy to rotate and who isn’t sure and would like to be able to make a change halfway through. We won’t always be able to match needs and wants but we will try.

On the same theme of options for trainees Dr Lynne Meekison shares information on becoming a SAS grade doctor or a specialist- both grades much needed in our NHS.

There are currently funding opportunities available for medical education research. These are through the Scottish Medical Education Research Consortium, funded by NES, and applications are open until the 9^th of June.

A rapidly evolving arena is the use of technology in learning. The Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) team in NHS Education for Scotland is there to help support educators to build their skills and confidence in using technology to enhance the design, development, and delivery of their learning resources and programmes. The article discusses how the TEL team can help.

Our final article showcases the continuing education events from the NES Bereavement team including the annual conference.

Remember to keep submitting articles or suggestions for content, take care and take breaks. 

Professor Emma Watson
Executive Medical Director, NHS Education for Scotland 

If you have work you would like to highlight in this newsletter, contact Scotland Deanery.