Essential activities are described as mandatory in curriculum documents by the relevant Royal College or Faculty and should assist Educational Supervisors to ensure that a Resident Doctor is meeting the requirements mandated by the curriculum in the first instance.
Supporting activities are not mandated in the curriculum, but support the curriculum, with the Head of School or Training Programme Director determining that attendance is of benefit to the Resident Doctor. These lists are not prescriptive and there is no expectation that a doctor will complete all the events listed as Supporting for their given programme. The list should act as a guide for the doctor and Educational Supervisor to plan and schedule attendance at some of these events across the entire duration of training.
Discretionary/Aspirational activities enhance the knowledge, skills and attitudes of the Resident Doctor, or enhance any aspect of patient care, but are not mapped to any direct curriculum requirements.
Activities listed as Essential or Supporting will take priority over Discretionary/Aspirational activities, especially as national and local Study Leave budgets are finite.
Unless mandated in the curriculum, all international courses / conferences / activities will fall under the Discretionary/Aspirational category and will require approval from the TPD and Head of School, as well as meeting the International Study Leave Activity criteria.
Approved Lists
Please refer to the list below for the relevant specialty/school: