Raising the Profile of Psychiatry in Nottinghamshire for

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Raising the Profile of Psychiatry in Nottinghamshire for Recruitment. The Mind Matters. Dr Val

Raising the Profile of Psychiatry in Nottinghamshire for Recruitment. The Mind Matters. Dr Val Yeung, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust Dr Elena Baker-Glenn, South Essex Partnership Trust Background Providing the best care to our patients requires unique input from rigorously trained psychiatrists, with effective multidisciplinary teamworking 1. Despite the exciting challenges of working as a psychiatrist, recruitment has been in crisis for many years 2. Unfilled training posts are being taken by locum contracts or lost from training schemes altogether, which has generated many concerns. How we can maintain our excellent standards of service provision when dedicated trainees are not in post? How can we ensure the highest quality of care for our patients unless we raise the profile of mental health issues and inspire entry to psychiatry as a profession? Aims • Locally raise the profile of psychiatry as a career for medical students and foundation year (FY) doctors. • Increase local interest in tackling the recruitment crisis through generating events and networks of communications within and outside of our Trust. • Effectively use our positions as elected Trent representatives of the Psychiatric Trainees’ Committee of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) in driving these communications. • Inspire friendly competition amongst students and FY doctors in Trent through new regional prizes. • Use original events linked to mental health to engage students and to help positively influence attitudes about psychiatry. Methods • Provide leadership with student set up of the University of Nottingham Psychiatry Society, ‘Mind Matters’, from 2009. • Supervision of students in organisational structure for the society: committee roles, annual planning, sponsorship for events, communication via Facebook page. • Innovative opening events focusing on illicit drug use and media doctor/trainee psychiatrist, Max Pemberton, to link with mental health education. • RCPsych initiatives for recruitment were highlighted via Mind Matters, such as the Student Associate grade, summer school and prizes. Mind Matters were linked with a network of national student societies. • Establishment of RCPsych Trent annual medical student elective, FY audit prizes and medical student Public Speaking Competition related to mental health, attracting those with excellent communication into our profession. Prizes have been given a high profile through presentation at the Trent Division Annual General Meeting (AGM). • Engaging the wider body of trainees of all grades and consultants to participate in events and the recruitment initiative via Mind Matters. Results Mind Matters continues to thrive in its third consecutive year. The society has 285 Facebook group members 3 and continues to deliver exciting events linked to mental health. Student representatives from Mind Matters are prominently included in the Nottinghamshire Recruitment Strategy Group. The Trent medical student elective and FY audit prizes continue to attract competitive interest. The medical student Public Speaking Competition has now enjoyed its third year as a main session at the RCPsych Trent Division AGM and has been popularly received, particularly with the Users and Carers representatives 4. Conclusion Mind Matters and similar student societies can make a real difference in raising the profile of psychiatry for students, in addition to engaging trainees and consultants in the important process of recruitment. Using different ways of inspiring interest in psychiatry through some thought provoking events can be helpful. The Mind Matters in recruitment. References 1. Bhugra D. (2010). Role of the Consultant Psychiatrist. OP 74 RCPsych. 2. Oxtoby K. (2008). Psychiatry in Crisis. Bmj. com http: //careers. bmj. com/careers/advice/view-article. html? id=3050 Accessed on 23 March 2012. 3. https: //www. facebook. com/groups/52695284505/ Accessed on 29 March 2012. 4. RCPsych Trent Division newsletter, January 2011