Psychiatric Bulletin (2006) 30: 394-395. doi: 10.1192/pb.30.10.394-b
© 2006 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Psychiatric Bulletin (2006) 30: 394-395
© 2006 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Research day for specialist registrars
Indira Vinjamuri, Specialist Registrar in Adult Mental Illness
Mersey Deanery, 9 Churchill Gardens, Rainhill, St Helens WA9 5GB, email:
vinjamuriindira{at}nhs.net
Okolo & Ogundipe (Psychiatric Bulletin, July 2006, 30,
275277) have raised important issues regarding the research day for
specialist registrars. Although it has been considered appropriate for the
research day to be used for high-quality audits, teaching/training and
postgraduate courses in addition to field research, our deanery expects
concrete proof of publications and/or research funding, as part of the Record
of In-Training Assessment. We constantly find ourselves having to explain the
gap between achievements and expectations.
Some trainees are clearly not interested in research and it is not ideal to
force disinterested people to undertake research projects. For trainees that
are interested in research, the opportunities are not readily available.
Guidance and advice are poor, unless trainees are able to tap into an ongoing
project. The alternative is for the trainee to spend all their training trying
to understand the system, which has been my experience.
More thought needs to go into the use of the research day and if trainees
are expected to produce results they need the resources to enable them to do
this. The programme director needs to be involved in tailoring the research
day to the interests of the individual trainee.
I hope that the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board takes
this into consideration before the new system is established, so that this
whole process represents good value for money and effort.