Bridging the Training Gap
“Children are not small adults” is a phrase I have heard many Paediatricians say in my short career. Foundation Trainees should be encouraged and facilitated to gain exposure and experience in the special art of Paediatrics and the assessment and management of the unwell child. Without having a Paediatric Foundation Post many trainees will not have done Paediatric medicine since medical school. This makes it more difficult to gain confidence in examining children, understanding their physiology and makes exploring a potential interest in the career challenging. Often it is working as part of a team or having role models within a speciality or talking to others about their experiences that evokes someone’s interest in a particular field and without this opportunity many may not consider a career in Paediatrics.
During Foundation Training trainees can arrange taster days and get involved with Quality Improvement Projects (QIP) or Audits to gain speciality exposure. Doctors can get involved in the RCPCH and associated groups to stay up to date and informed about Paediatric events and conferences which they could attend. Trainees allocated rotations in General Practice or A&E could express interest in seeing a portion of the Paediatric patient population to increase their exposure this way. Trainees can express an interest in the speciality to seniors who are proactive at helping trainees attend specialist clinics and get involved in teaching and research projects.
There is currently a specific society for aspiring Paediatricians known as UKAPS, which focusses on promoting career opportunities alongside the RCPCH. More events and workshops covering topics such as ‘a day in the life of a Paediatrician’ could be ran by these organisations. It is often not hearing about opportunities that prevents trainees getting involved and this is likely to be made more difficult for those without a Paediatric foundation post. Paediatric organisations and trust departments could collaborate to design a centralised place to advertise QIPs, audits, conferences or career or educational opportunities and a central calendar of events to promote accessibility for all. At a trust level Microsoft Teams may be a good place to advertise opportunities or having a designated person to contact could work well.
The RCPCH could support the establishment of a Paediatric training application building platform to support the development of a well-rounded portfolio early in Foundation Training. Mentorship schemes, whereby those considering a career in paediatrics are paired with someone in training, could be arranged in each trust perhaps by allocating foundation trainee Paediatric representatives. These schemes offer firsthand insights into the career, information on application and training pathways and make it logistically easier to arrange taster days when trainees might not otherwise know anyone in the speciality. Paediatrics should be incorporated as a core part of the Foundation curriculum including promotion and funding for simulation, with RCPCH advocating for dedicated teaching sessions in each deanery. There are already some great opportunities for trainees, but there remains space for improvements and new ideas - making it an exciting time to be an aspiring Paediatrician.
