College Tutors

The College has implemented a system of College Tutors to enhance communication between the College, Hospitals and Trainees and to maximise training opportunities and the quality of training. The role of the Tutor is increasingly important as training contact time decreases and as Competence Assessment is increasingly introduced to Anaesthesia training.  All training hospitals should appoint one designated College Tutor per 10 trainees maximum.  Larger hospitals will need 2 or more Tutors.

Rationale for setting up tutor posts

1. To provide a different focus to the role of Chairman, who may experience tension between service provision and training needs.

2. To offload some of the onerous workload of the Chairman.

3. Tutors may have different skills and interests to those required of a Department Chairman

4. To develop expertise in educational and training skills

5. To provide adaptability with future likely separation of service / training aspects of trainees’ work.

6. Post-EWTD there is a need for dedicated consultant sessions for these functions as current working patterns and training structures are changing.

Further information on the role of the Tutor can be found in the Tutor Policy below. 

Definition of Trainers

Trainees in Anaesthesia are assigned to a hospital Department of Anaesthesia rather than to an individual Consultant.

All Consultants who are in good standing with the College, who are on the Specialist Register for Anaesthesia, and who have fulfilled the IMC’s PCS requirements are eligible to be trainers.  Consultants who are Fellows of Colleges other than CAI are encouraged to apply for Ad Endeum Fellowship of CAI to become trainers.

We would expect that trainers in addition to clinical training would also contribute to some aspect of the CAI formal training programme. This may include ITAs, tutorials, lectures, exams, simulation, recruitment etc.  The CAI will provide Train the Trainer Courses to support trainers in these roles.

Fellows who are not in consultant positions may also contribute to CAI training in defined programmes.

Mentors

The Training Committee strongly advocates the development of Mentor programmes in each training hospital, particularly in larger Departments where a trainee with problems may not so easily be noticed or where some trainees may not get to know any consultant well. 

A trainee who wishes the help of a Mentor outside their hospital should communicate this to the Post Graduate Dean or Chairman of the Training Committee.  These officers are available themselves or will arrange a suitable Mentor for advice and support.