UKFPO Bulletin – July
Bulletin July
South Asian Heritage Month
Alcohol Awareness Week 1-7 July
Details of these and other national campaigns this month
Action for happiness calendar – “Jump Back Up July”
Introduction
Welcome to the July bulletin!
It is my privilege to write my first UKFPO bulletin blog following the retirement of Dr Tony Choules. I would like to start by thanking Tony for his contribution to the development of the Foundation Programme over many years, especially his work with the 2021 Foundation Programme curriculum. I hope he enjoys his well-earned retirement.
Reflecting on Transitions
Many readers will be making transitions in the next few weeks. Final year medical students will be making preparations for starting their Foundation Programme, many F1 doctors will be anticipating the move into F2, and those F2 doctors completing a Foundation Programme will be looking forward to the next step in their career, wherever and whatever that may be. Some senior doctors may be taking on new roles or even contemplating retirement after a fulfilling career.
A transition can be defined as ‘a change or shift from one state, subject, place, etc. to another’ (Merriam-Webster dictionary) but when reflecting on the transitions I have made in my career, it feels to me that there is much more to it than that. Starting in a new post, often in a new hospital or GP surgery with new colleagues and new working practices and procedures, was found many years ago to be one of the most stressful things that a doctor has to deal with. It puts us in a place where we feel uncomfortable and unsure, and that is why it is important to look for support whenever you make a transition.
When you start in a new post, it is helpful to have a chat with your supervisors and your colleagues about ‘how it works around here’: the hidden curriculum, or unwritten rules, that help you to do your job on a day-to-day basis and help you to learn and develop as a doctor. Ask about how to get help when you need it and about the learning opportunities you will have in your new post.
It is also a good time to look back and think about how you have developed and the things you have learnt -I think it is always good to look back at the end of F1 to think about the amazing progress you have made since the shadowing period just before F1; at the end of F2, think about how much you have come on since graduating from medical school. As you make a transition to move forward with your medical career, I wish you all the best for your future endeavours.
I look forward to welcoming those new to the Foundation Programme in my next bulletin blog!
Best wishes
Mike Masding, Co-chair to the UKFPO
Notices and Announcements
UKFPO 2023-24 Fellow Reflections
Doanna Daoud
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with the UKFPO. This experience has enriched my understanding of advocating for excellence in medical education and demonstrated that collaboration is the most effective path to achieving meaningful change.
Working with the team has been incredibly rewarding, enabling me to both learn and contribute to areas I am passionate about while experiencing aspects of medical leadership that I might not have otherwise encountered. This role has highlighted my love for the creativity inherent in leadership, exemplified by the unconscious bias workshop I developed with significant support from the team.
I hope this role continues to evolve and inspire other junior doctors like myself to cultivate leadership skills and strive for a better healthcare system.
Aysha Nijamudeen
The UKFPO Fellowship has been very insightful into how organisations manage and enact change within our training programmes and the NHS as a whole. I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with and learn from some very inspiring individuals who have taught me an awful lot about what good leadership is and how to maintain this in the face of the current troubles in our profession. I hope my work on training opportunities will continue to improve foundation training for all, and I look forward to taking my experiences forward into leadership roles in specialty training.
GMC CPR clarification statement
See the UKFPO news item about the GMC CPR clarification statement.
E-learning for Health Update
Review last month’s June elfh update