Post Graduate Medical CentreThe Postgraduate Medical Centre supports all aspects of multidisciplinary medical education. In addition to a number of regular courses and educational teaching events based here throughout the year, it is home to the Postgraduate Medical Education team which provide support for doctors at different stages in their career/training journey. This includes delivering programme specific local and regional teaching programmes, specialty courses, weekly Medical Clinical meetings and other education based activities.
Contact the Centre on 01752 437907 or email: plh-tr.pgmcenquiries@nhs.net
As a doctor in the UK it is expected that you record and maintain a portfolio of your clinical and educational competencies. The system currently in use for Foundation Doctors and locally employed doctors is called the “Horus ePortfolio” and is available for free even if you are not in a training programme. Contact one of the PGMC team to gain access to an e-portfolio.
We recommend discussing your educational requirements/aims during your initial meeting with your Educational Supervisor so they can support you with these.
One way to demonstrate your progress on your portfolio is via Workplace Based Assessments (WBPAs). These can take the form of any of the below:
Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) Designed to evaluate the performance of a trainee in undertaking a practical procedure
Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX) Evaluates a clinical encounter with a patient to provide feedback on skills essential for good clinical care such as history taking, examination and clinical reasoning
Case Based Discussion (CBD) Evaluates the trainees management of a patient and provides feedback on clinical reasoning, decision-making and application of medical knowledge in relation to patient care. It serves as a method to document cases presented by the trainee. The CBD should focus on a written record such as written case record eg. outpatient letter, patient case notes
Multi-source Feedback (MSF) This collects and collates feedback from a variety of nominated sources to assess the overall performance of a trainee
The library team deliver library services to all staff and students on placement across the Plymouth health community, supporting your educational and professional needs to help you do your job more effectively. The library is based on Level 5 of the Terence Lewis Building, situated at the rear of the main Derriford Hospital building. You will need your library ID card to use the library's services.
Full versions of following medical reference websites are accessible free of charge by registering/using your NHS email
All Junior Doctors in the Trust should be provided with a Clinical Supervisor (CS) and Educational Supervisor (ES) to support them and their development.
You should aim to complete a minimum of 3 meetings with your CS and ES during your placement or contract year: Initial, Mid and End of Placement meetings. You should keep a record of these discussions on your portfolio as the evidence will support your annual appraisal or ARCP.
Once you start in the Trust, if you have not been allocated a supervisor then please contact your Service Line Manager.
Your Educational Supervisor (ES) is responsible for the overall supervision and management of a your educational progress during a clinical placement.
The ES’s responsibilities include:
Ensuring that your educational and clinical progression is in line with that required for your level
Ensuring that you have ample training and educational opportunities
Acting as a first port-of-call for any concerns that you may want to raise about your clinical workplace
Your Clinical Supervisor is responsible for overseeing your clinical work and supplying constructive feedback on your clinical work.
This will provide you with the opportunity to discuss individual cases in depth, to reflect on your performance and to identify training needs. You will be able to complete Workplace Based Assessments (WPBAs) with them: WPBA Assessments: What Are WPBAs in Medicine? | BMJ Careers
“Starting out in a new country, in a brand-new role, is never easy. This toolkit gives tips on interacting with others and how to settle into your new home. The BMA is here to help support you through this transition, with employment and ethical queries. What you'll get from this toolkit: Practical advice for your arrival into the UK, including how to maintain a social life, set up a bank account and find a place to live. How to settle in at work, a guide to the types of doctors you will come across and how the NHS is structured. How to communicate with patients and your colleagues, and what customs and practices might be different in the UK than to your home country.”
Read BMA: Toolkit for Doctors new to the UK
There is a vast amount of learning material and modules available on this online resource and it will help to refresh your knowledge and provide essential information to ease your transition into UK medical practice.
Go to British Medical Journal e-learning Online Courses
The Induction for International Doctors programme is a web-based educational resource to introduce internationally qualified doctors, who are new to UK clinical practice, to ethical, social, legal and professional aspects of UK clinical practice. This website has online training modules that you should complete before and during your placement.
Go to E-Learning for Healthcare IMG Induction Package
Dr Shawn Britto, IMG at the Trust, has developed a web app to aid new IMG doctors starting in medical specialities within the Trust.
The King's Fund is an independent charity working to improve people's health. They do this through research, analysis and insight; leadership and organisational development with health and care leaders; convening and events; and partnering with others.
Visit the King's Fund online courses
Course: The NHS explained: How the health system in England really works.
This HEE supported network is designed 'to bring IMGs together to share experiences and ideas of working and training in the UK' by providing a safe space to share ideas and raise concerns.
Two former IMGs of the Trust, Dr Ibreez Ajaz and Dr Mohammed Ivan, created the Road to UK website and YouTube channel. This platform contains a wealth of information and videos about being an IMG in the UK, training pathways, career planning, exams and much more. We highly recommend this resource to any IMG working in the Trust.
Visit the Road to UK for IMG information
Another great resource with guides to training and career development
Free for download on both iOS and Android OS
DrToolbox – a collection of useful tools and information especially for on-call shifts
MDCalc – a handy medical calculator app for risk stratification and assessment
Microguide – for referencing local guidelines and recommendations of antimicrobial prescribing
BNF - quick and easy to access practical, evidence-based medicines information whenever and wherever you need it. Updated monthly, the BNF + BNFC app provides up-to-date guidance on prescribing, dispensing, and administering medicines - even when you're offline.
Career Planning
An appraisal is an annual review of your overall performance where you provide supporting evidence on the form provided to demonstrate that you are meeting the principles and values as set out by the GMC’s Good Medical Practice.
This should be a supportive process. It is a good opportunity to reflect on all that you have achieved and also to identify any further learning needs.
The type of supporting information requires includes:
Continuing Professional Development: Your portfolio should be up to date and you should keep a record of any study days attended
Quality Improvement Projects such as an audit
Any significant events that you have been involved in
Feedback from patients and colleagues
Any compliments or complaints that you have received
If you are a locally employed/ non-training doctor, then you are required to have an annual appraisal with one of the Trust appraisers. You will receive further information about this upon joining the Trust from the Trust's Appraisal and Revalidation team: plh-tr.RevalidationAdmin@nhs.net
Doctors in Training will have an Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) instead of having an appraisal. Again, evidence is collected and submitted and will be assessed by a panel who will decide if the candidate can proceed to the next year of specialty training.
Find out more about Doctors in Training
The GMC mandates that every doctor working in the UK is revalidated every 5 years.
In order to achieve this, you must have evidence of having had an annual appraisal over the last 5 years and you will also require feedback from colleagues and patients.
Find out more about Revalidation
If you are not currently employed as a Doctor In Training through NHS England, you might be interested in pursuing specialty training in the UK as a career pathway in the future. The application process can be quite demanding, particular as an IMG, as you might have to provide extra documentation to demonstrate your competency's gained from working outside of the UK. We therefore recommend giving yourself as much time as you need to firstly settle into the UK and the NHS before exploring speciality training.
When you are ready to consider your next steps in your NHS career, it is important to arrange a meeting with your ES to discuss your goals so that they can support and advise you appropriately. Keeping an up-to-date portfolio will also support you whichever direction your career takes you!
Find out more about Medical Specialty Training and Recruitment
