Specialty
Anaesthetics

Educational technique
Formalised training for doctors and undergraduate medical students

Details
Anaesthetics doctors and medical students enjoy a diverse range of formal and informal educational events at Imperial College Healthcare. With a strong focus on balancing theoretical knowledge with practical experience, doctors and students receive a host of training in general anaesthetics, as well as opportunities to focus on their own specialty interests, such as pain management.

Anaesthetics doctors benefit from:
• Bi-weekly consultant-led protected formal teaching sessions covering clinical topics, clinical management, journal review, clinical ethics related to anaesthesia and surgery, and relevant specialties topics
• Weekly consultant-led formal training sessions for novice anaesthetists
• FRCA exam preparation for both written and oral exams (for both primary and final FRCA exams) whereby doctors receive at least eight weeks of dedicated formal support, leading up to written exams and four weeks of daily viva practice for oral exams
• TEEM: Imperial College Healthcare’s trauma education and emergency management. TEEM is a multi-phase trauma educational framework which comprises a lecture series targeting updates on all aspects of trauma management, a trauma audit framework and trauma simulation directed at leadership, communication and  team working skills
• Eye block course
• Transesophageal course

Third year medical students on placement at Imperial College Healthcare receive a two week formalised block of training. This includes a planned training module and learning objectives which target both practical and knowledge based skills required of junior doctors, especially in areas of acute pain, resuscitation and managing of acutely ill patients on the ward.

Final year medical students on placement at Imperial College Healthcare and regular work placement students interested in pursuing medicine as a career receive SCM: a bespoke programme developed for individuals depending on their interests, including projects. Personal tutoring is also provided to medical students.

Multidisciplinary staff whose work is based in anaesthetics benefit from:
• TEEM: multiphase trauma educational framework including a lecture series of updates on all aspects of trauma management, trauma audit framework and trauma simulation
• Regular updates in paediatric airway skills for recovery staff and anaesthetic support staff
• Regular teaching in anaesthetic topics for theatre staff, recovery nurses and pre-assessment nurses
• Surgical care practitioner course run by Imperial College London
• Clinical ethics open days and training days on ethics for senior nurses
• Resuscitation courses such as advanced trauma life support (ATLS), advanced paediatric life support (APLS)
• Airway skills for non-anaesthetic trainees including emergency medicine and paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) trainees
• Simulation based training, including a monthly multidisciplinary point-of-care obstetric simulation training sessions. This is focused on behavioural skills surrounding the management of major obstetric haemorrhage.

For more information on any of these educational activities, contact Dr Justine Lowe, Dr Nathalie Courtois, Dr Louise Paige or Dr Johanna Bray.