Trainee Curriculum FAQs

The new curriculum will affect all trainees who are not in ST7 when the transition begins in August 2022.

The big difference for trainees will be how the new curriculum moves away from the “tick-box” approach associated with the current competency-based curricula to the holistic assessment of high level learning outcomes. There are some changes in the way trainees are assessed and these are detailed further in section 3.

To find out more please watch the BGS webinar “New Curriculum Key Differences Extended” at https://www.bgs.org.uk/CurriculumFAQs.

With the change in structure of physician training, including the introduction of internal medicine training, the length of time in higher specialty training has changed and this provided the ideal opportunity to revise the curriculum. The old curriculum was devised in 2010 and the shape of geriatric medicine has changed hugely in that time. By taking this opportunity to modernise our curriculum it better represents the exciting new facets of geriatric medicine which has developed since the last curriculum.

There is also a drive from the GMC for all physicians to be competent in generic capabilities.

Whilst we understand the change in physician training structure does not directly impact existing trainees we feel the new curriculum also reflects the increasing complexity of our patients and will better prepare all of our trainees for qualification as consultant geriatricians.

The new curriculum has been designed to focus on trainee’s competencies rather than tick boxing off certain criteria and as such has a reduced administrative burden for trainees. It focuses on the current needs of services and patients. It’s been developed with a lot of input from trainers and trainees, and we believe it is a positive step towards ensuring trainees have the tools to be the consultants of the future.

August 2022.

All trainees who are not ST7 in August 2022 will be required to transition to the new curriculum.

If you are ST7 in August 2022 but work less than full time you will not have to change to the new curriculum. However, you may be offered a choice and could consider transferring to the new curriculum if you feel it would benefit your training. You should discuss this with your TPD.

In these circumstances you do not have to transfer to the new curriculum but you may be offered the choice. Discuss this with your educational supervisor as it may be the new curriculum is beneficial to your training and you will be on the same curriculum as your peers on your return to training.

Yes, you will be expected to transfer to the new curriculum in these circumstances. If you feel this would significantly impact your training please discuss directly with your TPD.

Yes, you can find the new decision aid here. There is also a table that compares the differences in assessments available as part of this resource.

No. You will not be required to re-link your pre-existing SLEs from the old curriculum to the new curriculum. At your first educational supervisor meeting please encourage your supervisor to refer back to the competencies you have already achieved and these will also remain available to review in an archive version of your old e-portfolio.

The purpose of your efforts to keep the portfolio up to date so far has been to evidence and facilitate your progress to this point. This evidence will remain accessible as all of your existing portfolio will be automatically transferred, so your efforts will not go to waste and can be easily accessed anytime.

Yes, it will be available as an archive on your e-portfolio.

We would discourage re-linking items between the curriculum as this could be a substantial administrative burden. Instead we would encourage you to discuss your competencies so far with your educational supervisor at your first meeting on the new curriculum so that these can be referenced in the educational supervisors report.

The research requirement hasn’t changed. You will be able to reference your research course in the archived portfolio.

At least 1 specialty related QI project should be completed and assessed with QIPAT by the time of completion of specialty training. Evidence of participation in QIP is expected throughout training this includes supervising junior trainees or participating yourself. The emphasis is on a high quality project that makes a real difference to your team or patients.

The BGS are developing a “QI hub” resource to support for QI projects. We anticipate this will be published before the new curriculum is launched and will add link to that resource here when it is available.

There is now more flexibility in how you can approach courses, with the aim to complete competence of one generic skill per year. The order you complete these in is now optional but it may still fall in to a natural pattern, for example leadership and management in ST6 or ST7.

We would not envisage this being an issue as the new curriculum is more competency based and all your experience so far will be relevant and still available as evidence on e-portfolio.

Whenever you transfer to the new curriculum it will be helpful to perform a “gap analysis” or self assessment so that you understand where your gaps are so you can discuss these early with your educational supervisor. An example of an ES meeting can be found on the website here.

There is no major change in how the trainee needs to prepare for the ARCP. They still need to do an appropriate number of supervised learning events (SLEs) and workplace based assessments (WPBAs). As the ARCP approaches, trainees need to arrange to see their ES to facilitate preparation of the ES report (ESR). They will have to self-assess the level at which they feel they are operating at for each CiP.

You will have learnt invaluable skills during the pandemic which should be reflected in your portfolio. Early identification of gaps and working with your supervisor to address these is key. For example, if you need to make up a lot of clinics. Try and find out if your deanery has any support available to enable you to make up for lost experience. Do contact the BGS education and training reps if you feel you need more signposting.

We understand that there is a change in pay associated with progression to ST6. Whilst the new curriculum is competency based rather than time based there is still a requirement to spend a designated amount of time in training. There are no plans to review CCT date any more frequently than the current protocol. If you feel you should be considered for accelerated training please discuss this with your training programme director.

Your curriculum will transfer in 2022 so you will have time to work towards getting everything you need by CCT. All your experience to date counts and so you will find there are only likely to be some gaps you will need to focus on. Discussing these early with your ES is key, you can find an example ES meeting here.

We envisage the new curriculum fitting easily onto your job plan. It aims to develop trainees with a broad range of skills needed to be a consultant Geriatrician. There are some new things but in many cases the requirements have relaxed. There will be support from you ES/TPD and the BGS for areas you may be worried about.

For more information about how the GIM component of the curriculum will be changing please visit: https://www.jrcptb.org.uk/training-certification/shape-training-and-physician-training-model/transition-new-curricula-jrcptb

There is also a webinar run by the JRCPTB on 4th April 2022 https://www.jrcptb.org.uk/news/webinar-meeting-future-healthcare-needs-new-curricula-acute-medical-specialties-and-higher

Yes it will. Once the new curriculum is fully active this will be your new guide to competencies required to qualify as a consultant and includes dual accreditation, therefore you will need to meet the requirements for both geriatric medicine and general internal medicine. Once the new curriculum is fully active there will no longer be a single accreditation for geriatric medicine.

The new curriculum will become fully active when the final geriatric medicine trainee has CCT-ed under the guidance of the old (2010) curriculum. After this point you will need to meet the requirements of the new curriculum to become a consultant geriatrician through CESR.

For more information please consult the GMC updated specialty specific guidelines for CESR. https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/registration-applications/specialty-specific-guidance-for-cesr-and-cegpr/specialty-specific-changes-for-cesr-in-geriatric-medicine

The competencies and experience you will gain will be relevant and are likely to be reflected in your entrustment level when in geriatric medicine training. However, you will still need to have stroke experience as a geriatric medicine trainee as well as your themed for service CIP, and 6 months of additional stroke if you wish to have dual accreditation.

Trainees who are undertaking CeSR route will have a grace period on the 'old' curriculum of approximately 12 months from August 2022. After this, trainees via the CESR route will be required to demonstrate all capabilities as described in the 2022 curriculum which includes generic, specialty and clinical internal medicine CIPs. By demonstrating these capabilities a successful applicant will be awarded an additional CESR in internal medicine. Further information can be found at https://www.jrcptb.org.uk/certificate-eligibility-specialist-registration

Yes.