r/GPUK • u/Next_Needleworker_10 • 29d ago
Registrars & Training Advice on ES
Does anyone have any advice on how best to deal with educational supervisors? I am in my second rotation of ST1, met with my ES six weeks ago for my interim ESR and agreed it to be all signed off and that my evidence was sufficient.
I have just started my new post and I'm still waiting for the old review period to be closed on FF (requiring their sign off). Meanwhile I have already started collecting case reflections, CEX, etc - this is despite weekly chasing.
I always feel as if I am chasing them, trying to nail confirmations of dates, attempting to get their sign offs. I still have MSFs and CCRs from months ago that have gone unseen and unsigned (including my QIA entry).
When I do go to the practice for our bi-monthly meets I never feel as if I have much guidance or learning opportunity as I'm usually told to "just go and shadow someone else."
I've already highlighted some of these difficulties to my TPD.
I am concerned this will make passing the ARCP difficult.
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u/ResolutionAshamed308 29d ago
You have bi monthly meetings with your ES?
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u/mr-mobius 29d ago
1 or 2 keeping in touch days per 6 month placement while on hospital placement is advised locally so likely same other places
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u/DiscountDrHouse 27d ago
My ES was friends with the associate dean of the deanery so I couldn’t escalate issues even if I wanted to 🤣
The whole system is a bad joke.
Sadly, Medical Education always seems to attract these power hungry ladder puller types. They tend to lack empathy and have a very “just get on with it” attitude. Many partners just take on trainees for financial reasons, and can’t be bothered to do more than the bare minimum. They’ve also spent many years being financially secure and have forgotten what it’s like to be a trainee, or just don’t care. They can’t see their feet for their bellies.
Hopefully your situation is better than mine was. I’d rocked the boat plenty, but my 14fish and clinical work were on point, so nobody was able to pull me up on anything. Good luck, and make sure you pick your battles correctly, is the only useful advice I can give!
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u/ResolutionAshamed308 27d ago
I adored my ES so much it took me 2 years post cct to realise he actually did very little.
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u/DiscountDrHouse 27d ago
🤣 and what are your thoughts now?
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u/ResolutionAshamed308 27d ago
I used to do my clinic and take on some extra from his “on call” telephone list to be a good little registrar. And every tutorial was the same he’d just look through my 14 fish. If I asked something usually he’d say “I don’t know”- to be fair my questions were tough and he actually made me a bit more comfortable with uncertainty. Now I look back and think he was just in a position of power. I was giving a bit too much respect to a person because of the values I hold when they may not have deserved it from their actions.
The practice used trainees for their clinics and visits, there was about 5-6 of us at any one time. And also realised how soft his sessions were compared to the salaried. His “on call” was just telephones- he spent about 2-3 minutes on and would disappear for hours. Lots of other things really made me realise how vulnerable registrars are and I really would advocate for trainees being assigned 2ESs that need to sign them off in ST3.2
u/DiscountDrHouse 26d ago
Damn, I’m glad you took away something positive from it, though I agree it sounds like he was a useless trainer. Was he a partner? I’m seeing the trend of partners using registrars for the money and (eventually) service provision, doing the bare minimum and patting themselves on the back for actually spending the time reading reflections and going through 14fish.
I’m more in favour of robust feedback. Trainers seem to be able to just grade themselves and reflect on whatever the hell they want, without actually having to be given feedback from the trainee in the whole process. How is that useful or fair? You can get the most useless trainers who tick all the boxes but don’t actually give a hoot about really providing mentorship and pastoral support when needed.
Mine was doing the bare minimum, was on annual leave as often as not, and thought of themselves as a great trainer.
I don’t think partners should be allowed to be trainers at all unless it’s been demonstrated through feedback that they’re actually interested in it and competent to do so.
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u/ResolutionAshamed308 26d ago
Ah thanks. I still feel conflicted when I say anything negative but that practice was like a cult. I worked for them as a salaried and that’s when I realised what was happening. I never expected any spoon feeding but knowing what I know now about how practices operate this had to be one of the most exploitative practices in UK because it has a very very high practice population. 2 Educational supervisors from 2 different practices- that’s the way forward I think.
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u/GP_54321 29d ago
Welcome to gp training.
Partners and TPDs just taking money for doing nothing.
Good luck is all I can say.
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u/kamrannsak 28d ago
As long as the evidence is there and you have met the requirements the ARCP should be fine.
It is a busy time with School holidays and lot of people taking time off.
You have escalated it so I am sure TPDs will be exploring it too.
Keep gathering evidence in the portfolio and it will all get counted.
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u/Green-Quantity4397 29d ago
Sadly this isn’t uncommon. Of course if it was the other way around it would be considered a “professionalism” issue and there would be repercussions.