PTC blog - April 2020

Welcome to the second blog from the PTC which we are producing alongside our bi-monthly newsletter. We revamped our last newsletter with the addition of the blog and were ecstatic to learn that many more of you read it! Engagement is always top of our agenda at the PTC and given the current COVID-19 crisis, this is more important than ever. We hope you find the information we send out helpful but are always keen to get your feedback and please let us know if you would like something else included.

The last two months have been unprecedented. We have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure that trainees views and concerns are communicated throughout the College. We are continuing to push forward with our ongoing projects although understandably the COVID-19 response is taking priority. We hope to have the mentoring guide, IMG guide and parental leave guide available to you in the near future.

Our Chair, Ross Runciman, has been in daily contact with the College President and Dean regarding training issues. This includes discussions about exams and training, which we know really matter. We want to thank everybody who has communicated their thoughts to us; either via email or through local PTC representatives. It goes to show how much influence we as a collective have and we need your help to make sure this continues.

Personally, we’ve got to grips with a number of new platforms over the last month. This included our first PTC executive meeting using Microsoft Teams. Check us! We cannot stress enough the importance of good communication and our trials using ‘Workplace’ in the Northern Ireland and Eastern divisions with trainees are ongoing. If you’re in these areas and not linked in already then what are you waiting for! Get in touch with your local PTC reps.

We are continuing to plan our welcome events. Due to COVID-19 we have been discussing how best to do these including consideration of having digital welcome events. We will keep you up to date of any welcome events that are planned.

We’ve taken on board what you said about wanting to know how your exam fees are spent and the Treasurer of the College, Jan Falkowski, is producing a document detailing this so all is clear and transparent (leading the way for most of the other Colleges it has to be said)! We hope to have a first draft of this soon.

As you may have heard, unfortunately, the International Congress has been cancelled for this year. However, we’re hoping to organise our next trainees’ conference for the Autumn (situation permitting), and it would be fabulous to see you there! We’ll let you know the details as soon as we get them. It will be a great opportunity to meet other trainees and be inspired by all the fantastic work that’s happening across the UK (and get some ideas about how you could potentially change your working life/ service for the better too).

There’s far too much going on within the PTC to cover in this blog so this is just a snapshot. If you want to know more you’ll find it in our newsletter and as always you can contact us, your local PTC reps or keep up to date through Facebook, Twitter or by emailing us at ptcsupport@rcpsych.ac.uk.

Dr Laura Stevenson
@LauraSt40837429
Co-Secretary

Dr Rosemary Gordon
@Rosie_j_g
Co-Secretary

Dr Luke Baker
@drlukebakerUK
Vice Chair

Dr Ross Runciman
@RuncimanRoss
Chair