Better Health For All

If you’re reading this and about to embark on public health training, congratulations! I can’t believe it’s a year since I started the training programme, what a year it has been.

I joined the Yorkshire and Humber training programme last August after completing medical school, foundation and general practice training. My first year has been less than full time based at the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, having done the Master’s in Public Health prior to starting. My placement has involved analyses of a rise in drug-related deaths, evaluation of influenza prevention in care homes, leading a musculoskeletal conditions health needs assessment and preparing for Part A.

One of the most striking things for me is the variety within the training programme, offering a fantastic opportunity to learn new skills and develop interests. People enter from a range of different backgrounds, and once on the programme no two registrar experiences will be exactly the same. We all cover the core learning outcomes, but there is a wide array of learning opportunities, different placements and out of programme options. Knowing yourself, getting out of your comfort zone and working on areas you’ve never encountered can help maximise these opportunities.

There is an overall training curriculum against which you need to demonstrate full achievement for every learning outcome by the end of the scheme, a separate syllabus for the Part A exam, and content information for Part B, all available on the faculty website. Using these to guide Master’s module choices and to plan pieces of work on placements helps achievement of the overall goal – getting through the exams and signing off the learning outcomes to become a Consultant. The list of learning outcomes can seem overwhelming at first, but soon become more manageable as you get more familiar with them and hear about how others have achieved them.

The first year involves adjustment to a new role, working out how to manage competing work demands and understanding how your organisation works and its interface with other organisations. Getting to know some of the Registrars already on the programme, being organised but realistic about how much you can take on or achieve in a given time frame and having regular meetings with your educational supervisor can really help get the most out of that first year. Meeting with colleagues not only in your own team but more widely within the council or other organisation where you are working can offer useful learning opportunities.

On reflection, as I approach the end of my first year I realise what a great year it has been. I have had excellent support from peers, supervisors and training programme directors, and am excited about where the training programme will take me next.

Written by Claire Gilbert, Specialty Registrar in Public Health. You can follow Claire on Twitter here.