The purpose of the half day release sessions

• Networking and mutual support, peer support, the power of the group process and group identity & identity as part of the training scheme
• The power of “Collective Inspiration”
• Improving education skills & feedback skills – for educators and GPRs (latter may be in former role e.g. presentation skills). Role of modelling/group feedback/trainer involvement/relationships.
• Efficient use of time & resources (e.g. core skills like cervical cytology)
• Peer learning:
  
• can feel safer >>> increase challenge
• share vulnerability
• can improve learning
• emotional intelligence
• (challenge of no. of learners/learning styles/cultures of learning)
• Working in groups/skills for future as GPs
• Registrars will be functioning in groups in the future –
  
• GP work involves teamworking and working well in groups
• Increased self awareness
• Value of sharing skills and knowledge
• Wide variety of levels and perceptions
• Sharing uncertainty
• How to put it into practice – rehearsal, trying things out in safe setting
• Groundwork for more challenging work
• Establishes prolonged shared learning
• Allows increase in challenge and increase in depth of learning
• (can this work with different facilitators?)
• Developing skills as learners
• Spin off for scheme:
  
• We get to know registrars
• Easier feedback and forum for organisational stuff e.g. exam

Issues

What works

• Opening doors idea – start with content registrars want, which can then lead through to other areas which we know are important
• Group forming – make explicit why we do it – very strong value of early group forming events like Fellside and Hawes End
• Giving group responsibility for organising one/some half day release session(s)
• Retain some flexibility in program e.g. ‘fuzzy time’
• Feedback (that is responded to)
• Enabling GPRs to see wood for the trees & keep focus – intermittent review of process and content
• Have fun!

Tim Sowton 27 02 08

Created by BC on 1/3/08