Why choose Community Sexual & Reproductive Health as a career?
Community Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (CSRH) is ideally suited to doctors who enjoy communication, practical procedures and providing holistic care to patients. After spending a short period of time working in an Obstetrics and Gynaecology department the rest of the training programme is based in a sexual health clinic. The programme offers the chance to develop a special interest in Complex Contraception, Medical Gynaecology, Psychosexual Counselling, and Sexual Assault amongst others.
Every working day brings new clinical experiences and a wide range of challenges.
As a trainee what can I expect from my training programme?
CSRH was approved as a specialty by the GMC in 2010. Prior to this trainees would specialise in Obstetrics and Gynaecology training and then sub-specialise in CSRH from ST5. This is a 6 year run-through training programme commencing in ST1. The initial 18 months is hospital based in order to achieve the Obstetrics and Gynaecology competencies. For this trainees may be based at either the Royal Victoria Infirmary or Sunderland Royal Hospital. During this time trainees will follow roughly the same competency training as mainstream O&G trainees, although it is likely that CSRH trainees will spend more time working in gynaecology than obstetrics. Trainees may or may not be expected to participate in the O+G on-call rota.
The next 4.5 years will be based at New Croft Centre, Newcastle City Centre. This service sees over 40,000 patient contacts a year for Sexual Health Screening, STI Management, HIV Care, Contraception, Sexual Dysfunction and Community Gynaecology. The New Croft Centre is seen as a local and regional ‘expert’ resource centre providing advice and leadership in the field of sexual health. There are four consultants in Sexual Health with special interests in Contraception, Sexually Transmitted Infections, HIV Management and Education and Research.
During the time at the New Croft Centre trainees will undertake an 18 month attachment in a Sexual and Reproductive Health service to complete their basic training. Intermediate training (Years 4 & 5) will continue the strand of SRH but encompass training in Public Health. Advanced Training (Year 6) will be completing all outstanding competencies but with opportunities for shadowing and preparing to become a Consultant. Other training attachments will include Sexual Assault and Sexual Problems. The programme is designed to allow trainees to develop the skills to lead and manage the community based Sexual Health services of the future, and work within large multi-disciplinary teams. It should be recognized that this job involves no out-of-hours work, and is therefore unbanded.
Sexual Health Services in the North East run FSRH recognized theoretic and practical training courses. The programme supports additional training away days related to Sexual Assault, Public Health and management/leadership skills. The training will follow the Faculty’s curriculum and will equip the trainees to gain their CCT. All posts are accredited by the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare for training.
What our trainees say:
This training programme is extremely varied and rewarding. Being able to maintain links with the hospital gynaecology service throughout my training has been fantastic. Supervisors are very keen for me to be involved with service improvement projects and research. Many GPs and O+G doctors all seem to want my job!
Current vacancy information (links to HEE website recruitment page)
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