The School of Anaesthesia at Peninsula Postgraduate Medical Education aims to offer high quality training in Anaesthesia in a popular and picturesque part of the country. The hospitals offering training are based in Exeter, Plymouth, Taunton, Torbay and Truro.

Higher Specialty Training - Role Description

The training programme is competency based over a four year programme, after which a CCT (Certificate of Completion of Training) is awarded, subject to satisfactory progress and assessments. It is divided into 2 principal sections:

Stage 2 Training (ST4 & 5)

Doctors in Training are required to submit a competitive application to continue further CCT training. Once appointed, more senior training is provided. Doctors in Training will rotate to Derriford Hospital and receive modular training in various sub-specialities, including cardiac and neuroanaesthesia. A further three month block of intensive care will be undertaken. The final FRCA examination needs to be passed during this period.

Stage 3 Training including SIAs (ST6 & 7)

Additional clinical responsibilities are taken on, which include the supervision of more junior colleagues. The development of areas of special interest is required, and SIA opportunities exist in many specialist areas, including Intensive Care Medicine. The development of teaching, audit, research and management skills are all important during this time. Subject to the necessary approval, there is an opportunity to work outside the programme for up to a year, either in the UK or abroad, although the final 6 months of training must be undertaken in the UK.

Stage 3 Specialist Interest Areas (SIAs)

Stage 3 training requires completion of 12 months (whole time equivalent) in one or more specialist areas. The Peninsula School currently offers SIAs in 6 months blocks (except cardiothoracics, available for 12 months), allowing trainees to experience 2 specialist areas in their Stage 3 training. The purpose of SIAs is to develop knowledge and skills to enable Doctors in Training to gain the capabilities required to be an independent practitioner. It also prepares them for specialised areas of anaesthetic practice that they may want to pursue as a consultant or in preparation for additional training opportunities that might be undertaken in a more specialised area of anaesthetics practice after gaining CCT. The SIAs may be undertaken at any time during the 2 years of Stage 3 training, and do not need to be completed consecutively. The SIAs form an integral part of Stage 3 training; capabilities acquired during an SIA can be used to inform Stage 3 capabilities.

Accessing SIAs in the Peninsula School of Anaesthesia

Doctors in Training should be considering their preferred SIA options towards the end of their ST4 year. Allocations of SIAs and training placements are managed centrally by the TPD to allow us to be more flexible and hopefully ensure we can meet everybody’s needs as much as possible, however where demand continues to exceed supply we may have to resort to some form of competitive selection (for example submission of CV and interview).

Please contact the TPD toward the end of ST4 to discuss your Stage 3 placements.

SIAs Available in the Peninsula School of Anaesthesia

The training opportunities listed below are open to all trainee anaesthetists in the Peninsula School of Anaesthesia during their Stage 3 (ST6 and ST7) programme. The posts are not available for external candidates. For information relating to particular SIAs, please see the relevant job descriptions in the links below;

EXETER

Regional Anaesthesia

Vascular Anaesthesia

Major Head and Neck Reconstructive Surgery

Obstetric Anaesthesia

TAUNTON

Bariatric Anaesthesia

Vascular Anaesthesia

Regional Anaesthesia

TORBAY

Regional Anaesthetic

Perioperative Medicine