Dear All,

There are a few important messages and I would like to draw your attention to some important resources on the TRIPS website. There are two new reports to read – last week I attended the BAPS education and training meeting and the meeting of the SAC in Paediatric Surgery on your behalf. The reports are available at http://www.trainee.baps.org.uk/page1/page1.html and the `executive summary' in case you don't read the whole report is below!

 

Please note there are lots of meetings and conferences coming up in the near future: details are available on the website diary pages.

 

·         Do you have a RITA or ARCP coming up? There are resources to help you on the website – look under RESOURCES>>FORMS/PUBLICATIONS. Here you can download many of the forms required by the deanery. Please remember that you have to submit the paperwork in advance, particularly the Educational Supervisors report for STs, without which you will not pass the ARCP.

·         BAPS training days – the next training day is in Chelsea in June, as previously advertised. Please note that this will be the ONLY training day this year, as there will not be one in the Autumn. We strongly encourage all trainees to attend – it should be an interesting and informative day. Please email Simon Clarke on simon.clarke@... to book.

·         BAPS conference – thank you to everyone who submitted abstracts to the trainees meeting at BAPS. The abstracts have been marked by a panel of experts and a selection of good abstracts chosen for presentation at the conference. The trainees meeting will be an excellent opportunity to meet other trainees, discuss presentations in a more relaxed environment than the main conference and attend an excellent symposium run my Mr Najmaldin. We look forward to seeing you there and at the dinner in the evening!

 

·         BAPS education and training meeting executive summary:

o    Programme of training days for the next few years being arranged in advance.

o    Curriculum development required – particularly new PBAs to supplement those available. Anyone interested in writing PBAs should contact Eleri Cusick. If you don't know what a PBA is, you should! See the iscp website for details (www.iscp.ac.uk)

o    The exam went well, with good feedback from those involved.

 

·         SAC meeting executive summary:

o    Post CCT training fellowship have been approved in paediatric surgery – 1 in Laparoscopy at GOSH and 1 in Oncology in Liverpool. Look out for national adverts if you are interested.

o    Trainee numbers have increased this year and there are currently 121 paediatric surgical trainees. We have expressed concern that these appointments are not linked to workforce planning and the proposed increase in numbers of consultant jobs is not happening as quickly as was thought.

o    National selection for ST3/4 jobs may be adopted by paediatric surgery from 2009 following successful pilots in other sub-specialties.

o    Who should be doing general surgery of childhood in DGHs is a hot topic at the moment and there are no easy answers. There is a recent paper in Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons that Iain and I have submitted a reply to, so keep this issue on your radar.

o    A new training post has been approved in Hull

 

As always, if you have any comments on any of these issues please let me or Iain know, and if you have any issues that you would like us to raise on your behalf please tell us.

 

Thanks to Abraham Cherian for his excellent work on the website – please check it regularly as it is a constantly evolving resource aimed specifically at us as paediatric surgical trainees.

 

Look forward to seeing you in Chelsea in June or Salamanca in July.

 

Best wishes,

 

Clare & Iain.

 

National Trainee Representatives.