Happy New Year!
It’s that time of the year when we reflect on the last 12 months, and plan for the next 365 days. It’s always a good time to press the pause button and see where we’ve been and where we’re heading: re-evaluate, re-align and re-set some goals.
At RVTS we can look back on another very successful year:
17 days of Face-to-Face teaching at workshops
270 regular webinars
Over 70 hours of webinar exam prep support
4 Supervisor webinars
163 clinical teaching visits
More than 200 hours of training reviews
Many, many hours of supervisor support for registrars.
It’s certainly been a busy year! And looking forward to 2018: it’s set to be another jam-packed year! There’s a lot happening around us, and we’re up for the challenge!
RVTS will be welcoming 26 new registrars into the programme. The first workshop is scheduled for February and the fun continues from there!
We look forward to continuing training and supporting registrars based in Aboriginal, remote and rural locations so that they can remain in their communities and work towards achieving their fellowship in general practice.
In the Blog we have plans to continue monthly posts for the time being, but there are so many exciting things to discuss and resources to share, that we may look at increasing posts to fortnightly in the future.
What are you hoping to achieve in the year ahead?
How are you going to stay focussed and keep your schedule clear of things that are not necessary to achieve your goals?
How are you going to plan your studies?
How are you going to stay motivated?
During a recent discussion with some of the RVTS GP registrars, we discussed how to make the most of 2018.
Here are some good points that were made during the discussion that I thought were worth sharing:
- Have clear objectives – it helps with planning, and it will keep you on track to achieve what you set out to do. Clear objectives give you something to work towards and keep you focussed. Look out for a discussion on Learning Plans next month on the blog – we’ll discuss some tips on setting clear goals and objectives for your studies.
- Say “no” more often. We all tend to over commit and then suffer the consequences of being too busy and doing things that are not aligned with our goals. It’s helpful to master the art of saying no – for your own and your family’s sake. Just google “how to say no in a nice way” and you’ll find some great resources and tools to make the path clear to achieve your objectives in point 1.
- If you’re aiming to do your Fellowship exams in 2018 or 2019, draw up a study planner that you can follow. Allow enough time to prepare for your exams. Most registrars aim for 6 – 7 months of hard studying leading up to the exams. It certainly advisable to draw up a study planner. Base your planner on the curriculum to ensure that you cover all that needs to be covered. Focus on your weak areas and ensure there are no “black holes” of knowledge. Remember, you are expected to have breadth and depth of knowledge – your studying should reflect this. I’ve seen some pretty impressive study planners, but the best plans are those that are actually followed! Make the plan realistic – it’s no use setting unachievable goals: it’s simply demotivating. Find a study buddy and set regular times to get together to discuss topics, resources, exam style questions and study techniques. If you plan well in advance, your chances of success are much higher.
- Stay motivated. It’s easy to be enthusiastic with New Year resolutions, but as the year flashes by, it’s common to lose that eagerness to achieving things. You could write yourself a motivational letter now, outlining your goals and plans for the year. Hide it in your diary to be found somewhere in June to help keep you on track. (I’ll probably need one by August again, so I might write 2 this year).
The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to think about goals and plans, and then set the scene to achieve them in the next 12 months.
We wish you every success in 2018!