Respiratory Medicine training in Wessex offers the combination of high quality District General Hospital (DGH) clinical training with rotation through an Academic Centre for Respiratory Medicine (Southampton). Added to this is the opportunity to enjoy life on the South Coast, one of the UK’s most beautiful and varied regions.
Training format
The general format of training is that trainees spend the first two years of training in a DGH, the middle two years in Southampton and Portsmouth, and the final year in a DGH. From time to time, as appropriate, this pattern may need to be varied.
The mandatory 60 days’ training in intensive treatment unit (ITU) is provided at Salisbury and Southampton. Training in Adult Cystic Fibrosis is provided at Southampton, although Portsmouth and Poole have satellite clinics.
Special interest training
Most other special interest training is available at Southampton and Portsmouth, although many of the participating trusts provide training in some/many of these clinical areas. Most trusts provide training in bronchoscopy. Three trusts (Portsmouth, Poole, Dorchester and Winchester) have local anaesthetic thoracoscopy services.
Most trusts provide experience in pleural ultrasound. Tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) experience are available at Southampton, Portsmouth and Bournemouth. Domiciliary non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is available at Southampton.
The programme encourages placements to provide training in lung transplantation and pulmonary hypertension. Some training in occupational and environmental respiratory medicine is available locally and the programme is developing training in integrated care.
Several hospitals have sleep services and offer training in sleep aspects of Respiratory Medicine.
Structured training programme ‘day release’
The clinical training is supported by an active monthly day release Structured Training Programme, which covers the entire curriculum in a rolling 2.5 year cycle. There are strong links with the Academic Department at Southampton.
Research
Research is encouraged, but trainees must give adequate notice of intended Out of Programme for Research (OOPR). There are formal research opportunities available at Southampton and Portsmouth. In particular, Southampton has an international reputation in Respiratory Medicine research.