On Friday 30 April, 20 medical students
from the Netherlands visited the College. This came about through
my long-standing research partnership with a Professor at the Free
University of Amsterdam. He has formed a group, Little Hans, to
encourage 3rd and 4th year medical students into Child Psychiatry.
This initiative has been very successful, and all the students have
the chance to start research early and produce robust research
papers with clinical utility.
I am hopeful that through Dr Alice Lomax,
as chair of the Psychiatric Trainees' Committee (PTC), and through
the PTC medical student representative, that we can foster links
with the young doctors of the future in the Netherlands.
Nick Hindley came to speak to them about
how to develop innovative adolescent forensic services and I shared
my thoughts on young violent offenders, society and social capital.
We had a lively debate and they enjoyed being shown around the
College building.
I have a real wish for more members to come
and visit the College HQ to see how it works from day-to-day.
It is your College! So if anyone is joining a Committee, please ask
the chair to show you around and if I am in, do drop in to see
me.
I finished the week with a meeting of the
European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) with other UK
representatives from across medicine. In the midst of our
day-to-day pressures, it is sometimes difficult to think about
Europe and medicine. But the challenges and opportunities are the
same, both across medicine and other European countries. It is a
real opportunity to work together and to strengthen our voice.
I will soon be attending the joint meeting
of International Colleges and Academies in South Africa where I
will be talking about the work of the College and our
examinations. I am also using this as an opportunity meet up with
psychiatrists and public health doctors working on public mental
health so that we can share practical ideas which will
help in our future work in the UK.
But before I can fly out though, I have to
catch up with the latest moves my grandson has learned at
Ninjas.
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