Higher Specialist Training

The SpR interviews were held on 11 March 2011. There were 27 applications and 13 were shortlisted. There was a very high standard of applicant and 12 were appointed to teh SpR scheme for July 2011.

Congratulations to Dr Venita Broderick (pictured above) for being awarded a bursary from the Dr Steeven's Scholarship for her Fellowship in Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne.

All the best to those going OPE in the next while, we wish them every success and look forward to using their expertise when they return.

Basic Specialist Training

The ultrasound module got underway in March 2011, with the first two modules going live on the RCPI website. Many thanks to Nadine Farah, Ann O'Shaughnessy and Orla Mullally for thier great work and support for this project.

It is anticipated that the remaining modules will be live by July. These modules will be mandatory for those starting BST in July and are highly recommended for all other trainees at BST, RTP and HST.

The Interviews for the national SHO rotations were held on 24 February 2011 and the matching will be done in RCPI in the coming weeks. The standard was superb and great credit should be paid to the high quality of undergraduate programmes being delivered by all our universities.

Many thanks to Maeve Eogan for her great work in bringing this project to fruition.

Fixed Term Training Programme

It was decided at the last STC meeting that the FTTA programme will end with the current trainees. The programme began in 2003 and has delivered on it's original aims. It will still be possible to apply for the Specialist division register through the Medical Council for those not on the formal training shcemes. I'm happy to offer advice to those wishing to apply.

Michael O'Connell