ARCP Information for all trainees on the OST Curriculum

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists
17 Cornw<strong>all</strong> Terrace, London. NW1 4QW.
Telephone: 020-7935 0702
Facsimile: 020-7935 9838
Website: WWW.RCOPHTH.AC.UK
FROM THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING DEPARTMENT
PATRON HRH THE DUKE OF YORK, KCVO, ADX
EMAIL:
TRAINING@RCOPHTH.AC.UK
JMH/sg
20 March 2013
To:
All <strong>trainees</strong> on the OST curriculum (2007 onwards)
All Heads of School, Training Programme Directors, College Tutors
Dear All
Updates <strong>for</strong> Ophthalmic Specialist Trainees
The following paragraphs contain important in<strong>for</strong>mation that has either been discussed
and agreed by the Training Committee or is now a GMC requirement. Please read this
letter carefully as failure to comply with the requirements may affect a trainee’s <strong>ARCP</strong>
outcome and/or the recommendation/award of CCT.
MSF assessor guidance
The subject of nominations <strong>for</strong> MSF assessors was discussed at the Training Committee
and it was agreed that the guidance on MSF assessors needs to be more specific. With
immediate effect (<strong>for</strong> those at the stage of seeking approval by the educational supervisor)
the 15 assessors selected must include:
2 consultant clinical supervisors
2 other <strong>trainees</strong>
1 senior nurse in the operating theatre (if the trainee has been per<strong>for</strong>ming surgery)
1 senior nurse in the out-patient department
1 other member of the out-patient staff (nurse/optometrist/orthoptist)
1 medical secretary who has been dealing with the trainee’s work.
The entire list still requires Educational Supervisor approval.
Trainees should start their MSF at least 2 months in advance of the date it is required <strong>for</strong>
their <strong>ARCP</strong>. MSFs will only close and generate a summary report when ALL assessors
have responded or a month has elapsed. It is not possible to close the MSF at an earlier
date; please do not ring the Training Department to request this.
Charity No: 299872

Global assessment with OSATS1 <strong>for</strong>ms
The intended purpose of the OSATS assessment is to take a snapshot of the trainee’s
surgical per<strong>for</strong>mance in regard to a particular case and to assess it <strong>for</strong>m<strong>all</strong>y in a <strong>for</strong>mative
way ensuring that appropriate feedback is given. This feedback should include a note of
what was done well during the case and areas <strong>for</strong> development.
Trainees and trainers have asked why it cannot relate to a series of operations. It is
intended that this sort of global/longitudinal judgment is <strong>for</strong> the Clinical Supervisor to make
in his/her end-of-attachment report. The Clinical Supervisor will use multiple OSATS
assessments as an aid to that judgment. (The Educational Supervisor and ultimately the
<strong>ARCP</strong> panel will also use the outcomes of the series of assessments, along with the
Clinical Supervisors' reports, as part of the evidence <strong>for</strong> their conclusions.)
Whilst the OSATS assessment is intended to be applied to a single case, the College has
agreed that it is sometimes reasonable <strong>for</strong> it to be applied to a series of cases undertaken
on a single operating list. In this case the operations included in one assessment MUST <strong>all</strong>
be done by the trainee on ONE list which must (obviously) be directly supervised. If
another list is also to be assessed, this must be done as a separate assessment. It should
be remembered that the curricular requirements <strong>for</strong> the number of satisfactorily per<strong>for</strong>med
assessments are MINIMA - there is nothing to stop a trainee having more than the
specified number.
WpBAs and the E-Portfolio
The CCT sub-committee still see many examples of WpBAs being bunched (e.g. <strong>all</strong> CBDs
being completed on one or two days, usu<strong>all</strong>y immediately preceding an <strong>ARCP</strong>). This will
result in an <strong>ARCP</strong> Outcome 5 and a CCT application being declined.
Disappointingly the CCT sub-committee still find examples of E-Portfolios not being a state
of readiness <strong>for</strong> review following an application <strong>for</strong> CCT. This too will result in the
application being declined. Heads of School have agreed that an unsatisfactory
presentation of an E-Portfolio at <strong>ARCP</strong> will result in an outcome 5.
Cataract audit
Please remember to upload the audit of 50 consecutive cataract cases is to the e-portfolio
as a resource and assign it to the appropriate <strong>ARCP</strong>. See DRMCJ3
(http://curriculum.rcophth.ac.uk/learning-outcomes/dmcrj/dmcrj3)
Accelerated Training
Please note the guidance on this subject in previous letters. These can be found on the
College website at:
http://www.rcophth.ac.uk/page.asp?section=680&sectionTitle=Updates+and+notices+<strong>for</strong>+
ophthalmic+<strong>trainees</strong>
Trainees who are thinking of applying <strong>for</strong> accelerated training should discuss this with their
Educational Supervisors and Training Programme Directors well ahead of time so that
Charity No: 299872

appropriate preparation (and application) can be made. An application <strong>for</strong> accelerated
training cannot be made retrospectively.
Time limiting of CCT applications
As announced by the GMC in December 2012, as of 31 March 2013 <strong>all</strong> doctors will have a
maximum of 12 months to apply <strong>for</strong> their Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT). E.g.
if your CCT date is 1 August 2013 you must apply to the GMC <strong>for</strong> your CCT be<strong>for</strong>e 30 July
2014. Any doctor who fails to comply with this will have to submit an application <strong>for</strong> a
Certificate of Eligibility <strong>for</strong> Specialist Registration (CESR) in order to gain their specialist
registration.
QA of Education Supervisor and Clinical Supervisor reports.
QA of the assessment process is a subject of GMC interest. This year External Advisors
to the <strong>ARCP</strong> Panels will be piloting a QA process of these reports. The pilot document is
attached <strong>for</strong> your in<strong>for</strong>mation.
Educational and Clinical Supervisor report <strong>for</strong>ms
Please continue to send your comments and feedback on these <strong>for</strong>ms so that this can be
taken into consideration when they are reviewed later in the year. Please send comments
to Susannah.grant@rcophth.ac.uk.
Curriculum Study Guide
There is vast resource available in the curriculum Study Guide
http://curriculum.rcophth.ac.uk/study-guide/ to which I would urge you to refer. The whole
curriculum is under constant review by the Curriculum Sub-committee, so please send any
comments, suggestions or requests <strong>for</strong> review to the Committee via
Susannah.grant@rcophth.ac.uk
I should be grateful if College Tutors would cascade this letter to <strong>all</strong> educational and
clinical supervisors in their unit.
Yours sincerely
Mr Michael Hayward FRCS FRCOphth
Vice President
Chairman – Training Committee
Charity No: 299872