Introduction for ST3 in Gastroenterology/GIM
Congratulations on making it to the beginning of the next few years of your life
and career!
The way things stand at the moment, the rotation runs for five years, from ST3
– ST7. This encompasses four years of specialist training in Gastroenterology
and one year in General Internal Medicine.
The training for both isn’t divided and runs together for the duration of
the rotation. At the end of five years, you will be dual accredited.
Getting your National Training Number
In order to register with JRCPTB (Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training
Board), which is essential, a National Training Number (NTN) is needed. This is
issued by your Deanery. You may already have this and be registered if you have
been through ST1 or ST2.
There are two types of NTN:
NTN (C) leads to an award of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT).
The Deanery may need you to provide evidence that the training you have had prior
to now was in educationally approved posts, in order to get this type of NTN.
Acceptable evidence may be letters of appointment to training posts or a training
rotation from the relevant Deanery.
NTN (E) will be allocated to you if you didn’t undertake educationally
approved posts or can’t provide evidence that you did. This NTN, subject
to your progress, will mean that at the end of your training, you will be eligible
to apply for a CESR (Certificate confirming Eligibility for Specialist Registration.
It is not normally possible to get the NTN changed once it is issued.
JRCPTB
Once you have a NTN, you must register and enrol with the JRCPTB. This can be
done online. They have a useful website: www.jrcptb.org
Depending on whether you want to be a member of the Royal College of Physicians,
the annual fee varies. Certain fees are tax deductible, so it is worth deciding
in advance what type of registration suits you best.
Once you have enrolled and paid the fee, the JRCPTB will send you out a CD with
the syllabus for the rotation and relevant appraisal and competence forms that
will need to be completed prior to your Annual Review of Competence Progression
(ARCP). Certain deaneries have started using e portfolios already, which will
eventually replace all paper forms that are currently in use.
British Society of Gastroenterology
It’s worth becoming a BSG trainee member almost straight away. Once you have
joined (annual fee of £82.50, tax deductible), you will receive the monthly
journal, GUT.
Once you are a BSG member, there are discounted rates for attending the annual
BSG conference as well. www.bsg.org.uk
Even if you don’t join the BSG, you will automatically be part of TiG. This
means you will get the bi-annual newsletters and be informed of any upcoming TiG
events.
Assessments
For those of you who have come through ST2, the assessment tools that are needed
are not really much different to ones you’ll already be used to.
The number of forms needed, at what particular stage of training, are summarised
in: Gastroenterology RITA Decision Aid.
It’s worth remembering that the DOPS forms, which are required for assessment
in the four modalities of Endoscopy ( OGD, Therapeutic OGD, Colonoscopy, ERCP)
are best downloaded from the JAG website: www.thejag.org.uk
There are two types of forms that need to be completed, formative and summative.
All trainees who started their specialist training after August 2007 have to now
complete a Knowledge Based Assessment (KBA) in Gastroenterology (now called Specialty
Certificate Examination). It is a computer based two paper test (2 x 3 hour papers,
with 100 ‘best of five’ questions in each paper). It is possible to
complete this assessment twice a year and can be done at any time after reaching
ST 3 level. It is thought that most candidates will complete it during ST 4 –
6.
Upon successful completion of the CCT, trainees who have MRCP (UK) will be eligible
to apply to the Royal College of Physicians for MRCP (Gastroenterology).
The fee for local candidates is £800.
KBA in Gastroenterology Fact Sheet
Courses
There are a number of courses, none of which are compulsory, but are highly recommended
to attend during the rotation.
There are five endoscopy courses, which run in different parts of the country
througoht the year and cost @ £1000 each.
These are:
Basic Skills in Endoscopy
Basic Skills in Colonoscopy
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy
Therapeutic Upper GI Endoscopy
ERCP
More information can be found at www.thejag.org.uk
A clinical nutrition course is also advisable to attend during the rotation. These
run at a number of centres.
Two centres are Southampton and Leeds.
Recommended Books/CD
Practical GI Endoscopy, The Fundamentals.
Cotton, William
may be possible to pick up from one of the local drug reps
Nutritional Support for Adults & Children, edited by Tim Bowling
BAPEN
Colonoscopy, The DVD
Williams