New Basic Specialist Training Taught Programme rolled out to 385 Trainees
A new Basic Specialist Training (BST) Taught Programme has been rolled out to 385 Trainees. The new programme was rolled out to all Year 1 BST Trainees across four specialities: General Internal Medicine, General Paediatrics, Histopathology, and Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
The new BST Taught Programme is a pre-allocated programme of teaching spread across the training period. It is delivered via a combination of online self-directed learning and live virtual tutorials to ensure formal education components of the curriculum are relevant and provided at the appropriate stage of training.
In addition to clinical training requirements, Trainees are assigned teaching content each quarter of each training year. This includes approximately 3-4 hours of self-directed learning which the Trainees complete online.
Trainees also attend one scheduled virtual tutorial per quarter (90min) which is delivered by an RCPI Clinical Tutor in the Trainees’ BST specialty. Pre-allocated dates for tutorials, accompanied by induction materials, are communicated to Trainees when they commence their BST programme.
The new programme was rolled out in July 2023 and has been positively received by Trainees. To ensure the success and high engagement with the programme, Trainees must be supported to attend their virtual tutorials. RCPI Trainers are encouraged to check in with Trainees to ensure they are supported in their attendance.
The BST Taught Programme is part of a full review of all mandatory teaching for Basic Specialist Training (BST) and Higher Specialist Training (HST) programmes which commenced in early 2022. It is expected that the new Taught Programme for HST will roll out to incoming Year 1 HST Trainees in July 2024. A further update will be shared as the project progresses.
We would like to extend special thanks to members of the BST and HST Programme Boards and Clinical Leads for their ongoing commitment to the project, and to the Trainers in each hospital who continue to support Trainees as they work to meet the requirements of BST. Your time and contributions are much appreciated.
Further information on the BST Taught Programme can be found within each of the BST specialty pages on the RCPI website.