ST3 Course and Core Options

GP registrars from rural track and Caledonian programmes were invited down to Inverness for the January 2020 Core Options teaching and ST3 Course over two days. A great programme content was supplied by hospital colleagues with elements for core options from ENT, Biochemistry, Haematology and End-of-life discussions and planning. 

The ST three course was delivered by three tried and tested presenters covering Sexual and Reproductive Health, Polypharmacy for primary care and a Palliative Care Update. 

The two days were fuelled by 80 tangerines and a supply of Tunnock’s Tea Cakes. A Registrar Riddle once again accompanied the course with a choice of ‘bedtime reading’ for the winner. Their winning choice was the Oxford Handbook of palliative care! 

Can you solve the Registrar Riddle? 

You have eight very expensive pills and without taking at least 7 of them your patients’ illness is incurable. They are all the same size, shape and colour. One pill has been poisoned and as a result weighs slightly more than the others. In writing your Learning Log under the Capability ‘Community Orientation’ you don’t want to waste resources! All you have is a balanced scale. What is the lowest number of measurements you can make to guarantee finding the poisoned pill? 

It is given that you are wearing gloves when handing the pills and all are stable when handled so no material is lost in the handling of them. 

Dr Mark Taylor

Associate Adviser Caledonian and Rural Track Programme, Inverness.

The Winning Poem

My first patient was dear old Santa
Who had lost all his jolly banter

He had turned to drink

And struggled to think

So I suggested sticking to fanta

I called in Mrs Claus

Who was struggling to find the cause,

She was flushy and hot

And was loosing the plot

We agreed it was menopause 

Next came a bunch of Elves,

They had piles from sitting on shelves,

They were tender and sore

And couldn’t take any more

I advised scheriproct to insert themselves 

Last came Rudolf the reindeer

He was lacking Christmas cheer

His nose was red

He wanted his bed

Self-care was the best idea

I'll see them all again next year!

Christmas Cheer at Group Work

Grampian GPSTs used the final session of Day Release of 2019 to experience the RCGP Capabilities in a new and different way.

With activities including tin foil modelling, a quiz, poem writing, jenga and charades the trainees demonstrated their skills in communication, community orientation, working with colleagues and fitness to practice.

The tin foil modelling was judged by TPD, Vicki Guthrie and the poems by TPD, Monica Milne.

With prizes for the winners of each activity, the trainees and group leaders also sported their Christmas Jumpers to rasie money for Save the Children.

I recently came across these free to use podcasts created by GPnotebook. 

https://www.gpnotebookeducation.com/podcasts

They currently have three available but are continually adding new ones. 

I listened to two when in the car. Each one was 17minutes long, delivered by Dr Kevin Fernando, a GP working in Berwick and. Also known for his work with Hot Topics/NB medical. 

I hadn’t done CPD in this format before but these bite sized chunks of GP focussed education are really good and easy to fit a few in during your daily commute. I subsequently found out that NB medical have similar podcasts (https://www.nbmedical.com)


They can be downloaded using Spotify or the iTunes Store. I’ll definitely be using them again and would highly recommend!”

Dr Catherine Stone
Day Release Co-ordinator, Grampian Programme

Cream Horns - not on Highland Coos!

ST1s on the Grampian GPST programme were treated to cream horns made by one of their colleagues. I can hear the Bake Off calling!

Getting a STEP ahead

Yesterday, trainees and Educational Supervisors from the North, headed to a bright but chilly Edinburgh to join others from across the Scotland Deanery for the STEP course.

STEP (Scottish Trainee Enhanced Programme) is a full day event held twice a year in Scotland. STEP is targeted at International Medical Graduates. I ha been running since 2014 and offers trainees an early insight into challenges they might face in GP training within the UK. During the day, through workshops and small group discussions, trainees can explore their own strengths and weaknesses and gain insight into the predictors of success.

Aberdeen named best place to live and work in Scotland

The Granite City is now placed at number 6 in the Good Growth for Cities Index, beating other major Scottish cities Edinburgh at number 7 and Glasgow at number 24. 

Aberdeen scored highly on seven of the eleven measured indicators which include inequality, income, environment, skills, transport and jobs.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/aberdeen-leapfrogs-capital-as-top-city-0zxqtq753?shareToken=1c629bb9f88dd235b2d2af2d3ad8b882&fbclid=IwAR0vqCapSfItZnY7UcoSSHARRRThc_60NpsJuObcvmzzbLVia3ecjxQ6k5U