Scottish Medical Training

Higher specialty training

The North of Scotland Emergency Medicine Training Programme offers trainees a full exposure to all aspects of Emergency Medicine required in the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) curriculum. All trainees will spend time in a Level 1 major trauma centre and have continued regular exposure to paediatric presentations throughout their training years.

The higher specialty training (HST) education programme is comprised of 12 days across the year or 1 protected day per month, covering topics mapped to the curriculum including relevant courses such as Hospital Major Incident Medical Management and Support (HMIMMS), neonatal life support and Scottish Core Obstetric Teaching and Training in Emergencies for Emergency Department Staff (SCOTTIE-ED) on a triennial rotation. Senior trainees will also benefit from an excellent multi-disciplinary cadaveric trauma course provided by NES and run in conjunction with the University of Aberdeen, giving them high fidelity training on high acuity, low occurrence procedures such as thoracotomy.

Our trainees have a high success rate at the final RCEM examinations and appointment to consultant positions within 3 months of their completion of training.

We are keen to ensure trainees have adequate development time and achieve a work/life balance. For these reasons both Raigmore and Aberdeen rotas include the RCEM recommendation of 8 hours/week educational development time (EDT) and in Aberdeen there is a successful self-rostering system in place for HSTs.

Affiliated EM interests

The unique geography of the North of Scotland means that all trauma units see and manage high levels of trauma, particularly in the summer tourist season. There is a retrieval and primary pre-hospital medical response service (EMRS North) based at Dyce, Aberdeen. Some trainees with an interest in pre-hospital medicine may wish to do an OOPE with this service. Trainees based in Raigmore will have exposure to pre-hospital medicine through the PICT service. Aberdeen is also the centre for ECMO in Scotland which may be attractive to those trainees who are interested in dual ICM/EM training. Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital hosts 1-2 paediatric sub-specialty training posts per year which include placements in Glasgow Royal Infirmary paediatric intensive care unit. The affiliated Universities of Highlands and Islands and University of Aberdeen in particular mean that there is ample opportunity for trainees with an interest in research and medical education OOPEs.

We celebrate our ED teams made up of ANPs, EMPs, PAs and allied health professionals. We would love to grow our team with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Aberdeen 

With a population of approximately 250,000 Aberdeen stands between the Rivers Dee and Don. Aberdeen is an international centre for the oil industry but retains an old charm and character through historical buildings constructed with the sparkling local granite which earns Aberdeen the nickname ‘Granite City’. The city’s attractions are within walkable or cyclable distances for those living in the city. Some of Aberdeen’s most unique features are a clean and swimmable beach with an excellent esplanade, 3 golf courses, a dolphin observation centre and large green spaces. Within a 1 hour drive you can find yourself in some of Scotland world famous hills, castles and whisky distilleries, and a bit further on you can reach the local skiing and mountain bike resorts of Glenshee and the Lecht. There are good national and international transport links by air, rail, road and sea and a wide choice of housing in the city and in rural villages within easy commuting distance to the hospital. Education facilities include two universities, good quality public, private and international schools reflecting city’s strong family focus.

Inverness 

Inverness stands on the River Ness and has a population of nearly 70,000. It was granted city status in 2000. It is an attractive city with an unexpectedly mild climate and offers easy access to the Highlands, Loch Ness and the West Coast. The city is popular with tourists and adventurers alike. It boasts an intimate but lively cultural scene, a climbing wall, as well as the popular high street shops. There are good transport links by road, rail and air to all parts of Scotland and the UK. Within an hour drive of Inverness, you will find yourself in the well-known resort of Aviemore, boasting world class mountain walking, climbing, skiing, mountain biking, water sports and night life. The Moray and Speyside regions attract whisky fans and connoisseurs from all over the world.

The University of Aberdeen Medical School is based on the ARI campus as is the Institute of Medical Sciences which is a university research facility. For this reason, ARI is frequently a recruitment centre for national and international research projects. The Suttie Centre for Teaching and Learning in Healthcare is a large on site recently built facility managed jointly by the University and NHS Grampian (The Suttie Centre). Raigmore Hospital has its own affiliated clinical skills centre hosting a variety of life support and other courses. Gilbert Bain Hospital has a dedicated simulation and training area within the hospital and locally run life support courses. This provides trainees with ample opportunity to participate and instruct on medical courses.

Trainees are strongly encouraged to be involved in a wide range of undergraduate and post graduate teaching and management activities. At both Raigmore and Aberdeen sites there are regularly run ALS, ATLS, ETC, GIC courses and more for trainees to participate and instruct in. 

Where is the training delivered?

There are 2 higher specialty training posts based in Raigmore Hospital, Inverness. These placements are for the duration of ST4-6 with a 6 to 12 month rotation to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for major trauma centre experience. Availability of these posts are subject to a vacant slot being available at point of application. Please contact the TPD to discuss this further (contact details in next section).

The remaining higher specialty training posts are based at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary/Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital (shared site). We strive to offer Aberdeen based trainees the opportunity to spend 4-6 months in Raigmore or Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin though this is subject to the numbers of HSTs on the rota.