General professional training in psychiatry in the South-west Thames Region.

Abstract

General professional training in psychiatry usually requires a minimum of three years' in-service training in senior house officer and registrar posts, leading to membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (MRCPsych) by examination. In 1974 the postgraduate dean of this region and his adviser from the Royal College of Psychiatrists set up a psychiatric subcommittee of the regional postgraduate medical committee, to consider and advise on the planning of training in psychiatry in the region. At that time, four clinical tutors ran well-known weekend and week-long block release courses which took place every six months, either at Brookwood psychiatric hospital or at the University of Surrey, in addition to their local teaching responsibilities. These courses were intended to prepare candidates for the professional examination, which occurred twice yearly. In addition one of the tutors had organised a two-term day release basic medical science course for Part A of the Diploma of Psychological Medicine (which be came also suitable for the preliminary MRCPsych examination). Early on, the subcommittee recommended the setting up of a regional two-year day release course (consisting of six seven-week terms), which was designed to equip candidates for the final part of the MRCPsych examination. After two years the entire course was held at St George's Hospital Medical