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.

Forensic psychiatry

We are thrilled to confirm that Dr Danny Sullivan, forensic psychiatrist at Forensicare, will be one of our guest examiners for the first week of the P2P OSCE series.
Dr Danny Sullivan is an international expert on forensic psychiatry and also a great teacher. We are very excited to hear what he has to teach us all about this important area of psychiatry that receives little formal exposure in psychiatry training.
As with our last session, there is an opportunity for you to come into the office and participate in role plays under OSCE examination conditions, or take part via our live webstreaming online. If you are able to watch YouTube® on your computer, you have sufficient technology to view this event. In the last series we had registrars dialling in from all over Australia and New Zealand!
The P2P OSCE series has been designed to run over four consecutive Thursday nights, commencing Thursday 20 August 2009. Each night we focus on a clinical area and run through two OSCE scenarios, using professional actors as patients. The guest examiners are chosen as experts in their field and have plenty of time to give feedback as well as discuss their areas in detail. This is the only forum of its kind and the feedback from our participants in March 2009 was amazing.
Registered participants will be able to watch the archives as well, and hence continue to study right up to the examinations.
Please register interest on our website or via info@cpdformulations.com.au. All new registrants to our P2P database receive a complimentary USB memory stick that contains study tips and resources to get you started with you clinical examination preparation. Can’t wait to hear from you!

Don’t blog it ‘til you try it

We have been working very hard in what is proving to be a growth phase; after launching several successful educational campaigns in the first quarter of 2009, we are now creating a new range of programs. Hence, the delay in getting this blog entry uploaded; we wanted to write about what we had done rather than what we planned to do!

So what are we trying? Well, we have been noticing how little there is in the way of professional development programs for doctors that teach non-core clinical skills; courses that other professions would take for granted. So we have decided to tackle this issue head on to fill this void. We will be adding to our established programs that include Present to Pass®,, and the P2P OSCE series throughout the rest of 2009.

Our videos will soon be available for download directly from our site.

We have sourced an Australian based company that offers plug in solutions to our website that will enable you to download these programs. And our production company, Production Video, has been busily filming and editing footage we have created in our studio. In addition, we have been running focus groups to address other key areas that are under wraps until launched in the near future. Sounds exciting? Well keep in touch via our website to find out more, or join our mailing list!

Shrink Rap: How Much for Access to APA Mtg Talks?

Shrink Rap: How Much for Access to APA Mtg Talks?

The need for medical education. Do we need pharma or not?

I have a unique perspective because some ten years ago I worked in the pharmaceutical industry, before starting my medical degree. I was a qualified pharmacist and sick of the ‘shop work’ that was selling cosmetics and processing medical insurance claims. Back then the pharmaceutical industry was less regulated and direct marketing was ‘de rigeur’.

Whilst at medical school and as I trained as a psychiatrist I have seen a big change; an evolution spurred by extensive external scrutiny and mass investigation by competitors. Companies are distancing themselves from direct marketing, the key note speaker road shows and the expensive launches of new products. It is a pleasure to work with the pharma companies in this role as medical education provider, using educational grants to develop niche areas of clinical discovery such as HIV medicine and mental health, sleep disorders and psychiatry, and so on.

I was honoured to be invited to the recent episode of Insight on SBS to explain my viewpoint on this important interface between medicine and the pharmaceutical industry. Sadly, I was forbidden to speak to the media as part of my contract as an employee of a major teaching hospital. The discussion I witnessed was lacklustre and predictable; we need to challenge the boundaries and explore how we can work together to achieve the best outcomes for patients. I hope we continue to challenge this interface and work together in the future.

Highlights from San Francisco APA

The APA conference was such an amazing experience, but two presentations really stood out.
The first was given by Maureen McCormick (above), the actress who played Marcia Brady on the Brady Bunch. Each year the APA invites a famous person to come and talk about their experiences as somebody experiencing mental illness. I was obsessed by the Brady Bunch growing up, and to see “Marcia’ and hear her speak about her life was such a big thrill.
The other highlight was listening to the incredible Irvin Yalom (above). He presented to a packed house and every minute of his presentation was enthralling, He discussed his thoughts on existential psychotherapy in such an enlightening way, and then moved into his later areas of interest about death anxiety. Something I’ll never forget.

When size does matter

Greetings from the APA, in San Francisco!

I’ve managed to avoid the scientologists at the front door of the Moscone Centre, who believe psychiatrists are “Agents of Death” as per their placards. I listened to the presidential address which answered critics from the New York Times, who reported last year that there was a very unhealthy relationship between the America Psychiatry Association and the pharmaceutical industry.

And then I witnessed the most amazing thing. Not a single promotional item in sight in the exhibit hall, and no pharmaceutical branding or items in the conference satchel. No giveaways, no pens, no nothing. In fact, the only resource the pharmaceutical companies had to promote their wares were the biggest trade displays I have ever seen. Things were so bad that I had to write notes from the sessions on the one piece of paper available in the hotel room.

Has this gone too far? I personally think it has. I do believe that there is something wrong in taking money from the companies to sponsor the event with nothing in return. And I think it is blatantly stupid to suggest that doctors are influenced by what pens they have on their desks.

So if these things are not supplied and this is the step the APA has taken, then surely they could have put a couple of pens and a notepad in the satchels. And it would have been nice to have meals provided throughout the day; there was no food served at all. And it wasn’t cheap to get here. I paid $250 AU per workshop on top of my registration fee of almost $1000. The full day workshops did not include any food either.

What do you know about HIV psychiatry?

This is a really big area of psychiatry in America, and there are alarming trends regarding the rise of HIV and the presence of psychiatric illness in people as they live longer with HIV. In particular, the combination of HIV and methamphetamine use is attracting much interest. Our HIV summit in February explored key areas of HIV psychiatry including neurodegenerative disorders, major depression and substance use. We hope to be delivering a similar summit in 2010.

Behind the scenes...

Tonight we filmed the first in our series of 'tips for success' videos at our Richmond office which will soon be available on our website.

Our research has shown that in addition to our face to face courses many of those preparing for exams would like to be able to access more of our content in an online environment. Based on this feedback we are preparing a full library of training videos which will draw on our extensive knowledge base of presentation skills, interviewing techniques and much more.

Also, if you are a psychiatry registrar be sure to visit Alyssa at the CSL stand at the ANZCP conference in Adelaide for your free USB which will have some great content on it to help with your exam preparations including tips for interviewing patients and a relaxation exercise.

Present to Pass - July 2009

We are already thinking about registrars sitting the October clinical and have opened registration for Present to Pass in July and August. Details on our website. So far we have registrars coming from WA, NSW and NZ. Don’t miss out on a spot, and as our feedback continually shows, it is really very rewarding to meet colleagues from other states and countries.
We are also planning for our second round of P2P OSCE series, and developing case material for 4 more sessions due to run in September 2009. We will cover the following clinical domains; Old age, Forensic, Consultation Liaison Psychiatry, and eating disorders. Remember, you can still access our archives of the first round held in March and April, where we explored the topics of mood, psychosis, anxiety and dual diagnosis. Visit our website for further details.

SleepSchool© feedback from the RACGP: Glowing praise!

A very big thank you to Alyssa Milton, our Marketing and Creative director. The College of GPs were thrilled at the quality of our recent SleepSchool© workshops, and in particular the delivery of education regarding this area to GPs. We will continue to deliver programs of similar quality. If you have an area of clinical medicine you would like to hear more about, let us know!

APA 2009: Only 2 weeks to go!

I am so excited about heading off to San Francisco in 2 weeks for the APA (American Psychiatric Association) meeting. With over 30,000 delegates, it has been described as the Olympics of Psychiatry! Not even a global pandemic will keep me away!

Has the swine flu been added to your list of things that can go wrong before the clinical exams?

We sincerely hope you are finding your anxiety techniques of some benefit as you count down to the May clinical exams in Brisbane.

Some trainees report poor sleep and some nightmares in these last few weeks; this is normal but remember to use what you can at present to help you remain as calm as possible. A degree of anxiety is necessary at this stage to perform at your best, but not enough to disarm all these weeks of preparation.

Be sure to factor in some relaxation time if possible when you arrive in Brisbane - it is a fantastic city to walk around so take advantage of the river and its parks and great restaurants like you'll find at Southbank.

Can't sleep because of the exams?

This is a common phenomena and pretty much universal. However, once the exams are over things tend to settle down and we get back to normal routine.

But for many of our patients, sleep is a huge problem, either because of their mental illness, or the effects of medication, or both.

We have been running SleepSchool, a full day workshop that speaks to this important topic and made possible by an educational grant from CSL Laboratories. The feedback has been overwhelming after we held successful workshops in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. We are planning for more workshops but want to hear about what you’d like to know about sleep Psychiatry. Feel free to talk to Alyssa at the RANZCP conference in Adelaide in 2009. She’ll be based at the CSL stand.

Interestingly, there will be a symposium on sleep disorders as part of the RANCZP program. This symposium has not been organised by CPD Formulations but encompasses the key themes of the SleepSchool series, and you may notice the same speakers. We think it’s a great thing that psychiatrists are talking more about sleep!

Many ways to prepare for college exams

We have been involved with creating programs for psychiatry registrars for 3 years now, and have recently forayed into the world of webcasting.

As always, our marketing and creative director, Alyssa Milton, has led the way with new initiatives to reach time poor, geographically isolated doctors in training, and this new venture has proven to be a great success.

Webcasting offers live streaming so that participants can watch and be truly involved in the teaching session rather than watching a podcast after the event. We used webcasting to broadcast our new “Present to Pass OSCE series”, a series of 4 weeks encompassing 4 clinical areas that can be examined as part of the RANZCP OSCEs .


The actors were brilliant as usual, and took on very challenging roles, including playing patients with neuroleptic malignant syndrome, experiencing the highs of bipolar illness and coming to terms with the loss after a bushfire. Our examiners were experts in their clinical domains, and were able to offer tips for success in the OSCEs and dealing with these conditions in general.

We are planning to run these seminars again in 2009, and were debating which clinical areas should be explored. I’m thinking topics that are hard to access via the standard clinical rotations, i.e the ones that evoke that sinking feeling when we read the scenarios in the sample OSCE stations or on past papers! Forensic? Eating disorders? Old age psychiatry? I will ponder and invite comments.

We are continuing to run Present to Pass® and hope to see participants from NSW and New Zealand in the next few months. We are thrilled about this as the feedback always mentions the positive effect of attending a workshop with registrars from other hospitals and settings.

We hope to continue adding valuable information to our website and including podcasts for downloading, as well as highlights from seminars we have organised.

Welcome to the new CPD Formulations blog!

Come one, come all, we welcome your ideas and thoughts about being a doctor in training or consultant in Australia and abroad!

We are a medical education company designed to create innovative training programs for the medical profession.

I’m Helen Schultz, a psychiatry registrar working in the public hospital system, and I have a keen interest in educating doctors. I completed the RANZCP clinical exams in 2006, and hope to be a consultant by early 2010. Alyssa Milton is our marketing and creative director, responsible for our website and all of our online programs.