Interventional radiology training: a comparison of 5 English-speaking countries

Objective: To compare key characteristics of interventional radiology (IR) training in the UK with four other English-speaking countries (USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) and summarise requirements for training. Methods: Main features examined were career pathway and requirements, examinations required, specific competition for IR and the process of applying for training as an international medical graduate. Data were collected from official governing body publications, literature and personal experience. Results: Several differences were highlighted, including length of training (ranging from 6 to 9 years after medical school), length of IR-specific training (ranging from 1 to 3 years) and examinations required (USA and Canada have additional IR-specific examinations). The level of competition is generally high, in all countries. Conclusions: With the demand for IR services set to increase over the next few years, it is crucial that more IR specialists are trained to meet this demand. Awareness of training structures in other countries can highlight opportunity and pitfalls, and help ensure the number of highly trained interventional radiologists in the UK continues to grow.

Download Full-text

Road to CESR (Article 14)- Is it for me?

Journal of Anaesthesia and Critical Care Reports ◽

10.13107/jaccr.2021.v07i02.172 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Chetan Pataki

Keyword(s):

Alternative Pathway ◽

General Medical Council ◽

International Medical Graduate ◽

Career Progression ◽

Medical Graduate ◽

Medical Council ◽

Gradual Change ◽

Training Post ◽

To Come ◽

The Uk

“What lies behind us & what lies ahead of us are tiny matters to what lies within us!” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Many clinicians across the world aspire to come to United Kingdom and work in NHS. Initial months could be challenging to work in completely new healthcare system. With some help from good colleagues, transition for overseas doctors can be less overwhelming. As an International Medical Graduate (IMG), there are several options for career progression in UK. Many doctors enter in the UK formal training program, however, Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration (CESR) is an alternative pathway to achieve CCT. The CESR route could be helpful for clinicians trained in countries outside the UK or European Union as their training from their country of origin might not be recognized equivalent to CCT by General Medical Council (GMC). After obtaining CESR certification, your name is added to specialist register which is a absolute necessity to obtain a substantive consultant position in UK. There is ever increasing requirement for doctors in the UK due to staff shortages and now Covid-19 pandemic has pushed many trusts against the wall to fill these positions. Apart from recruiting overseas doctors, CESR certification has proven to be helpful in filling up these positions. The GMC made some favorable changes in the CESR process in recent years which has encouraged and many career grade/staff grade doctors to progress. On other hand, trainees who fail to obtain training post after several attempts are opting for CESR as an alternative route to progress. Annual statistics published by the GMC indicate that there is rising trend in number of applications for CESR certification in all specialties. There is a gradual change in the perception of CESR as an equally attractive route for career progression. However, there are many unknowns in this pathway as this has been a path less travelled. There is a general perception that CESR certification is difficult t

Download Full-text

Assessing Family Medicine Residents' Communication Skills From the Patient's Perspective: Evaluating the Communication Assessment Tool

Journal of Graduate Medical Education ◽

10.4300/jgme-d-13-00347.1 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 495-500 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Linda Myerholtz

Keyword(s):

Family Medicine ◽

Communication Skills ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

International Medical Graduate ◽

Medical Graduate ◽

Evaluation Tool ◽

Residency Programs ◽

Family Medicine Residency ◽

Communication Assessment ◽

English Speaking

Abstract Background The Communication Assessment Tool (CAT), a paper-based patient survey, is 1 method to assess residents' interpersonal and communication skills. To further enhance the interpretation of the CAT, benchmark data are needed. Objective We sought to expand upon initial benchmarking data for the use of the CAT as an evaluation tool in family medicine residency programs. Methods Data were collected on 120 residents from 7 family medicine residency programs. Following an appointment with a resident, 1703 patients completed the CAT. Results The overall mean percentage of items rated as excellent was 73%. Significant differences were found in the overall percentage of items rated as “excellent” based on location of training (78% US graduate versus 71% international medical graduate) and native language of the resident (76% English speaking versus 69% non-English speaking). There were no significant differences found in the overall percentage of items rated as excellent based on the year of training or sex of the residents. Conclusions These benchmarking data allow family medicine residency programs to compare the performance of their residents with other programs. The CAT can be used as an evaluation and a learning tool in family medicine and may be applicable to other specialties.

Download Full-text

My journey into mental healthcare as an international medical graduate (IMG)

BJPsych International ◽

10.1192/bji.2021.25 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-2

Author(s):

Süreyya Melike Toparlak

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Mental Healthcare ◽

International Medical Graduate ◽

Early Career ◽

General Idea ◽

Medical Graduate ◽

Clinical Settings ◽

Unique Experience ◽

The Uk ◽

Minority Ethnic

Over half of doctors who joined the General Medical Council's (GMC) medical register in the UK in 2020 were from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) background, and I am one of them. Having experienced clinical settings across three different countries, I think my journey deserves to be shared with others as a unique experience. My story will help medical students and early career doctors have a general idea of different clinical settings and hopefully will encourage them to chase their dreams. I hope to inspire people.

Download Full-text

Improving Communication Skills in Health Care

Perspectives on Communication Disorders and Sciences in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations ◽

10.1044/cds20.3.109 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 109-117

Author(s):

Lynda Katz Wilner ◽

Marjorie Feinstein-Whittaker

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Patient Satisfaction ◽

Communication Skills ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Skills Training ◽

International Medical Graduate ◽

Medical Graduate ◽

Health Care Environment ◽

Medical Interpreters ◽

Accent Modification

Hospital reimbursements are linked to patient satisfaction surveys, which are directly related to interpersonal communication between provider and patient. In today’s health care environment, interactions are challenged by diversity — Limited English proficient (LEP) patients, medical interpreters, International Medical Graduate (IMG) physicians, nurses, and support staff. Accent modification training for health care professionals can improve patient satisfaction and reduce adverse events. Surveys were conducted with medical interpreters and trainers of medical interpreting programs to determine the existence and support for communication skills training, particularly accent modification, for interpreters and non-native English speaking medical professionals. Results of preliminary surveys suggest the need for these comprehensive services. 60.8% believed a heavy accent, poor diction, or a different dialect contributed to medical errors or miscommunication by a moderate to significant degree. Communication programs should also include cultural competency training to optimize patient care outcomes. Examples of strategies for training are included.

Download Full-text

“It’s not just a diet, it’s a lifestyle”: An Exploratory Study into Community Preferences of Vegan Definitions

10.31234/osf.io/mkqn4 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Madelon North ◽

Emily Jane Kothe ◽

Anna Klas ◽

Mathew Ling

Keyword(s):

Exploratory Study ◽

Personal Experience ◽

Research Literature ◽

Advocacy Groups ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Future Studies ◽

Ranking Order ◽

The Uk ◽

Community Preferences ◽

Positivist Approach

Veganism is an increasingly popular lifestyle within Western societies, including Australia. However, there appears to be a positivist approach to defining veganism in the literature. This has implications for measurement and coherence of the research literature. This exploratory study assessed preference rankings for definitions of veganism used by vegan advocacy groups across an Australian convenience sample of three dietary groups (vegan = 230, omnivore = 117, vegetarian = 43). Participants were also asked to explain their ranking order in an open-ended question. Most vegans selected the UK definition as their first preference, omnivores underwent five rounds of preference reallocation before the Irish definition was selected, and vegetarians underwent four rounds before the UK definition was selected. A reflexive thematic analysis of participant explanations for their rankings identified four themes: (1) Diet vs. lifestyle, (2) Absolutism, (3) Social justice, and (4) Animal justice. These four themes represent how participants had differing perceptions of veganism according to their personal experience and understanding of the term. It appears participants took less of an absolutist approach to the definition and how individuals conceptualise veganism may be more dynamic than first expected. This will be important when researchers are considering how we are defining veganism in future studies to maintain consistency in the field.

Download Full-text