by Prof Peter McCrorie, Professor of Medical Education

Last year was a milestone for the Medical School: our first ever Postgraduate Clinical Training Programme (PgCTP) for newly qualified doctors became a reality at Limassol General Hospital. The programme was validated by the UK General Medical Council (GMC) as being equivalent to the UK Foundation Year Programme (FY1) and therefore leading to full registration with the GMC. This was a great achievement for all concerned, greatly helped by the wholehearted enthusiasm of, and dedication by, the twelve MBBS 2017 graduates who participated.

Success was due to great teamwork, led by Professor Jacky Hayden, the first Director of the PgCTP. Professor Hayden had been a Postgraduate Dean in the UK for many years. She therefore brought with her a wealth of experience which proved invaluable to the design and running of the programme. She was aided and abetted by Dr Eleftherios Nicolaides, Deputy Director, who visited Limassol General Hospital at least once a week to ensure the smooth running of the programme and to deliver several of the compulsory teaching sessions.  The final two members of the team were Senior Administrator Eliana Christoforou who tended to the trainees’ every need from an administrative point of view …. and me, Peter McCrorie, bearing the title of Chair of PgCTP Development Committee. My role was a mix of student support, faculty development, driver and go-between with the Medical School.

Key to the success of the programme were the Educational and Clinical Supervisors at Limassol General Hospital, where all the training took place. This was all new to them but they threw themselves into their roles with great gusto.

So – did it succeed?  Indeed it did! All twelve trainees were awarded a Foundation Programme Certificate of Experience and are now fully registered doctors. Eleven are now continuing their Foundation programme in the UK and one has returned to Lebanon.

This year the programme is running with five 2018 graduates.

The Cyprus PgCTP team:
Prof Jacky     Hayden

Director

Prof Peter McCrorie

Chair of Development Team

Dr Eleftherios Nicolaides

Deputy Director

Ms Eliana Christoforou

Senior Administrator

Last year’s cohort celebrating the end of their last teaching session in July 2018 with a ‘Good Luck’ cake