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Changes to the number of CCTs will have a positive impact on training

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Aparna Prasanna*
Affiliation:
Memorial Hospital, Shooter's Hill, London SE18 3RZ, email: aparnaprasanna@doctors.org.uk
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Abstract

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Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 2006. The Royal College of Psychiatrists

I read with interest the eLetter from the President and the Dean of the College about the proposed changes to the number of certificates of completion of training (CCTs) in psychiatry (http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/pdf/chnagesMay06E.pdf). No doubt these changes will have a significant impact on the future of psychiatric training at a time when postgraduate training is undergoing a radical overhaul with the anticipated introduction of Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) in August 2007.

I believe that reducing the number of CCTs from the current six to two will be beneficial to trainees for a number of reasons. First, it will bring psychiatric training in the UK in line with the rest of Europe, where psychiatrists gain accreditation in either adult or child psychiatry. A major reason for the introduction of MMC was to streamline postgraudate training in the UK, which was considered too lengthy compared with the rest of the world. Second, as reported by Day et al (Reference Day, Grimmer and Lloyd2002), many of the issues facing UK trainees are common to psychiatrists in training across Europe.

We have certainly taken the lead in establishing a structured system of training, but we need to continue strengthening the ties already formed through organisations such as the European Forum for Psychiatric Trainees. In today’s climate of a vast increase in mobility of the global medical workforce we would do well to pay heed to the needs of our prospective employers.

References

Day, E., Grimmer, C. & Lloyd, A. (2002) Psychiatry training in Europe: a brief history of the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees. Psychiatric Bulletin, 26, 152154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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