RxPG News : Medical

MTAS will cause irreparable harm to 10,000 junior doctors

Fri, 18 May 2007 04:00:00 PST

A group of Doctors from across the UK have expressed fears that the careers of 10,000 junior doctors could be irreparably damaged because of the disastrous mistakes in the Medical Training and Application Service (MTAS). Their concerns are stated in a Comment published early Online and in the upcoming edition of The Lancet.

BMA welcomes abandonment of MTAS

Tue, 15 May 2007 09:45:21 PST

The Health Secretary announced today (Tuesday 15 May, 2007) that MTAS (the Medical Training Application Service) will not be used to match candidates to training posts for the remainder of the junior doctor recruitment system.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists welcomes the Government’s decision to abandon the MTAS process

Tue, 15 May 2007 09:42:10 PST

The Royal College of Psychiatrists welcomes the Government’s decision to abandon the MTAS process. The medical training application service (MTAS) system used to match junior doctors to specialist training posts has been shelved by ministers. Instead, the recruitment process will be CV-based, and handled at a local level by medical deaneries.

BMA Junior doctors Committee left the MTAS review group in protest

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 04:15:46 PST

The BMA’s Junior doctors Committee (JDC) has withdrawn from the review group trying to resolve failures of the Medical Training Application Service (MTAS). The decision was made because the latest solutions proposed in the group were unacceptable to the JDC.

Cochrane Library Now Available Across India

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 13:54:05 PST

All Indian residents now have complementary access to reliable, upto date health research evidence on health care interventions from The Cochrane Library. Thanks to sponsorship provided by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the online database is now available to 60 million internet users in India.

Review says junior doctors should get guaranteed interviews

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 14:45:38 PST

The independent review group, examining the selection process for junior doctors, met for the third time and agreed that round one should continue and that changes should be made to strengthen the implementation process at each level. The group agreed to set out full details next week for everyone involved in the process.

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges say on MTAS

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 05:16:51 PST

Doctors in training are a mainstay of service in the future. From graduation onwards their training covers every facet of what is needed to be a good safe doctor - working for the benefit of the people of the UK and bringing a continued commitment to the NHS.

Royal College Concerned About Impact of MTAS on Mental Health of Trainee Doctors

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 09:07:17 PST

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has today expressed concern at the impact the chaos related that the Medical Application Service process is having on the mental health of trainee doctors.

BMA calls for delay to MTAS recruitment system

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 12:24:37 PST

An estimated 30,000 junior doctors have applied for around 22,000 new UK specialist training posts under the ‘Modernising Medical Careers’ scheme. Last year, the BMA warned that the government was rushing through the reforms in too short a timescale.

BMA responds to High Court ruling on visa restrictions for overseas doctors

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 06:12:12 PST

The High Court ruled on Friday 9 February, 2007 that the government did not consult with the medical profession, or follow necessary race relations procedures, before restricting employment opportunities for doctors from outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

UK - No more a land of Equal Opportunities?

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 10:15:44 PST

Indian doctors have historically made significant contributions to the National Health Service (NHS)for more than 30-40 years. The recent verdict on Friday, 9th Febuary 2007 has definitely disappointed these Indian medicos in the United Kingdom. The implications are that thousands of trainee Indian doctors in UK may have to return home soon as the London High court has upheld new rules, abolishing permit-free training for overseas doctors.

Certification of UK doctors would improve quality of care

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 19:45:00 PST

Certification of UK doctors would help to improve quality of care, say researchers in this week's BMJ. England's chief medical officer recently recommended certification of doctors to strengthen professional regulation. Specialist certification is a well established process in the United States that allows doctors to demonstrate achievements and competencies beyond the minimum acceptable standards required for licensing purposes. Certified status must be renewed every six to 10 years.

Exam nerves affects students' immune defence

Sat, 19 Aug 2006 17:30:00 PST

It is hardly surprising that one of the medical programmes most important exams is stressful for students. However, research now shows that this mental stress also affects the students' immune defence systems, particularly amongst those suffering from allergies.

Jefferson Acquires Wills Eye Residency Programs

Sat, 15 Jul 2006 19:21:00 PST

Wills Eye Hospital of Philadelphia will transfer responsibility for its inpatient and ophthalmology residency programs to its longstanding partners, Thomas Jefferson University and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, effective July 1, 2006.

Work permit rule hits Indian doctors in Britain

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 13:33:00 PST

Panic has set in among thousands of doctors from the Indian subcontinent after new rules that came into effect made work permits mandatory for non-European Union doctors to work in the National Health Service (NHS).

JIPMER Pondicherry set for revamp

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 05:14:00 PST

The Jawaharlal Institute of Post-graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) in Pondicherry is all set for an upgrade, with Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss laying foundation stones for four new units Sunday.

Factors in religious sensitivity for medical students

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 16:21:00 PST

Can sensitivity to the role religion plays in a patient's life positively affect physician bedside manner and care of the patient? Yes, for female physicians in training; no, for male physicians in training, according to a research letter published in the December issue of the Southern Medical Journal. "Research has shown that patients want their physicians to be aware of their religious beliefs, values, and needs and to discuss religious issues with them, especially if they are preparing for death. At the same time, studies have documented physician avoidance of religious discussions due to discomfort and lack of training," said senior author Douglas Miller, M.D., professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine. "Other research suggests that medical students exposed to religion during medical training display more empathy and positive attitudes toward religion in the clinic.

Major Increase in U.S. Medical School Enrollment

Wed, 26 Oct 2005 23:50:00 PST

U.S. medical schools are seeing a significant upsurge in enrollment levels and applicants, according to new data released today by the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges). The 2005-2006 entering class is the largest on record, with more than 17,000 first-time enrollees in the nation's 125 medical schools, a 2.1 percent increase over the 2004 total of 16,648 students.

Low numbers of state school students enter medical school

Sat, 24 Sep 2005 20:27:00 PST

The extra funding English medical schools will receive from top-up fees should be used to widen access to the profession, the BMA said on Thursday 22 September, 2005 as new figures show that the proportion of medical students from state schools is far lower than the national average.

Renewed interest in young physicians to pursue research careers

Fri, 23 Sep 2005 15:19:00 PST

Recent initiatives appear to have created renewed interest for young physicians to pursue research careers, according to a study in the September 21 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical research.

Women doctors and their careers: what now?

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 00:10:00 PST

Despite a record number of female medical students, medicine remains a white male dominated profession � but its days as such are numbered, says a paper in this week�s BMJ.

Number Of Students In U.S. Medical Schools Remains Constant

Fri, 09 Sep 2005 15:39:00 PST

The enrollment at U.S. medical schools has changed very little over the last 10 years, according to an article in the September 7 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical education.

Record Number Of Trainee Residents And Fellows In US

Fri, 09 Sep 2005 15:36:00 PST

There are more than 100,000 physicians-in-training in the U.S., the highest recorded amount, according to an article in this issue of JAMA.

Foundation Trust Network reaches historic agreement with Royal Colleges

Thu, 08 Sep 2005 01:12:00 PST

The Foundation Trust Network, which represents all 32 NHS foundation trusts, has signed a concordat with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges to enable the two organisations to work together on the appointment of consultant medical staff.

On Call Induced Intoxication in Junior Doctors - Research

Wed, 07 Sep 2005 18:59:00 PST

A new reserarch article published in this week�s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association studied the effects of heavy call rotation and long hours resident doctors neurobehavioral performance. The finding are comparable to the impairment associated with a 0.04 to 0.05 grams percent blood alcohol concentration during a light call rotation. This amount is similar to having a 12 oz can of reduced alcohol beer every hour*.

Royal College of General Practitioners announces GP certification unit

Fri, 02 Sep 2005 02:13:00 PST

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has announced it is setting up a new certification unit to process applications for a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) from GP trainees. The unit will go live on the 1st of October 2005. The certification unit will be part of the RCGP�s Postgraduate Training Committee (PTC).

Second Counseling Breakthrough for All India Medical PG Seats

Fri, 15 Apr 2005 19:10:00 PST

Supreme Court of India today accepted the suggestion given by Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and Medical Council of India (MCI) that 405 candidates would be called for an additional round of counselling for the first time in time in the history of All India Quota Post-graduate Medical Examination (AIPGE).

Virtual Celebration Encourages Exploration of Genomic Careers

Fri, 08 Apr 2005 03:59:00 PST

On April 25, high school students across the country will celebrate National DNA Day by tuning in to webcasts featuring cutting-edge genomic research and taking part in a live online discussion with researchers from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis ranked 3rd in U.S.

Wed, 06 Apr 2005 16:45:00 PST

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is rated the third best medical school in the nation, according to this year's U.S. News & World Report rankings of graduate and professional programs released April 1.

New Junior Doctor Training Curriculum Launched

Tue, 05 Apr 2005 13:40:00 PST

A groundbreaking change in postgraduate medical training begins today with the publication of a new curriculum for junior doctors, part of the Modernising Medical Careers programme.

JCHMT assessment tools are now available

Thu, 24 Mar 2005 17:55:00 PST

Assessment of the performance of doctors has become an important issue as a result of high profile cases and the redesign of medical training. Following the launch of the new competency based curricula, the Joint Committee on Higher Medical Training of the three Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK developed three methods of measuring the clinical skills and personal behaviours of SpRs across 30 specialties and sub-specialties.

Indian Health Minister Visits AIPGE Counseling Center

Thu, 24 Mar 2005 17:36:00 PST

The Union Health & Family Welfare Minister, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss today made an impromptu visit to the PG Counseling Centre for medical students in the Central Health Education Bureau in New Delhi today.

EEA Doctors to face Pre-Registration Identity Checks in UK

Fri, 18 Mar 2005 16:24:00 PST

From 1 April 2005 the General Medical Council will be introducing pre-registration identity checks for all doctors who are EEA or Swiss nationals and for doctors who are exercising an EC right.

Surgical Training in UK seriously compromised by EWTD

Fri, 25 Feb 2005 17:15:00 PST

The findings of a survey of trainee surgeons carried out by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCSEng), in collaboration with sister surgical Royal Colleges, the Association of Surgeons in Training (AsiT) and the British Orthopaedic Trainees� Association (BOTA) to find out the effect the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) has had on their training, their care of patients and the quality of their own lives reveals that the introduction of the European Working Time Directive has seriously compromised surgical training. The implementation of shorter hours has meant that training time in the operating theatre and contact with surgeon trainers have both diminished significantly.

Supreme Court of India sought information about numbers of All India Medical Post Graduate (PG) Seats

Tue, 22 Feb 2005 20:14:00 PST

A Bench comprising Justice Y K Sabharwal and Justice P P Naolekar issued an order to direct the Chief Secretaries of the States and Union Territories to give details to Directorate General of Health Services by February 25. Supreme Court also posted the matter for next hearing on February 28, 2005.

Shortfall predicted in number of surgeons in UK

Sun, 20 Feb 2005 23:03:00 PST

The NHS Plan, launched in July 2000, promised 7500 more consultants in England by 2004; an additional 1000 specialist registrars by 2004; and an increase of 1000 medical students across the UK by 2002. So far, the only target that has been met is the expansion of medical students. Whilst additional training posts have been offered, not all can be taken up due to lack of central resources and service pressures in hospitals. The Royal College of Surgeons insists that new training opportunities are able to deliver training of the required standard.

Overseas junior doctors warned to expect unemployment in the UK

Fri, 11 Feb 2005 19:20:00 PST

So many junior overseas doctors are struggling to get jobs in the United Kingdom that they are now being warned to be prepared for long periods of unemployment, writes Peter Trewby, of the Royal College of Physicians in this week's BMJ Career Focus.

New GMC guidance for Pre Registration House Officer (PRHO) training

Mon, 07 Feb 2005 21:03:00 PST

New doctors are being issued with revised and updated guidance on what they need to learn during their first year as a registered doctor. The GMC�s Education Committee has carried out the most detailed review of Pre Registration House Officer (PRHO) training since it started. We have consulted widely for two years, and a completely revised version of The New Doctor is one result of that consultation.

RCGP conference on GP appraisal

Mon, 22 Nov 2004 22:15:00 PST

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) will hold a conference tomorrow (23/11) to clarify the position of appraisal, revalidation and clinical governance in GPs� professional development.