scholarly journals Who wants to be a psychiatrist? Northern Ireland foundation doctors (2006–2018) are positive toward psychiatry as career choice

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 134-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Doris ◽  
Amy Grimason ◽  
Damien Hughes ◽  
Edel O'Neill ◽  
Lorraine Parks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Career Choice ◽  
Influencing Factor ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Foundation Programme ◽  
Level Training ◽  
Psychiatry Trainee

Aims and methodNorthern Ireland presents itself as an anomaly – a region in which only 31.8% of doctors enter into any training programme after completion of the Foundation Programme, but where Core Psychiatry has been consistently oversubscribed. Here, we aim to find what other regions can learn from this success. All doctors of any grade, working in psychiatry, who had been though the Foundation Programme were questioned on their motivations for becoming a psychiatry trainee.ResultsSixty-two doctors currently working in psychiatry responded, including over 60% of current trainees, and 45% stated they had not considered a career in psychiatry before their foundation attachment. Over 80% preferred foundation placements in FY2 only, rather than in either foundation year 1 or FY2.Clinical implicationsThis survey identifies that for the majority of people who ultimately chose to train in psychiatry, in a region that has consistently attracted candidates to core and higher level training, completion of a foundation psychiatry post was an influencing factor in this decision. A strong majority of doctors prefer the foundation psychiatry placement to be offered in FY2.

scholarly journals Who wants to be a psychiatrist? Northern Ireland foundation doctors (2006 - 2018) positive towards psychiatry as career choice

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S247-S247
Author(s):  
Michael Doris ◽  
Amy Grimason ◽  
Damien Hughes ◽  
Lorraine Parks ◽  
Angela Carragher
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Huge Amount ◽  
Training Scheme ◽  
The People ◽  
Foundation Programme ◽  
The Uk

AimsRecruitment into psychiatry remains a major issue nationally despite recent progress with the #choose psychiatry scheme. Here we look to establish why Northern Ireland (NI) has been able to have 100% fill rates by speaking to the people who have work in the frontline of psychiatry. What is done differently in NI and are there lessons that could benefit other regions?BackgroundNI presents itself as an anomaly – In a region that only attracts 31.8% of F2s to enter into any training programme, Core psychiatry has been consistently oversubscribed for many years. One difference is the allocation of trainees in the Foundation programme. NI offers psychiatry placements to 33% of F2 doctors with none in the F1 year.MethodAll doctors of any grade working in psychiatry who had been through the Foundation programme since 2006 were asked to complete a survey on their foundation experience and reasons for choosing a career in psychiatry using SurveyMonkey technology. Qualiative and quantiative data was collected and analysed.Resultin total 67 doctors from CT1 to Consultant and SAS doctors responded, including over 60% of all current trainees, providing a huge amount of information. Remarkably, 45% of psychiatry doctors working in NI surveyed hadn't considered a career in psychiatry until their foundation placement. NI is the only region in the UK that does not have an F1 placement in Psychiatry. Over 80% of doctors here feel that this is a positive. White space answers revealed other aspects of training that positively influenced them to choose psychiatry including a reputation for high quality training, as well as close links between the local medical school, the local brach of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the NI deanery.ConclusionThis study is the first to examine the reasons behind psychiatry's success in NI. The quality of the training scheme locally and presence of an excellent training to service provision balance were also mentioned. This study supports the presence of psychiatry in the F2 year only.

scholarly journals A qualitative study of foundation year two (F2) doctor's attitudes towards psychiatry carried out in Northern Ireland

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S21-S21
Author(s):  
Michael Doris ◽  
Kathyrn Mitchell ◽  
Damien Hughes ◽  
Lorraine Parks ◽  
Angela Carragher
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Medical Profession ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Training Level ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Generic Skills ◽  
Postgraduate Level ◽  
Psychiatry Trainee

AimsRecruitment into psychiatry is a major issue nationally. Northern Ireland (NI) consistently punching above it's weight with psychiatry recruitment - in a region that only attracts 31.8% of F2s to enter into any training programme, Core psychiatry has been consistently oversubscribed. Here we look to examine the experiences of F2s in NI, including those who have had a placement in psychiatry and those who have not - what can we learn from NI?BackgroundThe exposure to psychiatry during the F2 year is a crucial time for recruitment to psychiatry. In NI, where there has been an 100% fill rate at core training level for many years, trainees and consultants have pointed towards a positive experience in the F2 year.MethodQuestionnaires were given out at a sample of F2 Generic Skills sessions, gathering a range of quantitative and qualitative data. A representative sample of over half of current F2s wrote about there preconceptions and experiences of psychiatry, whether they had worked in it or not. An a priori approach was taken towards generating codes as part of a framework analysis from which 4 major themes were identified.Result93/148 F2 doctors who were approached responded to the survey of which 36.6% had experienced a Foundation placement in psychiatry. Major qualitative themes that emerged were exposure to psychiatry, the nature of working in psychiatry, being valued and stigma. Doctors who had an F2 placement were much more likely to be willing to pursue a career in it, regardless of whether they had been allocated a placement with psychiatry by choice or not.ConclusionThis survey adds to the literature that exposure to psychiatry in undergraduate and postgraduate level has a huge role in shaping attitudes towards the specialty of psychiatry, and indeed the likelihood of a foundation doctor going on to become a psychiatry trainee. Stigma in the medical profession towards mental illness and psychiatry remains prevalent.

scholarly journals Peer mentoring in psychiatry: a trainee-led initiative

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S149-S149
Author(s):  
Zoe Moore ◽  
Linda Irwin ◽  
Stuart Brown ◽  
Julie Anderson ◽  
Stephen Moore
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Peer Mentoring ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Application Form ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Mentoring Relationship ◽  
Educational Supervision ◽  
Video Calling ◽  
Psychiatry Trainee

AimsOur aim was to establish a Peer Mentoring Network within Psychiatry Training in Northern Ireland.Recognising that starting a new job can be a stressful time in any junior doctor's career, we wanted to ensure that new Core Trainees (CT1s) joining our Specialty Programme were well supported through this transition.Although Clinical and Educational Supervision is well established in providing a support structure for trainees, we believed that a peer mentoring relationship, (with allocation of a Higher Psychiatry Trainee as mentor), would be of additional benefit.It was hoped that the scheme would prove mutually beneficial to both mentee and mentor.MethodWe delivered a presentation at CT1 induction and sent out follow-up emails to encourage participation. Higher trainees were also sent information via email and asked to complete a basic application form if interested in becoming a mentor. Prospective mentors then attended a one-day training session.Two lead mentors, (also higher trainees), were allocated to oversee the scheme, with additional supervision from two lead Consultants. Mentor-Mentee matches were made based on information such as location, sub-specialty affiliations and outside interests.Matched pairs were advised about the intended frequency and nature of contacts. Check-in emails were sent halfway through the year and feedback evaluations completed at the end.Result95% of trainees who completed the evaluations said they would recommend the scheme to colleagues.Mentees reported benefits in terms of personal and professional development, whilst mentors reported improved listening, coaching, and supervisory skills.A small number of trainees highlighted that 6 monthly rotations impacted on ability to maintain face to face contacts.Recruitment and engagement have improved annually. We are currently running the third year of the scheme and have achieved 100% uptake amongst CT1s and are over-subscribed with mentors, (19 mentors to 13 mentees).ConclusionThe majority of feedback received has been positive and interest in the scheme continues to grow.Potential issues relating to location of postings has been overcome, at least in part, by recent changes to ways of working and the use of alternative forms of contact, such as video calling.Having exceeded demand in terms of mentor recruitment, we hope to extend the scheme to include trainees of other grades, and particularly those who are new to Northern Ireland.We are excited to see where the next stage of our journey takes us and hope that others will be inspired to embark on similar schemes within their areas of work.

scholarly journals BASH: badmouthing, attitudes and stigmatisation in healthcare as experienced by medical students

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Ajaz ◽  
Rhodri David ◽  
Damien Brown ◽  
Melanie Smuk ◽  
Ania Korszun
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Career Choice ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Specialty Choice ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Medical Specialties ◽  
Negative Comments

Aims and methodWe used an online questionnaire to investigate medical students' perceptions of the apparent hierarchy between specialties, whether they have witnessed disparaging comments (‘badmouthing’ or ‘bashing’) against other specialists and whether this has had an effect on their career choice.ResultsIn total, 960 students from 13 medical schools completed the questionnaire; they ranked medical specialties according to the level of badmouthing and answered questions on their experience of specialty bashing. Psychiatry and general practice attracted the greatest number of negative comments, which were made by academic staff, doctors and students. Twenty-seven per cent of students had changed their career choice as a direct result of bashing and a further 25.5% stated they were more likely to change their specialty choice. Although 80.5% of students condemned badmouthing as unprofessional, 71.5% believed that it is a routine part of practising medicine.Clinical implicationsBashing of psychiatry represents another form of stigmatisation that needs to be challenged in medical schools. It not only has an impact on recruitment into the specialty, but also has the wider effect of stigmatising people with mental health disorders.

scholarly journals Trainees need more psychiatric teaching sessions and role models: exposure to psychiatry in the Foundation Programme

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 207-209
Author(s):  
Adam Moreton ◽  
Andrew Collier
Keyword(s):  
Role Models ◽  
Active Role ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Teaching Hospitals ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
General Hospitals ◽  
Foundation Programme ◽  
The Mean ◽  
University Teaching Hospitals ◽  
North Western

Aims and methodTo determine the provision of teaching in psychiatry for foundation doctors up to the point of making specialty applications. Data for the cohort of foundation doctors entering training in 2010 were collected from teaching programmes across the Mersey Deanery and North Western Foundation Schools.ResultsIn the 17 hospitals that provided data, ‘protected teaching’ totalled 2354 h; 1.8% of time was dedicated to psychiatry, with 4 hospitals providing no teaching on mental health topics. The mean duration of psychiatry teaching was higher in university teaching hospitals (3 h 34 min) than district general hospitals (2 h 57 min); and almost a quarter of teaching sessions were titled only ‘psychiatry’.Clinical implicationsFor many foundation doctors their only experience of psychiatry will be through teaching sessions, and this is potentially the only time to change opinions and build interest in the specialty. Psychiatrists need to take a more active role in the provision of high-quality teaching for foundation doctors and become the visible role models which are currently lacking.

scholarly journals Nutrition Education and Community Pharmacy: A First Exploration of Current Attitudes and Practices in Northern Ireland

Pharmacy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline Douglas ◽  
Helen McCarthy ◽  
Lynn McCotter ◽  
Siobhan Gallen ◽  
Stephen McClean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Attitudes And Practices

Community pharmacist is one of the most prominent and accessible healthcare professions. The community pharmacists’ role in healthcare is evolving, with opportunities being taken to reduce pressure on primary care services. However, the question remains of how well community pharmacists are equipped for this changing role. This was a sequentially designed study using a mix of methods to explore nutrition education among community pharmacists in Northern Ireland. It consisted of two phases. Phase 1 was a cross-sectional exploration to map the attitudes and practice of Northern Ireland (NI) pharmacists towards diet-related health promotion and disease prevention. An online questionnaire with open and closed questions to gain both quantitative and qualitative responses was developed and distributed to community pharmacists practising in NI. A total of 91% considered nutrition important in reducing the global burden of disease. While the majority (89%) believed patients would value nutritional advice from a pharmacist, 74% were not confident in providing advice to a patient with diabetes. From the consensus gained in Phase 1 a nutrition education intervention (Phase 2) for pre-registration pharmacists was developed using the Hardens 10 question system. The training programme was advertised to pre-registration pharmacy students in NI. It was delivered by nutrition experts who have education qualifications. The intervention was evaluated using a before and after questionnaire that assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP). Phase 2 did find sustained improvement from the baseline in KAP but there was a decline from immediately post-training to three months post-training. This suggests the need to further embed nutrition education. The education programme was found to be effective for the target population and sets the stage for the development of an implementation strategy for a wider roll-out with evaluation.

scholarly journals Effect of increased antidepressant prescribing on suicide rate in Northern Ireland

1999 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 484-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher B. Kelly ◽  
Thérèse Rafferty
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Suicide Rate ◽  
Antidepressant Treatment ◽  
Depressive Illness ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Defined Daily Dose ◽  
Central Unit ◽  
Antidepressant Prescription ◽  
Daily Dose ◽  
Antidepressant Use

Aims and methodTo investigate whether changes in antidepressant prescribing have been associated with alteration in suicide rate for the period 1989–1996 in Northern Ireland. Data for antidepressant prescribing were obtained from a central unit, for Northern Ireland, using the defined daily dose system for each of the above years. The number of recorded cases of suicide and undetermined death were also obtained for this period, from Northern Ireland coroners.ResultsThere was no evidence of an association between suicide rate and antidepressant prescription (r2=0.019, F test=0.115, P=0.74), despite antidepressant use more than tripling over the study period.Clinical implicationsEven substantial increases in detection and treatment of depressive Illness may not impinge on suicide rate. It Is also possible that suicide rate may be a very poor marker of the benefits of antidepressant treatment.

Look after your foundation doctors

2020 ◽  
Vol 81 (11) ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Jonathan Cutajar ◽  
Peter Cutajar
Keyword(s):  
Career Choice ◽  
Steady Increase ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Interview Process ◽  
National Trend ◽  
Foundation Programme ◽  
Career Pathway ◽  
Over Time

Background/aims This article reports on the career choice of foundation doctors going through a local foundation programme and whether they planned to take an F3 year. The authors also prospectively gathered views relating to their career choice and the need for an F3 year. Method Data were gathered from 193 foundation doctors training in Nottinghamshire between 2015 and 2020 through an unstructured interview process. Data were anonymised and used to learn about career pathway choices and whether they planned to take an F3 year option. Reasons for this pathway were also explored. Results Data showed that there was a steady increase in the proportion of trainees opting for F3 over time Conclusions The local picture in terms of trainees taking an F3 option reflects the national trend. Some trainees find foundation training a stressful time and so need to be offered support. The authors comment on the factors that make a career appealing to trainees.

scholarly journals Acute Internal Medicine Trainee Survey 2015

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-82
Author(s):  
Nicholas Smallwood ◽  
◽  
Nerys Conway ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Internal Medicine ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Career Choice ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Skill Training ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Core Component ◽  
Acute Medicine ◽  
National Training ◽  
E Mail

Objectives: To ascertain current Acute Internal Medicine (AIM) trainees’ opinions on their training programme, practical procedures, specialist skills and AIM as a specialty. This can then be used to feedback to the national training committee to help shape training priorities. Methods: Online survey sent to all AIM Higher Specialty Trainees registered on the Society for Acute Medicine database, and advertised through e-mail communication and social media. Results: The majority of trainees (55.5%) were quite happy or very happy with their training currently, although significant difficulties were highlighted with time off for specialist skill training and difficulty achieving certain procedural skills. The majority of trainees believe ultrasound should form a core component of AIM training (82.3%). A high proportion of trainees would recommend AIM as a specialty despite these difficulties. Conclusions: A number of issues were highlighted causing difficulties within AIM training, despite which the vast majority of trainees would recommend AIM as a career choice. The results were fed back to the training committee in March.

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