Speciality: Geriatric Medicine
The West Region of Scotland, Geriatric Medicine Training Programme offers comprehensive exposure to all aspects of the specialty through attachments to departments of Geriatric Medicine in district general and central hospitals. The programme aims to organise placements in one or two-year blocks to allow continuity with Educational Supervisors and departments. In general, StRs will spend year one in a general district hospital possibly followed by a second year in the same hospital. This is usually followed by an attachment to one of the central hospitals. The usual pattern is that over a 4 year programme, StRs will spend time in at least 2 separate units.
Outline of the 4 year training Programme
For those doctors who are training full time, there is a four-year training programme leading to acquisition of competencies that allow accreditation in both Geriatric and Internal Medicine.
Years 1, 2 and 3 – ST4, ST5 & ST6
In these three years, StRs will rotate to subspecialty areas spending at least 3 months in each subspecialty including Orthogeriatrics, Movement Disorder and Stroke. StRs will also gain experience in Community Geriatric Medicine. Hospital at Home services have also been developed in many areas. StRs will be involved in Hospital Based Complex Care (HBCC) or Intermediate care. This is in addition to the general services provided by Medicine for the Elderly Units, namely Acute Assessment, Rehabilitation, Outpatient Clinics and Day Hospital. There will also be opportunities to gain experience in Falls and Syncope, Peri Operative Medicine & Care of Older People living with Frailty. StRs will be able to undertake attachments to Palliative Care and Psychiatry of Old Age.
In West Region, Dr Aine McGovern, based at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, is setting up a specialist continence training week which is hoped that all StRs will eventually rotate through. Nutrition and Tissue Viability training weeks are run at both Glasgow Royal Infirmary & the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and are available to all StRs in West Region.
Year 4 – ST7
Year 4 will allow trainees to complete any outstanding curriculum objectives and experience subspecialty areas within Geriatric Medicine at a more senior level. It is hoped that all final year StRs will be able to gain experience of Acting Up prior to CCT.
Education Programme: The educational programme is a rolling programme which aims to covers the curriculum and recently been going through a period of change due to the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic. It is currently delivered as both in person teaching days and via Teams. Teams allows the opportunity to record teaching sessions which can then be viewed later. There is a similar education programme for Internal Medicine.
Quality of Training: Educational Supervisors for Geriatric Medicine in the West Region are extremely committed to delivering high quality training to higher specialty trainees. Of note, the 2022 NTS training survey indicates a high level of overall satisfaction with the West Region training programme which was ranked 3rd in the UK for overall satisfaction.
Clinical Lecturer Posts: Within West Region there are 2 Clinical Lecturer posts, again advertised by the University of Glasgow and when they become vacant they will be available for competitive application. Formal time out for research over and above this has been possible through application for grants with the Chief Scientists’ Office.
Higher Degrees: There may be opportunities for higher degrees such as MD & PhD.
Options for Out of Programme - (OOP): In addition to the four-year training programme, some StRs may be interested in options for additional training, for example in stroke or as a Scottish Clinical Leadership Fellow. StRs are appointed to both programmes by competitive interview. Trainees who complete additional stroke training will be awarded a CCT in stroke in addition to Geriatric and Internal Medicine. It is anticipated that to gain a CCT in stroke that this will add a minimum of an additional 6 months to the overall training time.
Quality Improvement is an intrinsic part of the Programme and support will be offered both from Educational Supervisors & from local Quality Improvement Departments.
Teaching: Trainees in the West of Scotland are encouraged to teach undergraduates at the University of Glasgow and in some attachments, students from other Scottish universities. The University of Glasgow offers a problem-based learning (PBL) approach and many trainees take the opportunity to undertake special teaching modules to allow them to teach a PBL group. There is also extensive ward-based teaching within Departments of Medicine for the Elderly across West Region and trainees can provide formal and informal teaching in each setting. Postgraduate teaching is also encouraged, and opportunities will be offered for training in educational and clinical supervision.
Management Training – StRs will be encouraged to attend departmental consultant and management meetings and
University Hospital Ayr, University Hospital Crosshouse, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Forth Valley Royal Hospital - FVRH, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, University Hospital Hairmyres, East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, University Hospital Monklands, Airdrie, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley , The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow , University Hospital Wishaw
- University Hospital Ayr; University Hospital Crosshouse, Kilmarnock; Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary, Dumfries; Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Larbert; Glasgow Royal Infirmary (including Stobhill Hospital Glasgow); University Hospital Hairmyres, East Kilbride; University Hospital Monklands, Airdrie; Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley; The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow (including Gartnavel General Hospital & the New Victoria Hospital, Glasgow), University Hospital Wishaw.
| Programme Type | Deanery based or National: Deanery |
| Administration office | West of Scotland |
| Lead Dean / Director | Professor Adam Hill |
| Responsible Associate Postgraduate Dean or Assistant Director (GP) | Dr Marie Freel |
| Specialty or Sub-specialty | Specialty or Sub-specialty: Specialty |
| Date of GMC recent approval | January 2008 |
| Associated Royal College - Faculty |
Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (web site) |
| Curriculum and Associated Assessment System | http://www.gmc-uk.org/education/postgraduate/geriatric_medicine.asp |
| Programme Administrator: |
Named Programme Administrator:
Sarah McNeil
Address: NHS Education for Scotland West Region 2 Central Quay 89 Hydepark Street Glasgow G3 8BW Tel: Email: sarah.mcneil@nhs.scot |
| Programme Director |
Programme Director Name: Dr Alan McKenzie Address: Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Tel: Email: alan.mckenzie@nhs.scot |
| Quality of Training | Quality Management |