> any ideas on defining the 'A&E curriculum' , 'core duties'
> beyond what lies
> in the 'Way Ahead' ?
By 'curriculum' I meant what is in the logbook- dynamic and open to change.
Interested in debate as to what core competencies should be and the standard
required for each one (accepting there's a lot more to good clinical
practice than competencies in practical skills)- personally I'd drop nasal
packing form the syllabus, but would like to see extensor tendon repair,
rapid sequence induction and FAST ultrasound up to 'substantial practical
experience; competent to practice unsupervised' as compulsory, along with
arthroscopy, split thickness skin graft, digital nerve repair and pelvic
external fixation up to 'performed under supervision'- giving a broad core
curriculum with not too much further to go to develop subspecialty
interests. (These suggestions are not intended to be universally popular;
well thought out; ethical with regard to practicing a skill you will not
later use on patients; or practical in the short term)
To reply to some of the posts about the FFAEM exam (maybe we should change
the thread title)- knowledge of management issues, critical appraisal,
writing papers etc can be assessed pretty well in the exam (and thus form a
major part of it). Core clinical competencies (as taken from the syllabus)
are best assessed by your trainer watching you do them in real life. The
FFAEM is not just the exam. It is the exam plus 5 years of supervised
training, acquisition of competencies and regular assessment to ensure that
clinical skills are sufficient to pass on to the next year of training.
Matt Dunn
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