A large part of your role as a representative is preparing for, presenting at, and disseminating information from important meetings about your education. This page tells you about the structure and aims of these meetings. It also contains some advice on how to approach them.
Contents
What meetings do I need to attend?
Do these meetings actually make a difference?
What should I do before a meeting?
What should I do during the meeting?
What should I do after the meeting?
What are the common mistakes reps make, and how can I avoid them?
What meetings do I need to attend?
As a resident doctor representative, there are three meetings that you will likely be involved in. These are:
- The local faculty group (LFG)
- The local academic board (LAB)
- The resident doctors forum (RDF)
The following video gives you a basic explainer for each of these meetings.
Do these meetings actually make a difference?
There are plenty of examples of resident doctor representatives making a real difference for their colleagues. These are from just one trust:
- Individual doctor had not received induction or supervisor. After reporting this to the LFG lead, this was addressed rapidly and resolved individually between the resident doctor and their department.
- Surgical F1 shifts busy with some safety concerns. Resident doctor representatives conducted questionnaires, encouraged all doctors to exception report and discussed the identified issues at their LFG and RDF. The rota was subsequently entirely redesigned with additional staffing.
- Doctors in one specialty not able to get to formal teaching. Following discussion at the LFG, all supervisors were reminded of the curriculum requirements for teaching attendance. They were subsequently released for teaching without major issue.
- Individual doctor had not received induction or supervisor. After reporting this to the LFG lead, this was addressed rapidly and resolved individually between the resident doctor and their department.
- Lack of senior supervision in one department due to consultant shortage. Following discussion at the LFG and RDF, the team implemented a consultant of the week model to ensure adequate supervision
What should I do before a meeting?
We would recommend the following approach:
- Read the previous minutes. This will help you get a feel for what is discussed at the meeting and how each item is approached. The representatives may also have been allotted specific work at the previous meeting that you need to report back on. Finally, an issue you have identified may have been mentioned before. The minutes can tell you what has already been tried and help you target your presentation to reflect this.
- Liaise with other representatives. In larger specialties, there may be several of you. Speaking to one another will help you identify common issues. It will also help you collect information more easily and result in less individual work!
- Canvas the opinions of your whole cohort. It is very important to make sure you are not just representing your views. Everyone’s experiences will be different. For instance, LTFT doctors, may experience issues that are not immediately obvious to full time colleagues.
- Collect information formally. Initial anecdotal reports are helpful to decide what to look into further. But try and use a more objective measure, like questionnaires and surveys, for data collection. These can be completed anonymously, meaning people are more likely to be honest.
- Compile a brief report. Try to focus on the main points you have identified. Meetings are short and you want to get you point across quickly. Try using visual methods, like pie charts, to help people rapidly understand your data. Keep hold of your raw data, as this can always be emailed out later if anyone would like more details.
- Speak to the meeting lead beforehand. This can be really helpful if you aren’t sure what to focus on in the meeting. This is particularly important if you identify any major issues or problems so you don’t blindside them in the meeting itself. By doing this, you also give them some time to discuss with colleagues. This increases the possibility of them bring a solution to the meeting.
What should I do during the meeting?
In the meeting, try to present clearly and concisely. The following points may help you:
- Make your presentation clear. Use slides which outline your points in an easy to understand way. Graphics, such as charts, can be really helpful at getting your points across.
- Prioritise the points in your presentation. Time is limited in most meetings. Arrange your presentation to make sure you cover the most important points. If you aren’t sure which section deserves most attention, discuss this with the meeting lead beforehand. Because time is tight, don’t worry if you get moved along. Much like in an exam, sometimes they have heard the information they need to make a decision!
- Highlight positives as well as negatives. We can learn a lot from people who are doing things well, particularly those who have improved after feedback. Don’t lose this valuable information by focussing only on areas that could be better. Also, remember your supervisors are trying to help. Hearing where things have gone well can be motivating too.
- Be prepared for questions and discussion. Think about what people might want more information about when preparing for your presentation. This will help you to answer smoothly and precisely. It is perfectly normal for people to ask question. Remember that someone asking for clarification isn’t a criticism!
- Take notes. Whilst the meeting will have minutes taken, they may not capture all the points that are relevant to you. Make sure you note down any actions so you know what you need to do and bring to the next meeting.
- Contribute to other agenda items. You are not just there for your section. You will have valuable insights in other areas too- don’t be afraid to share them!
What should I do after the meeting?
Managing your data well after the meeting will help you meet your objectives with minimal fuss.
- Make a list of actions. Do this straight away whilst the meeting is fresh in your mind- you’ll be happy later!
- Discuss with other reps. Make sure you are clear about who is doing what. This is especially important for larger projects. Make sure you have all the answers you need. Does anything need escalating further or taking to a more appropriate meeting? Who is reporting back to your cohort? And if more work is required, who is going to do it and when will you report back?
- Feedback to your colleagues. Make sure your cohort know what the meeting addressed and what the next actions are. Ideally you should also share the minutes with them. You may need to contact the administrator for the meeting to have this sent out.
- Think about what to address in your next meeting. It is never too early to consider this! Use the actions discussed at the meeting to guide you on where to go next.
What are the common mistakes reps make, and how can I avoid them?
No one is expecting you to be perfect! Making mistakes is how we learn. However, from our experience, there can be some common traps that reps fall into. This short video talks about these, and how you can avoid them.