Chesterfield GP Vocational Training Scheme started in 1975 when 2 young doctors – Stephen Dilley and Ian Anderson – started their 3 year training programme.
At the time this was quite an innovation. GP training was not compulsory and most doctors with a bent for this work simply applied for partnerships after completing their housejobs (F1 posts to you). There were no salaried posts available and you picked up the knowledge, skills and subtleties of General Practice as a junior partner. It wasn’t until the early 1980’s when the RCGP brought in 3 years compulsory post-registration specialist training.
The scheme owes a lot therefore to the foresight and understanding of a group of local GPs – largely led by John Hammerton, a GP in Clay Cross and the first Course Organiser – together with the local consultants who accepted GP trainees instead of junior doctors looking for careers in hospital.
We started small. Although we have grown enormously (intakes of upto 30 new trainees per year), we try to retain that same cohesive ethos between Programme Directors, Trainers, Consultants and Admin Staff – but equally importantly between the trainee group itself, which is encouraged to be mutually self supportive.
Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Royal Hospital moved to its present site at Calow in 1984 – a much larger hospital with many more staff. However, GP trainees comprise a substantial proportion of the junior doctor workforce. Consultants are therefore used to the requirements of GP trainees and the nMRCGP assessments – and you are never far from a colleague with similar needs to yourself.
Today our modern training programme will provide you with the learning that you will need to become a successful GP. Our 20 training practices are excellent. Our hospital posts and consultants, all work hard to make your experience varied and relevant. The day release has two components. The first to provide you with teaching on all aspects of the GP curriculum and the second to develop you into an effective GP. This second component covers such things as consultation skills, exam coaching and learning more about yourself to improve your resilience.
With regards to the MRCGP assessments, the whole day release is aimed to help you to become successful in the AKT, though reading and online learning plays it's part. Time is available for these through your private study sessions. The programme is also focused on the CSA from day one. We provide basic consultation skills training in ST1 followed by a mock assessment at the end of this year. Coaching continues with further consultation skills training in ST2 and another mock assessment at the end of this year. In ST3 we have a residential course in a lovely hotel in the peak district, with the focus on the CSA. We invite CSA examiners and actors to help us here. There is a further mock assessment and the chance to work together in study groups prior to doing your CSA. We still believe, however, that your best revision is through seeing patients in your training practices and discussing cases with your trainer.
We aim to get you to the very top. Quite literally sometimes! Our training programme is highly innovative and we encourage trainee involvement all the way. We believe it is a training programme for you and only with your help, can we really make if fun and effective. Contact us if you would like more information.
Updated 30.12.15