Caledonian and Rural Track ST3 Course and Core Options

                     

Registrars form the Caledonian and Rural Track programmes descended onto CFHS in Inverness for the third session of education this academic year. 

The sessions kicked off with Dr Hame Lata, Consultant in Sexual Heath who is a legend in the GPST programme providing great content covering all areas of Women's Health and Sexual Health. Dr Gordon Linklater, Consultant in Palliative Care provided a fantastic session around Palliative Care Updating for Primary Care and Dr Lorna Murray, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine further added to the days content with a session around cases of ‘Breathlessness’ in General Practice. 

All sessions were well received and provided a great opportunity to ask the experts the questions to which we need to know the answers, but also hear the latest news and needs of their specialties. 

Day 2 was a ‘Core Options’ day. Dr Bob Dickie, GP and Consultant Dermatology provided a GP focused dermatology overview which if the feedback was anything to go by covered the whole of dermatology in two hours. Dr Tim Agnew, Consultant Psychiatrist followed this with a new addition to the content of the GPST training programme with a session around ‘Personality Disorder’. With more than 30% of appointments taken up by patients with low-level mental health problems like anxiety and depression and Personality Disorder affecting around 1% of the population it would seem to be an expanding area of need for GPs, particularly when a patient’s presentation is often centred around the struggle to manage everyday emotional states, such as anger and frustration. Certainly, none of these difficulties experienced in the session and a welcome addition to the programme. 

The afternoon in ending the two days was a session around Occupational Medicine delivered by Dr Jim Douglas, GP with a specialist interest in this area. A hands-on Factory visit, with opportunities to talk to workers and experience a working environment ended a great two-day programme. 

As always, a ‘Registrar Riddle’ competition ran over the two days with the prize of ‘The Art of General Practice’ by David Bartlett for the correct answer. But can you solve ‘Rod’s Headache’ without Paracetamol (just for fun!)? 

                                

Rod’s Headache 

There are 50 GP registrars on the Caledonian and Rural Track Programmes and all have passed at least one of the GP assessments, WPBA, AKT and CSA. 

32 have completed WPBA, 

26 have passed AKT, 

and 30 have passed CSA. 

Also, 

15 have completed both WPBA and passed AKT, 

18 have completed both WPBA and passed CSA, 

and 16 have passed both CSA and AKT. 

How many have completed WPBA and passed both AKT and CSA? 

Dr Mark Taylor, Associate Advisor NES, CFHS, Inverness.