January 2009 Newsletter

Latest News

New Registrar Liaison Officer - RLO

Andrew Wilke (Charleville, QLD) has taken over from John Robson as the registrar liaison officer.
It has been a steep learning curve for Andrew who has already had a taste of his added responsibility and the importance the organisation places on his input.
Along with Medical Educators Pat Giddings, Louise Baker, Susan Wearne and Trudi Cullinan, he recently spent two days in Albury planning the education program for this year. 

In the meantime discussions from the two days have led to minor modifications to the registrar handbook, which will be updated prior to the commencement of new registrars at the start of February.
Among the responsibilities of this role are providing a link between registrars and medical educators and management, representation of RVTS Registrars and attendance at RLO and other meetings.

BIG GONG FOR CHESTER

RVTS supervisor Chester Wilson has been recognised for his service to rural and remote medicine as well as the community of Charleville in the Australia Day honours.
The Charleville GP was awarded an OAM late last month.
Chester has worked in the town for 31 years and has been involved in a range of community groups including the Charleville Eisteddfod, the Bilby Festival and the Anglican Church.
He says he is delighted by the award but has always enjoyed the community service.
"If you are in a community and you don't sink a bit of effort into it then the community misses out because they need people," Dr Wilson said.  "You miss out on the most important parts of enjoying yourself and being in such a community."

COMINGS

Upcoming Events

TELETUTORIALS

Meanwhile, all registrars will re-commence their regular Thursday night catch up on February 5.  

2009 COHORT

2008 COHORT

2007 COHORT

Supervisor News from Dr Susan Wearne

What is the role of needs assessment in medical education?

Or put differently, how do doctors know what to learn and how do educators and supervisors know what to teach? 
This sounds like a simple question but so far no-one has come up with a single, simple solution. 
There is good evidence that left to our own devices doctors are poor at working out what we need to learn.  We tend to sign up for education on topics we like and are already good at, rather than the topics we ought to learn.  If we use an analogy with food, we choose desserts and chocolate over broccoli, sprouts and tofu.

The education literature suggests that a combination of subjective and objective needs analysis should be used to plan education (1). 

• Subjective measures are: Questionnaires, interviews, reflection-on-action, diaries and log books
• Objective measures are: Standardised assessments of knowledge and skills, chart audits, peer review, standardised patients, observation of practice and performance data such as morbidity rates

So how does RVTS make sure that we meet our registrars learning needs?

The program for the RVTS workshops and teleconferences are informed by the ACRRM and RACGP curricula and written up as an educational plan for the whole year.  Last year Trudi Cullinan and Louise Baker used a procedural skills audit to prioritise which skills to teach at the workshop.  
These strategies ensure a balanced and appropriate spread of education.
In addition each registrar is encouraged to devise and use their own learning plan, or à la carte menu, using their subjective view, the supervisor's recommendations and objective data such as clinical teaching visit reports.  Last year in the orientation questionnaire we asked registrars to consider their own practices and note what their patients would want them to learn more about.  This year for her Master's in Clinical Education Louise, is planning to do more formal needs analysis with the new Registrars.  In response to suggestion made by ACRRM during our accreditation we will be trialling formal supervisor feedback and registrar self-assessment against the curriculum domains for more experienced registrars.  If you would like to be part of this new venture please let me know. 

If you are keen to read more on this topic there are open access articles by Janet Grant and Geoffrey Norman on the British Medical Journal website.
Janet Grant (2002), ‘Learning needs assessment: assessing the need' BMJ 324; 156-159 and Geoffrey R Norman, Susan I Shannon and Michael L Marrin (2004) ‘The need for needs assessment in continuing medical education' BMJ 328; 999-1001

Reference
1.         Nancy Davis, David Davis, Ralph Bloch (2008), ‘Continuing medical education: AMEE Education Guide no 35' Medical Teacher 30; 652-666

I look forward to catching up with you during the year and in the meantime, if there are any questions in relation to supervision please get in touch. 
Susan - susan.wearne@rvts.org.au or 0408 806 501

AT THE COALFACE - RLO Andrew Wilke 

A THREE-week enforced rotation from his Gold Coast base has turned into a love affair with the bush for Andrew Wilke.
Just over a year ago Dr Wilke landed in Charleville, a beef town of about 4000, 800km due west of Brisbane.
"I was an absolute city slicker, I spent way too much time in bars and night clubs," the registrar said.
"At the time I was working at the Gold Coast Hospital and had a three week relief stint at Charleville and stayed two months.
"Now it seems so natural to be out there.
"You move into different phases of your life and, looking back, I was past the city.
 "Surprisingly there is a sort of semi-professional young group in a town and there has becomes an instant tradition of Sunday afternoon roasts, it's fantastic."
In 1902 Charleville was the location of an unsuccessful attempt by Clement Lindley Wragge to fire cannons into the clouds in order to break a drought.
The cannons used remain on display today.
Medically Dr Wilke believes the town is also recognised for an obesity epidemic.
"It is one of the fattest towns in Queensland, perhaps nationally," he said.
"They are hard working families, but there is a history of poor diet and lack of exercise.
"So the town suffers from obesity and all its troubles.
Dr Wilke says there are four doctors in the hospital and two GPs.
"Ward rounds start the day ... the lowest we would have is three or four and up to 20 patients," he said.
"You tend to that sort of stuff and then see outpatients during the course of the day, just like any GP clinic, but if there is an emergency the community, and they are "trained" now, just have to wait unless they are acutely unwell.
"Most GPs don't have that option.
"We also have visiting specialists and we get to assist with them and learn there as well so there is a bit of everything."
Dr Wilke said RVTS has been fantastic.
He joined the training program at the start of last year.
"This is a learning holiday as much as it's a chance to brush up on skills," he said at the Melbourne workshop.
"It is also a chance to get away, debrief with colleagues and that informal curriculum is just as important as the lessons."