Welcome to Acute Internal Medicine (AIM). We aim to provide useful information to potential future and current Acute Medicine Specialist Trainees, Acute Medicine Trainers and all others interested in the Acute Medicine training opportunities in Health Education North East. We hope you will find this website a useful resource and an easy way of finding links to acute medicine related sites.
Training Programme Director: Dr Nadia Stock Parental Leave Cover: Dr Jane Atkinson
Specialty Programme Coordinator: Laura West
HR related enquiries, please contact nhc-tr.letmedicine@nhs.net
Why choose acute medicine?
Acute medicine is the specialty within hospital medicine that focuses on providing early assessment and immediate management to adult medical patients presenting to hospital with a wide variety of medical problems. Although primarily based within the Acute Medical Unit, physicians that practice acute medicine work closely with the Emergency Department and the Critical Care Units to improve care of patients in the first hours and days after admission to hospital. You will have the opportunity to see a hugely varied case mix of patients and work in a dynamic and fast-paced team environment.
Acute medicine is an expanding specialty and there is wide recognition that demand for acute physicians will continue to increase. There are currently plentiful vacancies for acute medicine consultants in the north east and data suggesting that this will continue for several years.
As a trainee what can I expect from my training programme?
The acute medicine training programme rotates through all the hospital trusts within the North East and Cumbria which includes tertiary referral centres in Newcastle and Middlesbrough.
Experience will be gained in the comprehensive initial management of a wide variety of medical presentations as guided by the acute internal medicine curriculum.
The majority of time is spent based in Acute Medical Units, but attachments in Cardiology, Respiratory Medicine, Care of the Elderly and Critical Care are mandatory and there is the option to gain experience in other specialties depending on individual interest and local availability.
There is an established regional teaching programme that covers all aspects of the curriculum.
It is required that trainees in acute medicine also develop a specialist interest and it is currently possible to pursue an interest in medical education, intensive care medicine, palliative care, stroke medicine, diabetes, infectious diseases and management/leadership.
What our trainees say:
I really enjoy the variety of my job. You never quite know what the next patient will have and what result is going to be phoned back (although if it’s 4pm on a Friday, you know it will be something unexpected and exciting!). Also, I find I never take my work home with me as whenever I finish someone else starts.
In terms of challenge, it can get REALLY busy when you have to simultaneously become bed manager, junior supervisor, procedure doer, general overseer and clerking machine! Nothing like a bit of multi-tasking to get the blood flowing!
To someone considering this specialty I would say “do it!” It is a growth specialty with lots of potential for developing specialist interests and getting a job at the end! The programme includes some great hospitals with some inspiring teachers.
Current vacancy information (links to HEE website recruitment page)
To find out more about our region and Trusts please visit the Find Your Place website.