This aim of this section is to:   a) help you decide if you really want to become a trainer - in order to do this in a balanaced way we provide you with both the pros and cons of becoming i) a trainer and ii) a training practice. In that way, we hope you can make an informed choice based on your particular situation.   b) highlight what is expected from a trainer from the point of view of i) Yorkshire-Humber deanery and b) Bradford VTS   c) provide you with some really useful handouts/downloads that will serve you well when starting off as a trainer or preparing to become one.   If there is anything else which you have found useful in your journey to becoming a trainer that you think others would find helpful, please email me here.   I hope you find this page helpful. (Dr. Ramesh Mehay)

Why Should I Become A Trainer?

You'd be right to ask why we do it especially as it is not very well paid.  We asked some of our trainers this in a recent workshop and hese were some of the reasons they gave:

• * approval as a training practice is one indication of high standards of record keeping, organisation, premises and patient care
• * becoming a training practice is an opportunity to re-examine practice infrastructure and organisation
• *contact with young doctors is stimulating and keeps everyone more in touch with developments in general practice
• *educational activity is a good balance to clinical activity, for both the trainer and the practice
• * develop your educational skills and helps keeps you and the practice up to date clinically
• * being a training practice is very valuable for GP recruitment, either directly if an ex-GPR comes to work at the practice, or indirectly because the practice is known via the VTS, or even because potential recruits from outside the area are attracted by a practice’s training status
• * you get a free pair of hands (sometimes questionable) and some training money in return
• * the pleasure of seeing young people develop and their overt appreciation for your help is immeasurable
• * you develop links with other trainers and thus gain peer support and a cross fertilistion of ideas from group activities like the trainers' workshops and time out
• * some trainers decided to engage in training because they wanted to either give back something they got (whilst some older ones engaged because they wanted to provide better training than they got).

 

Can you identify with any of these?

 

 

 

That's All Very Nice and Rosey, But There Must Be Some Bad Bits Too?

Okay, to be fair and balanced, I said we'd cover both sides of the coin. Here goes:

 

• Sometimes their can be a lack of commitment of the younger generation and this can be demotivating

• Disruption of continuity of patient care (trainee changes every 6-12 months) and trainers often pick up what's left behind!

• If you get a poor trainee, that in itself can be demotivating – but recruitment is much more strict and more geared towards selecting those likely to be high performers

• Lack of time for VTS activities – eg getting to Trainers' Workshops and Time Outs

• GP training doesn't pay that well - this sometimes means training loses priority within the practice

• You might be able to do other stuff to make better money

• Educational emphasis of training means the net gain from GPRs work is less (i.e. have we got the right balance between training and service delivery?)

• Some trainers find the assessment box ticking stuff demotivating

• You're effectively the trainee's mentor, friend and assessor and these diferent 'hats' lead to role conflict

• Having to be reapproved on certain criteria every x years - some people just don't fancy going through that

 

 

 

How do you feel now that you've heard both sides of the argument?

Where do you sit? Remember, you have to make the right decision for your practice AND you. If either one of you is not 'hooked' then you're likely to have a miserable and stressful time. If you are keen (which we hope you are), it's really important to secure the support of the practice.

 

Remember, training is a practice activity, not like the old days where it was just the trainer that took complete responsibility. In addition, if you get the rest of the practice on board you can share out the workload and when you do that, training becomes a really enjoyable activity. You might want to print this off and try it out:

 

 

 

 

So, What is the Pathway for Becoming a Trainer?

 

Select one of the links below to get more information:

 

• PATHWAY1 - becoming a trainer
• PATHWAY2 - becoming a training practice
• Yorkshire-Humber Deanery on Becoming a Trainer

 

 

Key Things To Remember When Trying To Teach

Good & McCaslin (1992) wrote some key principles worth sharing with you. This is what you should be aiming to achieve when delivering a teaching session:

 

• instructional goals emphasize developing students’ expertise within an application context, understaning of knowledge, and self regulated application of skills

• the content is organised around a few powerful ideas (basic understandings and principles); trying not to be too exhaustive

• the teacher’s role is not just to present information but also to scaffold and respond to students’ learning efforts

• the students’ role is not just to absorb or copy new information but also to actively make sense and construct meaning; getting them involved

• activities and assignments feature tasks that call for problem solving or critical thinking, not just memory or reproduction;

• higher order thinking skills are ….. developed in the process of teaching subject matter knowledge with application contexts that call for students to relate knowledge to their lives outside the classroom by thinking critically or creatively about it or by using knowledge to solve problems or make decisions

 

 

 

Okay, I'm Keen But How Do I Gain the Support of My Practice?

As I've said before, creating a "teaching ethos" within the practice is incredibly important.

 

* They need to be 'hooked' first and one way to do that is to highlight the benefits mentioned above.

* Often other partners don't get involved in training because they feel they don't have the skills to teach. There are several avenues where this can be tackled. Many Deaneries provide training for partners - so go back and ask. In addition, approach you programme directors for the training scheme: there may be in house training (trainer led) available. Getting the partners involved in the half day release programme might be another avenue worth exploring.

 

Remember to get across the message that "training is good" - and it links to their PDP. At the end of the day, you know your partners well, so try and highlight what you think will serve well.

 



 

 

 

What Does Yorkshire-Humber Deanery Expect From Me As A Trainer?

 

As a condition of reapproval, the Yorkshire-Humber Deanery expects the following as an integral part of educational work

For Trainer reapproval:

• attendance at trainers’ workshops - these are scheme held workshops which are intended as part of the trainers’ professional development as educators, as well as to communicate national and regional policies

• involvement in the local Half Day Release course

• attendance at one of the Yorkshire Trainers’ Seminars every two years - usually excellent centralised (=Deanery) events, with the chance to network and exchange ideas with trainers in other schemes

 

For Practice reapproval:

l• involvement of non-training partners in teaching and supervision of GPRs

• involvement of other team members in teaching and supervision of GPRs

 

 

 

And What About Bradford? What Else Am I Signing Up For?

Trainers’ workshops attendance is an integral part of being a trainer. Many other schemes hold monthly half day sessions. However, the consensus at the 2002 Time Out was to propose the following threefold system:

 

• monthly lunchtime sessions for business and hot topics such as problems with trainees: held at Field House on the 1st Tuesday of the month.

 

• Twice-yearly one-day sessions for educational development, such as looking at teaching methods in depth. These will be at a Bradford venue and organised by the Course Organisers and Trainers’ Workshop convener, one in Spring and one in Summer.

 

• The annual two-day residential Time Out in November, held at a Yorkshire venue and using a professional facilitator. Involvement in half day release is of two kinds:

1. Trainers may volunteer, or be invited, to take responsibility for an afternoon’s teaching session. This is a paid activity.

2. Trainers may commit themselves to co-facilitating a small group, together with a programme director and usually also an intending trainer. Such a commitment is made for six months, and the trainer should be prepared to attend most sessions. It is also a paid activity.

 

Other activities where we need trainers’ help, please:

 

• Recruitment - if you have not had the necessary training, you can go on one of the courses run by the Deanery from time to time. We need a trainer for each annual recruitment round

• Reapproval visits - we may need to ask you even if you’re not due for reapproval. Involvement of the rest of the practice

• We would like to suggest that non-trainer partners in training practices include development of their educational skills in their PDPs. If there is a demand, we could consider putting on some educational courses for them, or asking the Deanery to do so.

• Involvement of other team members is usually left to the trainer in the practice. The programme directors would be happy to organise an educational event about GP training for practice managers and any other interested team members, if this would be useful.

 

 

 

Dont Forget To Tell Your Practice Manager

Don't forget to tell your practice manager that there is a section on this website sepcifically designed for them too. The aim of the section is to ensure they too understand what is meant by GP training, what is involved, to highlight some of the rules/regulations and finally some useful resources that might make their lives lots easier. Bradford VTS holds yearly practice manager training sessions; contact Maggie Eisner for more information.

 

 

And Please Consider Being a HDR Facilitator

Half Day Relase (HDR) happens every Tuesday (2pm-5pm). Past trainers and intending trainers have found it immensely helpful in terms of developing practical teaching skills. You won't be alone: a course organiser will be there to support you. The HDR group is usually split into three groups, each being facilitated by one of the programme directors and co-facilitated by an intending trainer/established trainer. If you are an established trainer, it is certainly one way of reigniting that dynamism and enthusiasm for training.

 

It would be good if you can sign up for 6 months, but don't worry if you can't; shorter periods are okay too. Even occaisional (non regular) sessions are fine. We understand your other committments.

 

 

Benefits: - something different and enjoyable to do on a Tuesday afternoon (a change is as good as a rest – maybe you need something like this to stave off burnout, disillusion and grumpiness) - development of educational skills including small group facilitation - experience of different educational methods which may be useful in the practice and other contexts - getting to know the trainees, giving you an idea of the spectrum of abilities and attitudes against which to assess your own trainee familiarisation with the current training system and the components of MRCGP - feeling part of the VTS and having the satisfaction of making a valued contribution - networking with other trainers/intending trainers (making friends, sharing more ideas together etc.) - AND - the warm glow of being hugely appreciated by the PDs   Contact Maggie Eisner for more information by clicking here