At the commencement of each 12 months training period, trainees in paediatric neurology meet with the regional adviser in paediatric neurology to assess competence in a number of areas. The meeting has a standardised format based on a questionnaire. The completed questionnaire is then kept as a record and used in the assessment of progress at the following meeting.
The questionnaire (appended) addresses key areas in our syllabus, clinical competence (history, examination, procedures), communication (with families and colleagues), department organisation (and other management skills), audit and research.
The trainee is encouraged to judge their own competences in each of the areas (judged from a very satisfactory score to a very unsatisfactory score) and then following discussion with the regional adviser a final entry is made at the review meeting (held at the end of each 12 month period), a reassessment is made and progress recorded. Training needs for the following year are then identified.
An example of how the training programme progresses to meet the training need in one training centre (Manchester) is appended as an example.
Trainees are required to keep a portfolio of relevant documentation to aid this annual assessment process. The documentation should include anonymised clinic letters and discharge summaries to demonstrate the ability to summarise and communicate with colleagues, a record of completed audits, research projects, presentations at meetings, publications and courses attended.
If a trainee is encountering any difficulties in any area and these cannot be resolved through counselling and support within the training department then a joint meeting is held with the regional adviser in paediatrics so that a recommendation for re-training, or another appropriate solution can be made.
R W Newton
05 December 2002