Scottish Medical Training

 Why choose this programme?

 The North of Scotland offers an excellent   range of training posts in General Adult Psychiatry in various North of   Scotland locations including Aberdeen,   Aberdeenshire, Elgin/Moray and Inverness/Highland. Candidates may state preferences for post locations and although placements are competitive, we would do our best to accommodate choices wherever possible.

Trainees will work in a variety of  geographical areas including urban, semi-rural and rural settings. This allows trainees to gain as wide an experience of general adult psychiatry as   possible. For those based in Royal Cornhill Hospital in Aberdeen, usually at least one year will be   spent in Aberdeen City and at least one year in Aberdeenshire which is rural or semi-rural. Some trainees may be placed in Inverness or Moray (Elgin) for part or all of their training, particularly if they express a preference for this. Rural/semi–rural placements require a driving licence and access to a car. A car is also useful for city placements and for travel on-call between the psychiatric hospital and general hospital.

Royal Cornhill Hospital (RCH) is the main psychiatric teaching hospital and is situated approximately 15 minutes’ walk from Aberdeen city centre. Its other advantage is that a large number of psychiatric staff,   posts, specialties and wards are located in one large teaching and clinical   complex. It is also a 6 minute walk from the major general teaching hospital  Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI). Outpatient clinics are held within RCH and in   numerous GP practices and cottage hospitals throughout Grampian. This   provides opportunities for experience in both city, rural and remote practice.

 Elgin and Inverness provide clinical experience more in keeping with district general hospital psychiatry, with a mixture of both urban and rural and remote community psychiatry. New Craigs Hospital in Inverness provides psychiatric service for NHS Highland which allows us to offer a unique experience in remote and rural psychiatry. New Craigs offers the full range of psychiatric services and posts can be provided in the majority of psychiatric sub specialities. Higher trainees can gain endorsements in several of these including addictions, rehabilitation and psychotherapy.

 There is a range of inhouse teaching including a journal club, case conferences, Balint Group and mental state meetings. Higher trainees are encouraged to take an active role in teaching and training of medical student and core trainees. Core trainees will spend their first year in 6 months posts in either general adult or older adult psychiatry with the opportunity of gaining further experience in the subspecialties in following years

Specialty Information

Higher training in General Adult Psychiatry (ST4-6) takes place over 3 years in order to reach CCT (Certificate of Completion of Training).

Higher training in Dual General Adult and Old Age (ST4-7) takes place over 4 years (2 years General Adult and 2 years Old Age) in order to reach CCT   (Certificate of Completion of Training).  

Higher training in Dual General Adult and Psychotherapy (ST4-8) takes place over 5 years) in order to reach CCT  (Certificate of Completion of Training).

During their three years, trainees will undertake either 12 month placement in their core placement or 2x6 month placements in General Psychaitry or Old Age Psychiatry, although some placements may be for shorter periods. In some cases there are   shared placements, either with two consultants in the same specialty or with   two consultants in different specialties/sub-specialties.

The majority of placements involve core   experience including inpatient, outpatient and community–based work. There   are a number of more specialised placements available including Substance   Misuse, Eating Disorders, Liaison Psychiatry, Rehabilitation Psychiatry and   Perinatal Psychiatry. In appropriate cases, trainees may choose to undertake   a year in Liaison, Rehabilitation or Substance Misuse and gain an Endorsement   from the Royal College of Psychiatrists in that specialty.

Higher trainees will be involved in   teaching undergraduates and core trainees, including (in RCH) weekly departmental   term-time case conferences and journal club presentations. Undergraduate   teaching can also involve half-day structured tutorial sessions involving   group discussions, didactic teaching and role–play consultations using   professional actors as patients.

Appropriate guidance, support and  supervision will be provided.

Trainees will choose, arrange and   undertake:   •approved weekly research / audit session;   •approved weekly special interest session to provide additional clinical experience;   •if deemed appropriate, trainees may combine these two sessions and use them for either research or some special purpose/training approved by the TPD.