Scottish Medical Training

GMC Reference: WOS/2674

GMC Reference WOS/2674

Since 2015 training in infectious diseases, medical microbiology and medical virology is delivered across the UK with a new joint RCPath and JRCPTB curriculum. In Scotland, the Medical microbiology and Medical virology programmes provide dual training with Infectious diseases and the Infectious diseases programmes are dual training with General Internal Medicine.

These programmes consist of 2 years of Combined Infection Training (CIT) followed by 3 years of higher specialty training in one of Medical microbiology (MM) with Infectious Diseases or Medical virology (MV) with Infectious Diseases, or Infectious diseases with General Internal Medicine (GIM).

Recruitment to all 3 specialties is managed through national recruitment to CIT, trainees will apply to and be appointed to MM/ID, MV/ID or ID/GIM programmes with National Training Numbers (NTN) being issued accordingly.  It will not be possible to change programme at the end of CIT without going through a separate recruitment process.

Combined training is an exciting approach to training in infection specialities as it combines both the clinical and laboratory aspects relevant to patient care, and means that all trainees will gain in depth knowledge about the significant advances in molecular technology and their impact on patient care. The 2 year common CIT programme consists of one year in ID (clinics and in-patient care) and one year in microbiology and virology.

 

On call commitments form part of the training programme, and for all trainees during CIT this may include covering general medical wards and/or participating in acute unselected medical take, in addition to infection specialties.

 

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

There is overall excellent exposure to the whole spectrum of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, pre and post travel medicine, chronic fatigue syndrome, HIV and the management of rare and emerging infections.

In addition to training in clinical infectious diseases, the trainee will have opportunities to gain experience in management of viral haemorrhagic fever, and participate in management of Out-Patient Antimicrobial Treatment (OPAT) and antimicrobial stewardship.

Trainees will have the opportunity to undertake the Glasgow DTM&H course and are usually released from clinical work to facilitate for this.

Other opportunities in ID

Opportunities to undertake academic programmes leading to MD, PhD, Diploma in HIV.

How do trainees access these opportunities?

Trainees can apply to join the DTM&H course in Glasgow and are usually released from clinical work to enable this.

OPAT, BBV, and antimicrobial stewardship training are offered in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Dundee and Edinburgh

What are key markers of success? (e.g. exam pass rates. MD, PhD, papers)

MD, PhD, DTM&H, Diploma in HIV, Combined Infection Certificate Exam

What additional information would you like to include that may encourage trainees to apply for specialty training in this programme in preference to similar programmes in other parts of the UK?

The National Training days rotating through five training centres are very popular with the trainees and the curriculum is delivered by experts in their areas of interest. There is overall excellent exposure to the whole spectrum of infectious diseases, Tuberculosis, hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, travel medicine, OPAT, infection consult rounds, antimicrobial stewardship, Chronic Fatigue syndrome (CFS), HIV, management of rare and emerging infections. There are close links between the various centres and their local universities. Each centre has particular areas of interest and strengths which offer prospective candidates a further diversity of choice. The training in Scotland embraces a culture of collaboration between deaneries and affiliated hospitals so as to offer trainees a unique opportunity to learn and share experience with others. Whilst all the programmes are based in major Scottish cities all locations offer a good quality of life and ready access to more rural parts of Scotland.

 

 Research, Teaching and Management Opportunities

 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCH, AUDIT TEACHING and MANAGEMENT

There are many opportunities to take part in research projects, in addition to laboratory and clinical audits. All training centres offer these within departments, in affiliated reference laboratories (see below) and local university departments.  Trainees will also have opportunities to participate in undergraduate teaching. Trainees will also participate in management activities which are an integral part of quality improvement.

 

All 4 regions offer opportunities for full time research carried out as OOPR. Around 50% of trainees are doing research for higher degrees. Trainees can also apply to do research outside their deaneries either within Scotland or in other centres in the UK.

  

Information on applying for academic posts in Scotland is provided on /specialty/scottish-academic-training-(screds).aspx

  

Educational Opportunities: There are excellent educational opportunities at each of the centres. There is also a national CIT tutorial programme hosted in Edinburgh and trainees around Scotland participate via videoconferencing. This popular programme is supported by consultants across the infection specialties and has attracted invited speakers from academia and public health.

 

WHERE TRAINING IS DELIVERED

West of Scotland

Queen Elizabeth University Hospital - This new hospital, Scotland’s largest, offers most general specialities but includes specialist units such as: Regional Neurosciences, Paediatrics, a large general ITU, a large Glasgow–wide renal unit, and the Regional Infectious Diseases Unit etc. The laboratories provide the microbiology and virology service to the remaining specialities on the Gartnavel General Hospital site – which included the West of Scotland Cancer Centre (Beatson) – comprising of oncology, haemato-oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation.

The microbiology service in South Glasgow moved into a purpose built ‘state of the art’ laboratory building on this site in 2012.

Glasgow Royal Infirmary - includes a large and busy ITU, the Regional Burns and Plastics Unit and a large Surgical Unit including specialist pancreatic surgery etc. Microbiology Department at GRI also includes four Scottish Microbiology Reference Laboratories: namely the Pneumococcus, Legionella, Haemophilus and Meningococcus; MRSA; Salmonella, Shigella and Clostridium difficile; and Parasite reference laboratories.

The West of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre which was one of the first in the UK to introduce molecular testing into the routine laboratory setting.

Monklands Hospital, Lanarkshire (Infectious Diseases and GIM)- the specialist Infectious Diseases Unit for the Lanarkshire Health Board area is situated in Monklands Hospital.

South East Scotland

Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Western General Hospital, Edinburgh- includes a large and busy ITU, Liver and Renal Transplant surgery, regional cardiothoracic, orthopaedics, and regional neonatal units.

The microbiology laboratory and the regional virus laboratory are based in the Royal Infirmary. In addition, there are four Scottish microbiology/virology reference laboratories: namely the Blood-Borne Virus Laboratory, Scottish Bacterial Sexually-Transmitted Infections Reference Laboratory, Scottish E coli Reference Laboratory, Scottish Human Papillomavirus Reference Laboratory, Shigella Reference Laboratory.

Victoria Hospital and Queen Margaret Hospital, Fife (Infectious Diseases and GIM)

Borders General Hospital (GIM only) – the district general hospital serving the Scottish Borders region. It has 320 beds with 87 acute medical and a 6-bedded ITU. There are general medical and surgical services provided. The microbiology service is part of the laboratory services provided at the hospital. It has close with specialised services offered by haematology, microbiology and clinical chemistry in Lothian and other laboratories in Scotland.

East Scotland

Ninewells Hospital & Dundee Medical School, Dundee – a major teaching hospital with 810 acute beds in NHS Tayside. It provides all the major disciplines including general medicine and surgery and specialist areas including the Infectious Diseases Unit, oncology, gynaecology, plastics, neurosurgery, ENT. The microbiology laboratory providing both specialist bacteriology and virology is based at this hospital.

Perth Royal Infirmary, Perth – DGH serving Perth city and rural Perthshire. PRI provides general medicine, general and orthopaedic surgical services to the surrounding area and has an 8-bedded combined HDU/CCU and a 4-bedded ITU. Only GIM training is provided here.

North Scotland

Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (Infectious Diseases and GIM)

ARI is a major teaching hospital situated on Foresterhill site in Aberdeen – one of the biggest healthcare sites in Europe. All acute medical and surgical specialities are located on site including oncology, haematology, ICU, HDU, obstetrics and paediatrics. The medical school, institute of medical sciences (centre for world class research including the Aberdeen Fungal Group) and all diagnostic laboratory services, including microbiology and virology, are also located in Foresterhill.

Training is delivered across:

Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, University Hospital Monklands, Airdrie, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, Western Infirmary, Glasgow, Gartnavel Royal Hospital, Glasgow

Programme Type	Deanery based or National: National
Administration office	North of Scotland
Lead Dean / Director	Professor Alan Denison
Responsible Associate Postgraduate Dean or Assistant Director (GP)	Dr Clair Evans
Specialty or Sub-specialty	Specialty or Sub-specialty: Specialty
Date of GMC recent approval	January 2015
Associated Royal College - Faculty	Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (web site)
Curriculum and Associated Assessment System	http://www.gmc-uk.org/education/infectious_diseases.asp
Programme Administrator:	Named Programme Administrator: Dianne Morrison Address: NHS Education for Scotland Forest Grove House Foresterhill Road Aberdeen AB25 2ZP Tel: Email: Dianne.Morrison@nhs.scot
Programme Director	Programme Director Name: Dr Daire O'Shea Address: Tel: Email: Daire.OShea@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
Quality of Training	Quality Management