MMC

Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) aims to improve patient care by delivering a modernised and focused career structure for doctors through a major reform of postgraduate medical education. It aims to develop demonstrably competent doctors who are skilled at communicating and working as effective members of a team. As training and education are central to the work of doctors and their role in delivering patient care, MMC will also bring about significant changes to career structures, providing qualified staff who are able to meet the needs of patients.

To do this, MMC has created two-year foundation schools that will, for the first time, require doctors to demonstrate their abilities and competence against set standards. There will be an opportunity to develop experience in a range of specialties. This will offer doctors the chance to gain insight into possible career options or to build a wider appreciation of medicine before embarking on specialist training.

Post-foundation, specialist/GP training will be streamlined to deliver specialists who are judgement-safe and able to deliver the care that is needed to treat patients, without compromising in any way on standards. Streamlined training will also afford further opportunities for supra specialisation that is flexible enough to allow doctors to adapt to accommodate changes in medical technology. In this way the new system under MMC aims to provide the right numbers of doctors to meet changing service needs.

Streamlined training and explicit standards of assessed competence are also essential if doctors’ careers are to accommodate the pressures of a family and modern lifestyles. MMC aims to greatly improve the opportunities for those who wish to take a break in their careers and will promote fairness and equality of opportunity at all stages of a doctors’ career.

Modernising Medical Careers is also a key enabler for other flagship programmes in the Department of Health. It is focused on the development of a flexible workforce of doctors, who are both competent at dealing with the acutely ill and who are effective at communicating with patients and colleagues alike. These skills and the absolute guarantee of standards from new methods of assessment are key to the success of modern workforce programmes like the Hospital at Night, and the Working Time Directive. Most importantly, however, MMC will deliver a modern training scheme and career structure that will allow clinical professionals to support real patient choice.

Further details with regard to MMC can be found by visiting their website: http://www.mmc.nhs.uk/

Further details with regard to PMETB can be found by visiting their website: http://www.pmetb.org.uk/

The 2009 Medical SHO Lecture Schedule is available to download. If you require any further information with regard to the Schedule, please contact Emma Shone -

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