The West Midlands Training Programme
The West Midlands has 3 NHS Sport and Exercise Medicine Centres.
- University Hospitals of Birmingham, Queen Elizabeth Hospital
- The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham
- The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry
Throughout their training programme trainees will spend time in all 3 services.
The programme is regularly reviewed to adapt to the changing landscape of the NHS and trainee needs.
The key base rotations are identified within the summary programme diagram below. Trainees are encouraged to achieve the curriculum competencies through developing skills working in these specialities with the wider goal of successful interface and multidisciplinary working as we strive to embed SEM successfully within the NHS across the West Midlands Deanery.
A Career in Sport and Exercise Medicine
Sport and Exercise Medicine is a diverse speciality and lends itself well to a portfolio career as a consultant.
The increasing recognition of the importance of physical activity in achieving health benefits highlights the need for physicians whose expertise lies in supporting individuals to achieve this regardless of their health conditions.
Sport and Exercise Medicine encompasses musculoskeletal medicine, exercise medicine and team care.
Good communication skills, leadership qualities and a desire to innovate are vital as multidisciplinary team working is central to the speciality.
Training Days
There is a bi-monthly Midlands (East and West Midlands Deaneries) training programme which is encompassed within trainee job plans. Attendance is required unless a trainee is on leave. These sessions are generally held between QEHB and The National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine at Loughborough University.
The programme aims to reflect the curriculum and provides opportunities for journal discussions and teaching presentations for trainees. An annual OSCE is included to provide some slightly more formal feedback on progress on a variety of topics. Speakers are a mix of trainees, consultants within the two deaneries and external speakers. Trainees are encouraged to suggest and arrange sessions.
There are also 4 National Training Days for Sport and Exercise Medicine arranged and hosted by each training deanery on a rotational basis.
There are a number of courses and conferences encouraged and supported through study leave processes. Trainees are encouraged to discuss with their Educational Supervisor a plan of study leave during their educational meetings to optimise their learning opportunities.
Additional Opportunities Available
The breadth of SEM lends itself to development of a wide range of related interests and trainees will be encouraged and supported to develop these as appropriate throughout their training programme.
SEM trainees within the West Midlands have successfully gained PhD funding, travel fellowships and education bursary’s to further/support their training interests.
Quality improvement and Audit work with poster/oral presentations and journal publications are actively supported by the consultants in all 3 NHS SEM Services.
Opportunities in performance sport environments will exist in line with the curriculum with all the SEM Consultants within the Deanery also working in performance sport environments eg. English Institute of Sport (EIS), football, cricket.
If working in performance sport trainees will also be required to maintain a recognised Level 3 immediate care in sport qualification.
Examinations
FSEM (UK) Membership Examination in Sport and Exercise Medicine is an essential criteria for obtaining a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) in SEM. Trainees need to achieve this by completion of their ST5 year.
There are two parts to the yearly exam run by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) on behalf of the FSEM (UK). Full information, closing dates and the booking process can be found on the RCSed Examinations webpage
Supervision
Each trainee will have a Consultant in SEM as an Educational Supervisor longitudinally across their training programme. This provides a consistent point of contact for training related support.
For each placement trainees will also have a named Consultant Clinical Supervisor from within that specialty.
Assessment
Trainees are expected to engage with the eportfolio from the start of their training programme and maintain a logbook of SEM cases seen across their training.
Opportunities for teaching assessments are also incorporated into the regional teaching programme.
Trainees are required to maintain a valid Advanced Life Support Qualification throughout their programme.
Appraisal
Trainees will have Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) on a yearly basis.
It is seen as the trainees responsibility to ensure the required educational assessments are completed ahead of this review.