Although the ACCS pathway specifies 6 months of Emergency Medicine and 6 months of Acute Medicine, for those entering ICM training via Core Anaesthetic Training, the ICM curriculum does not specify the composition of this year. The structure will be dependent on the pre-existing locally agreed training pathways and availability of specific placements, but best practice would include a discussion between the TPD and Intensivist in Training (IiT) to identify previous experiences, any knowledge gaps or specific interests that the IiT might have.
The IiT may spend their normal working days in any acute medical specialty (including but not limited to acute medicine, cardiology, respiratory, stroke, neurology, endocrine, gastroenterology, palliative medicine, infectious diseases, renal medicine, haematology and oncology), or up to 6 months in Emergency Medicine, providing that the curriculum competencies can be met.
Placements may range between 3, 4 and 6 months.
Any queries regarding the suitability of a medical placement can be directed to contact@ficm.ac.uk
It is expected that IiTs will have exposure to the acute unselected medical take, as well as the opportunity to attend clinics, perform procedures (bronchoscopy, chest drain insertion, cardioversion, abdominocentesis etc) or learn extended skills such as point of care ultrasound.
It is expected that where the rota contains on-calls or out-of-hours work, this will be undertaken within a medical specialty at the level of an IMT, rather than covering anaesthesia or intensive care rotas.
IiTs should attend local IMT teaching.
IiTs should receive up to 2 hours per week of Educational Development Time (EDT) as is recommended for Stage 1 ICM training.
During this medical placement, in addition to 2 hours of EDT per week, some IiTs may benefit from up to 2 ‘Keeping in Touch’ days per month (up to a maximum of 12 per annum) to be used for theatre time OR intensive care medicine time. These days are to maintain specialty specific skills where the IiT can demonstrate that there is deficit or decay of a specific skill which cannot be maintained via Educational Development Time. Approval of KIT days are at the discretion of the local FICM Tutors. Please see the Good Practice Statement on EDT and KIT days for more information.
Although the curriculum is competency based rather than time based, it is anticipated that most IiTs will complete an indicative 12 months full time equivalent of medicine and that alterations to this will be in exceptional circumstances only and at the discretion of the TPD and ARCP panel.
