Trainees are based at the Wessex Neurological Centre in Southampton, where they are trained in almost the entire range of neurophysiological investigations – electroencephalogram (EEG), ambulatory EEG, videotelemetry, electromyography (EMG), single-fibre EMG, central motor conduction time (CMCT) and evoked potentials. Training will include gaining experience in both paediatric and adult cases.
The Wessex neurophysiology consultants are keen to share their knowledge in an environment that is supportive of trainees. We encourage trainees to really get involved at the centre – including, for example, presenting cases at multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings.
Trainees learn mostly by observation and supervised practice, supplemented by self-directed reading. Daily case discussions with the consultants are encouraged, and throughout training you will be expected to put acquired knowledge and training into practice, investigating both outpatients and inpatients. Knowledge and training is assessed continuously by means of mini-clinical evaluation exercise (Mini-CEX) and direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS).
The training and experience you want can be gained in a variety of ways, depending on your needs. There are opportunities to work as the neurology ward registrar and the hospital neurology liaison registrar. You can also attend any neurology clinics that you feel are of benefit and there is also a weekly neurology teaching session, which neurophysiologists often attend.
There is an excellent and fruitful relationship between the neurophysiologists and the adult and paediatric neurologists. There is a monthly paediatric EEG meeting and a monthly neonatal EEG meeting with the paediatric neurologists, that fosters sharing of knowledge.
There is also a monthly Wessex-wide neurophysiology training meeting, which rotates around the neurophysiology departments, providing an opportunity for training from consultants beyond Southampton.
What makes Wessex different?
Wessex Neurological Centre is a tertiary referral centre, where you will see not only lots of ‘bread and butter’ cases but also those that are out of the ordinary too. There are opportunities to learn about intraoperative monitoring during spinal surgery, and we have an active epilepsy surgery programme with fortnightly MDT meetings at which we present the video telemetry. Finally, HEE Wessex is renowned for its personal development courses.
Is HEE Wessex right for you?
Do you want to apply science to medicine to obtain objective measures – and do you have the clinical acumen to interpret those measures in a clinical setting? If the answer is yes, and you have the following attributes, then training within HEE is for you:
- are keen to learn
- have good attention to detail and technical ability
- have good communication and team working skills