Welcome to the GRID in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine (PRM). You have 2-3 years to complete your training, and be ready to take your place as a consultant ready for tertiary practice in the specialty. This document gives you some guidance as to what is expected and how it will be monitored.
Curriculum and log book
The RCPCH curriculum in PRM is split into 3 learning outcomes:
Learning outcome 1 – Demonstrates proficiency in providing holistic care to manage respiratory health and ill-health in infants, children and young people, including the promotion of respiratory health.
Learning outcome 2 – Demonstrates tertiary level specialist skills to manage complex acute and chronic conditions, including difficult-to-treat asthma, cystic fibrosis (CF) and rare lung disease.
Learning outcome 3 – Demonstrates expertise in technical skills, including flexible bronchoscopy and the care of technology-dependent children.
The PRM logbook is how you can keep a record of your accumulated evidence. It would be sensible to keep this up to date as you go, rather than frantically trying to put it together a week before the annual review!
The curriculum and logbook modules are available for download here:
Curriculum (for CCT after 14 September 2022)
As a level 3 trainee, you will be required to complete both the generic and respiratory curriculum.
Supervision and Annual CSAC Review
You should have an identified supervisor for each part of your training. This may be the same person, or vary from year to year, depending on site. You should meet with your supervisor formally every 2-3 months as a minimum, to review progress. It is your responsibility to ensure that this happens.
Each year in early spring, you will receive an invite to attend a review with the CSAC. You will meet with two members of the CSAC to review your training progress so far, discuss any issues you have and help you plan your remaining training time. Although this is a formative assessment, the aim of this is to be a supportive encounter. The CSAC will sign off the annual progression form which is mandatory for your ARCP. These reviews will take place at RCPCH in London. In preparation for the CSAC review, you should prepare the following documents:
- Trainee led CSAC progression form (on Kaizen). This is generated by the trainee on your Kaizen eportfolio. Please complete ahead of your review and safe as a draft. The CSAC members conducting your review will advise who to send your draft to and complete the remainder on the day of your review.
- CSAC progression form (Microsoft word document- link). This should be completed and signed by your educational supervisor prior to your CSAC review and emailed together with your log book to the CSAC chair.
- We would strongly recommend using the PRM GRID logbook (link) to regularly record and reflect on clinical cases throughout your training.
- An up-to-date eportfolio. This should include mandatory assessments in keeping with the Progress Curriculum, such as a recent multi-source feedback and evidence of reflective practice.
Knowledge based presentations (KBP)
You are required to complete 4 KBPs during your GRID training (please see list in the link below). These involve preparing three 10-minute presentations on a subject area (e.g. Respiratory Physiology) from which one presentation will be chosen by your assessors at the time of presentation. Most of these presentations will take place at regional training days although there are also some opportunities at national and local meetings. Alternatively, if you choose to do the ERS HERMES exam and pass, you will only be required to do 2 KBPs.
The full list of KBP presentations can be downloaded here:
Completion of training
You will need to get a form from the College 3-6 months prior to completion of training. This needs to be signed by your Regional Adviser, but also by the CSAC. It should be sent to the CSAC chair in the first instance, who will forward it to one of the Specialty Training Advisors with all relevant information about your training.
Training days and meetings
There are training days in PRM throughout the country which you are encouraged to attend. The following includes a list of regular training days. Some offer opportunities for KBPs at these meetings as specified below.
National Paediatric Respiratory Grid Teaching (Virtual meeting). These are half day teaching sessions open to Respiratory GRID and SPIN trainees around the country. We aim to hold around four sessions each year and will focus on learning outcomes within the RCPCH PRM Curriculum.
- Lung In Childhood, London (face to face). These occur quarterly (usually September, December, March and June) in London. These are primarily aimed at Respiratory GRID trainees based in London, the South, and the East of England. Any remaining spaces will be offered to specialist interest trainees and allied health professionals. There are usually only opportunities for KBPs once a year in the spring.
- Northern Paediatric Respiratory Forum (face to face). These once a year in North of England, and allows for opportunities for KBPs.
- East Midlands Paediatric Respiratory Meeting. This occurs annually, usually early in the new year, with opportunity for KBPs.
- King’s John Price Paediatric Respiratory Conference. This is an annual conference held in April in London. There are opportunities for trainees to submit abstracts and cases for presentation. This is a great learning opportunity and you are strongly encouraged to consider submitting abstracts.
There may be additional educational events that may be of interest. These will be communicated by email from the BPRS Secretary and Trainee Representative.
Research
The BPRS is active in paediatric respiratory research and encourages trainees to take up opportunities in research throughout training. A period out of programme for research (OOPR) is possible during GRID training although this is not a requirement for completion of training. If you are struggling to obtain opportunities for research please discuss this with your local supervisors who will likely have suggestions or contact the BPRS trainee representative (caroline.harris6@nhs.net).
Travel Awards for meetings
There are opportunities for trainee members of BPRS to apply for Travel Awards to present original research at international meetings. Details of criteria and the awards are available here.
Questions
Caroline Harris is the current British Paediatric Respiratory Society Trainee Rep and is co-opted onto the CSAC. She can bring your views to the Committee and canvasses opinion from time to time. Please feel free to email her any concerns. If you are a recently appointed GRID trainee, please email her so she can add you to the GRID trainee email distribution list: bprs.trainee.rep@gmail.com.
Please also feel free to contact the CSAC chair if you have any concerns or queries.
Currently this is Dr Hazel Evans, Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital, Southampton. Email: hazel.evans@uhs.nhs.uk
Further information on CSAC: https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/membership/committees/paediatric-respiratory-medicine-csac