22 College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland | Annual Report 2020
Training Committee
TRAINING COMMITTEE
Dr Brian O’Brien Chair of the Training and Education Committee, College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland
The committee, while still meeting four times over the year, has since early 2020 only been able to meet virtually. The impact of COVID-19 has been dramatic on all aspects of training, raising challenges with clinical teaching, communication, exams, simulation and, of course, the safety of staff and patients. These issues, and a determination not to allow individual’s training to be disrupted by the pandemic, have directed many of our discussions and decisions. The rapid adaptability shown by the College at corporate level, to develop, innovate and implement online and virtual solutions to many novel problems was remarkable, and yet, equally, typical of the attitudes and outlook that characterise anaesthesia practice. Despite the possible occupational risks, SAT recruitment is in a very positive state, with about two applicants for every training post. We recruited 44 newcomers to the programme at interviews over Zoom, in January, they being selected from over 60 shortlisted. The interviews are intended to be objective, with structured questions, and points awarded for specific achievements on one’s CV. The time afforded to us by consultants is greatly appreciated to
conduct them, and indeed this establishes the credibility of the programme from its earliest stages. We thank them for their input. The application form and interview process continue to evolve, and most involved found the online virtual format completely satisfactory. Further modifications are presently under consideration, but are likely to be relatively minor. A formal process of data collection on the learning process and progression of the intake in recent years led to a presentation at the AMEE (Association for Medical Education in Europe) meeting in September 2020, which was also, inevitably, a virtual conference. Ultimately this should provide an evidencebase for the ongoing evolution of the programme. The matrix of training posts is a complex evolving document, covering the 6 year programme schedule for about 240 doctors. Each sequence needs to include Paediatric experience, obstetric care and a broad range of other specialties. We try to schedule each trainee to work in only 2 geographical locations, one of which is necessarily Dublin. Requests to swap, and the existence of Special Interest Years (SIYs), disrupt the pattern, and inevitably have knock-on effects. These are important
