Reflections of a Local Hospital Co-ordinator for the RANZCP exams

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Just added is a document which contains some insights from a local hospital co-ordinator for the RANZCP clinical exams. Here is a snippet...

"Once the RANZCP decides on the location for the clinical examinations, various hospitals are chosen to host the OCI (observed clinical interview) and OSCE (objective structured clinical examination) component of the examinations. The OCI is held over two days in most occasions and up to 8 candidates are examined on each day at each site, if two streams are running concurrently. The OCI begins by 8am and concludes at 5.15pm, hence, a very long day for all involved"...

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A resounding ‘Yes’ for a new approach to independent medical education

It was so pleasing to see the recent feedback from our survey on independent medical education, both as a doctor and independent medical education provider.

Many thanks to all those who replied, and showed us that Doctors are prepared to pay for medical education if they are purchasing access to a quality medical education event. In addition, we were thrilled that some rated our SleepSchool and HIV Matters Summit as the best medical education event for 2009.

Most of the criticism regarding pharmaceutical company sponsorship relates to a perception that the content of the material may be biased, or that niche therapeutic areas that are not treated by medication (such as the psychotherapies) are not explored. While we have had experience with collaborating with pharmaceutical companies, we are now ready to pursue our beliefs that there is room for both approaches.

Recently, out major sponsor for our HIV summit withdrew support, but we are not perturbed and are proceeding with developing a fantastic new program for 2010. This program will address the very important areas of Image and Identity in those with HIV, and what it means to have HIV in the 21st Century. If you would like to be updated about meeting dates and registration, please email us at hivmatters@cpdformulations.com.au. We aim to deliver a valuable education event not to be missed if you have a special interest in managing patients with HIV.

And big thanks go to Servier Laboratories who helped make our vision of webcasting training programs for registrars a reality in 2009. They truly provided unrestricted educational grants and had no involvement with the content of the programs, and were always very professional and obliging to work with.

Day 2 ponderings from the PME forum

This is the third year that we have attended the National Prevocational Medical Education forum, alongside some 300 delegates from a variety of different interest groups.

Because this year I didn’t have the responsibility of speaking I felt it was easier to step back and think about why such a number of people meet around what is such a small time in the career of a doctor.

Prevocational training is largely defined as the post graduate (pre-specialty) years a doctor serves after completing medical school. In the olden days it was known as ‘internship’ and ‘residency’. Not a long time, and becoming shorter as the race is on for limited training places with the various colleges, and an abundance of keen doctors all vying for these places.

When I went through these years at the start of this decade, there were three main questions doctors often pondered whilst traversing what disappears in the blink of an eye:

1. Why did I decide to be a doctor?
2. Where’s the kudos?
3. How do I get into a training program?

And chatting to peers during the breaks today, it appeared that these questions are as relevant as ever.

In no way am I minimising the importance and value of this forum, certainly not, but I feel that the issues raised and the discussion generated is as equally applicable to medical students and especially registrars, who could be starting their college training as early as in their PGY2 year. These concepts include leadership, doctor’s health and wellbeing, and the tenuous balance between education and service provision. It would be nice to see the audience widened to encompass these areas as well, notwithstanding the practicalities of this and the interfaces involved.

No flies on Virgin as CPD staff no longer fly on Qantas

Greetings from the 14th National Postgraduate Medical Education forum, which starts today on the Gold Coast, Queensland.

We have been attending this conference for the past few years, and last year presented our stunning results from our Present to Pass® courses to a keen audience in Hobart. This year we have come to hear about the latest innovations in medical education, as well as talk to the JMOs about training in Australia in 2009.

We’ll let you know that we think of the content as the conference gets underway!

Meanwhile, we recognise we are a small business, but nevertheless, have always supported Qantas when we need to fly for our workshops and training sessions. But we have made a decision to switch our loyalties after a series of what we see to be examples of poor customer service. We often need to travel to holiday destinations on the eastern seaboard of Australia, prime venue locations for many conferences in this country. But we are so dismayed by how we are treated by Qantas when purchasing code share flights with Jetstar.

It seems that when it suits Qantas the two airlines operate separately. So despite the fact that we book online with Qantas, use Qantas frequent flyer points, and are eligible to access the Qantas Club lounge, we must check in at Jetstar and not be able to access priority service that we pay for.

We are only a small business, but we are going places, and we are discerning when it comes to choosing the carrier that will take us on our journey. So we will switch allegiances to other carrier to many holiday destinations in Australia.

In the meantime as they say, sit back and relax, and check up in a couple of days for the latest on our view of PMCQ!

shop online for cpd products

We have often been asked about whether we have materials available beyond our courses and programs and we are very excited to launch our first DVD/download series: Tips for Success. We have professionally produced a number of videos which focus on interview skills in different applied clinical settings as a resource for psychiatry registrars and medical students.

To find out more visit our new online shopping cart here.

PRESENT 2 PASS® WORKSHOP EVE

We are really looking forward to meeting our next group of participants, joining us in Melbourne this weekend four 5th ‘P2P’.
Once again we have a really interesting group convening from many different parts of Australia and New Zealand. Some are first timers and others have experience with the exams, but if previous courses are anything to go by, the mix brings out a really stimulated discussion and educational experience.
Dr Prem Chopra, our resident ‘scary examiner’ is back, and we have written some new cases to discuss and practice. We also hope to spend more time on interviewing skills.
Dr Scott Blair-West will be joining us to run through anxiety and exam technique, and Olivia Hanlon-Stokes will offer her expert advice on style and dress for the day.
If you missed out on a spot, or would like to join us for future Present to Pass courses, please register your interest at our website. Our next course to be held on August 29 and 30 in Melbourne is filling fast.
Best of luck with you exam preparation!

MID WINTER BREAK AND GETTING READY FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR

It’s so nice to have a break away; thanks to my relatives whom I visited in Mackay I managed to have a wonderful retreat for seven days and escape the winter in Melbourne.

CPD is forging ahead with in house programs, a drive stimulated by our many comments and requests for professional programs not found elsewhere.

Our DVDs showcasing interview techniques in Psychiatry are ready for proofing and ultimately for retail, thanks to our fantastic production team and actors that made the cases come alive. We are thrilled with the results and hope they help psychiatry registrars and students of psychiatry alike.



On a sombre note I noted that whilst listening to the ‘Triple J Hottest 100 of all time’ that 4 of the top 10 songs were recorded by artists that chose suicide as a means of ending life. I don’t know why this may be the case, but after listening to such beautiful tracks as ‘Last Goodbye’ by Jeff Buckley, and ‘Hallelujah’ as recorded by the same, I wonder if they realised that they would be missed for more than the years after their demise, and pondered as artists that had so much more to contribute. Mental illness is so under the radar in the masses way of life; yet appears so highly in the arts and in the lives that we owe so much to. Hopefully this dichotomy will lessen and those afflicted by depression will ultimately find the recovery they need.