Sarah Hallett

Paediatric Dr 👶. @RCPCHtweets Trainee Assessment Rep. MedEd, politics, workforce & wellbeing. Ex-Chair @theBMA UK Junior Doctors Committee 2019-22. She/her.

[Sarah Hallett @DrSarahHal]

Tomorrow, after three years as Chair and three years as Deputy Chair, my time as an officer of the UK Junior Doctors Committee @TheBMA comes to an end.

It has been a privilege to represent colleagues throughout what has been an incredibly turbulent time for the profession.

[Sarah Hallett @DrSarahHal]

I had my RSV vaccine today! 💉💪

As a paediatric SpR, I'm delighted that it is now available to protect infants against bronchiolitis. RSV causes so many admissions over the winter months.

If you are in third trimester of pregnancy, ask your midwife about getting the vaccine!

[RCPCH @RCPCHtweets]

Today marks the start of the RSV vaccination programme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This is a welcome move to help reduce the adverse health impacts associated with RSV infection in infants. Find our more our website: https://t.co/vWsarswVVF

[Sarah Hallett @DrSarahHal]

Feedback from students - "you don't know it til you live it" (and some of the top exam results from those in the scheme)
From teachers - better doctor when students present, renewed enthusiasm
From the community - "it takes a community to train a future physician"
#DEMEC23

[Sarah Hallett @DrSarahHal]

Plenary from Prof @RogerStrasser on how socially accountable medical training addresses inequities in rural and underserviced communities. Hidden curriculum assumptions - cities have prestige, rural work is somehow inferior. #DEMEC23

[Sarah Hallett @DrSarahHal]

Emphasis on immersion in communities, e.g. through longitudinal integrated GP clerkships - students are motivated to learn as seeing patients as part of the team, and learning is multilayered through different contexts and contacts.

#DEMEC23

[Sarah Hallett @DrSarahHal]

Great project at @BucksHealthcare on ensuring self-development time (SDT) for all junior doctors (not just FYs, which is mandated from national level employers). They made it work, on the whole, despite some challenges.
I asked likelihood of national backing - case studies help.

[Sarah Hallett @DrSarahHal]

Next: update on Enhancing (Junior) Doctors Working Lives.
I was part of this group for several years from shortly after its inception; of all the programmes I was a rep to in my BMA roles, it was one of the most progressive and forward thinking.
#DEMEC23

[Sarah Hallett @DrSarahHal]

Out of programme pause was initially discussed as working towards true "step on step off" training as part of individualised training pathways. Hopeful that this is slowly coming to fruition! It should be possible imo without needing a reason, given enough notice.

[Sarah Hallett @DrSarahHal]

@DoctorDemetris @JonnyGucks Yeah I think I agree with this. There is utility in laying down that knowledge within your own brain (ie not relying on AI for it).
The application of it is harder to assess but does appear to be important. Perhaps where WBPAs should come in - if we had proper time & resource.

[Jonny Guckian @JonnyGucks]

Question of the day for me - we need to look again at the aims of our postgrad written assessments...

Knowledge acquisition or rites of passage?

#meded #medtwitter #DEMEC23

(Also, welcome back to Twitter, Sarah!)

[Sarah Hallett @DrSarahHal]

Or does it not matter, because we suspect human doctors will take the tested exam knowledge, then apply the context and meaning anyway, in a way that A.I. cannot?
🤔
#DEMEC23

[Sarah Hallett @DrSarahHal]

I'm musing essentially on whether we should also (/instead??) be testing application of that knowledge - the step where we apply meaning.
Or is that where the other parts of training programme assessment come in? (Your WBPAs if done properly for example).
#DEMEC23

[Sarah Hallett @DrSarahHal]

Interesting that these AI programmes were able to pass medical exams, and yet that knowledge is not enough to work in medicine (indeed doctors ignore AI outputs in studies ...)
*Meaning* is important.
But also: what does this mean re: what our exams are testing?
#DEMEC23

[Jonny Guckian @JonnyGucks]

"LLMs know everything, but understand nothing."

AI won't be replacing doctors any time soon...

#demec23

[Sarah Hallett @DrSarahHal]

I'm obv biased - as Deputy Chair and then Chair of UKJDC I worked with stakeholders on category 3 LTFT (and indeed was persistent on wanting faster rollout). I personally also feel the answer to many of the issues is more doctors - recognising there's no overnight fix with that.

[Sarah Hallett @DrSarahHal]

Workshop on a subject I'm very passionate about with an intriguing title: "Could flexibility be forced into rigidity?"
I'm convinced of the benefits of flexibility so I'm keen to discuss this further. (First poll is ... interesting...)
#DEMEC23 @DEMEC23

[Sarah Hallett @DrSarahHal]

So the question posed: how do you make it work? This is what the room at @DEMEC23 suggested as priorities for trainees and employers #DEMEC23 (... some controversy here IMHO)