Diplomas
A brief overview of a selection of available diplomas is given below:
DFFP Information correct up to January 2008, please contact the Faculty of Family Planning for up to date guidance at http://www.ffprhc.org.uk/
Attend a Theoretical Course
This Diploma involves attending the theoretical sessions (which is mandatory as part of the current GPVTS curriculum).
At these courses a training logbook will be given out. This logbook is intended to provide an opportunity for you to record experience of consultations about reproductive health care. It is advised that you carry it with you at all times when you have clinical contact with patients. A new logbook with a revised syllabus was devised in 2003 and a sample of it can be viewed at the faculty of family planning website.
Six DFFP theoretical modules comprise the theoretical course. To find out where the courses are being held, and when, go to the faculty of family planning website.
Reference:
http://www.northnottsvts.nhs.uk/DFFP.htm
DFFP Practical Sessions
If you wish to complete this diploma one also has to attend practical family planning clinic sessions.
Northumbria, Tyne and Wear and South Tees Regions:
The fowing webpage has useful information I could not find elsewhere for the Practical DFFP eg addresses of the clinics Practical DFFP. This web page when accessed on 1st January 2008 was last updated on February 2004.
Reference
http://www.campus.ncl.ac.uk/pimd/SPECS/famplan/practical_sessions_contacts.htm
DRCOG
If you want to further your Obstetrics and gynaecology knowledge, or perhaps you find this an area that you struggle with it could be worth while you sitting this exam.
Exams like the DRCOG are designed to stretch your knowledge and equip you with the tools to be confident with facing obstetric and gynaecology problems in practice.
To seek further information about sitting this exam go to
You will find a list of courses which may prove useful to you at the college website.
For a list of recommended texts try:
Reference
http://www.northnottsvts.nhs.uk/drcog.htm
Training for the Diploma of Child Health
The DCH, once an examination run by hospital paediatricians for hospital paediatricians, has become a primary care orientated test. Examiners are now drawn from among both hospital and community paediatricians but also include paediatric surgeons, child psychiatrists, and general practitioners. Questions are written by all these groups, and are designed to test candidates’ abilities as primary care practitioners. The clinical examination, while still in the traditional long and short case format, now incorporates a practical test of one or more procedures relevant to Child Health Surveillance.
An examination can serve a variety of functions; for example, as a formative test during an educational course, to guide the candidate in future learning, or as a summative test for end-point assessment in order to determine whether the candidate has reached a required standard. End-point assessment can be mandatory, as in traditional finals following admission to the medical register, or optional, an example of which would be the DCH. These latter tests are also formative in the sense that they determine the content and style of the learning process. The DCH examination by virtue of the published content of its syllabus, will also help to shape the direction of study for those preparing it.
Further syllabus guidelines are now included on Child and Family Mental Health, in order to emphasise that the examination tests considerably more than is normally encompassed by a standard hospital paediatric post. Therefore as its title implies it comprehensively, but not excessively, tests the range of knowledge and skills which would reasonably be expected of a general practitioner or other primary care doctor.
FROM FIRST EXAMINATION OF 2004
• SINGLE PAPER WRITTEN EXAMINATION
• THREE DCH EXAMINATIONS PER YEAR
• SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF DCH WRITTEN ALLOWS UP TO THREE ATTEMPTS AT DCH CLINICAL
From the first examination in 2004, to be held Wednesday 21st January, the DCH Written examination will consist of one paper only.
The paper, to be titled, Basic Child Health, will replace the current Diploma in Child Health (DCH) written papers. The content of the paper will focus on the areas of child health that are relevant to those who will be working with children in their medical careers, not just those entering mainstream hospital-based paediatrics. The areas to be tested will be those conditions likely to be seen in 6 to 12 months of hospital, community or primary care practice.
In recent years few GP registrars have sat the DCH. The DCH is some ways has been hijacked by career paediatricians wanting to use the DCH as a revision tool for the MRCPCH. Hopefully these new changes will encourage more GP registrars to sit the exam.
How to enter the DCH Examination
The DCH examination is held in various centres, both in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. Applications for entry must be made on the appropriate forms, which, together with the Examination Calendar, are available from the RCPCH and Hong Kong.Candidates, when making their first entry to the examination must submit their original medical registration certificates or their diplomas of medical qualification unless their names appear in the current (annual) edition of the Medical Register of the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom.
Photocopies of certificates and/or official translations will only be accepted if they have been prepared and/or authenticated by the issuing University or Medical School.
Applications will not be accepted earlier than the published opening date.
The application forms, complete in every detail, and accompanied by the appropriate fees and any other documents required, must reach the College (or Overseas Centre) before the published closing date.
Applicants are advised to submit their applications at least two weeks before the closing date: allowances cannot be made for postal or other delays, and late or incomplete applications cannot be accepted.
For closing dates and fees go to the Royal college of Paediatrics & Child health website.
DCH CLINICAL EXAMINATION
SYLLABUSThe Diploma in Child Health is designed to give recognition of competence in the care of children to General Practitioner vocational trainees, Staff Grades and SHOs in paediatrics and trainees in specialties allied to paediatrics.
The examination is designed to test neither detailed knowledge of the in-patient care of children, nor minutiae of management of rare conditions. Practitioners in the community should have an understanding of hospital paediatrics in order to enable them to know when to refer and what to expect. Hospital practitioners should have a good understanding of other services in order to facilitate improved communication and an integrated Child Health Service. The aim is to test primary care paediatrics, especially from the following aspects:
(a) Diagnosis, management, epidemiology and prevention of common and important acute and chronic medical, surgical and psychological disorders of childhood; with particular reference to their management and primary care.
(b)
(i) Principles of health surveillance; normal physical, mental and emotional growth and development. Minor abnormalities and their management.
(ii) Pre-natal and peri-natal care as it affects the subsequent progress of the infant. Preparation for parenthood. The care of the normal newborn. The early detection of abnormalities and their management. Genetic counselling.
(iii) Promotion of child health, health education, immunisation and screening procedures and their evaluation. Infant feeding and nutrition. The effects of social environment on child health, including accidents and child abuse.
(iv) Assessment and long term management of children with disabling conditions.
(v) Principles of co-operation with social agencies. Adoption, fostering and legislation relevant to children.
(vi) Principles of educational medicine. Educational and other problems in normal and special schools.
The Clinical Section will consist of:
One Long Case
40 minutes with the case, followed by 20 minutes examination.
Short Case
Several short cases and examination for 30 minutes of which 10 minutes will be devoted to developmental testing, including the testing of vision/hearing.
The Clinical Section will test the candidate's ability to:
(i) Take a good case history including social, behavioural and educational elements.
(ii) Perform a competent physical examination including enlisting the co-operation of the child.
(iii) Recognise abnormal physical signs.
(iv) Make an assessment of growth and development.
(v) Test the special senses.
(vi) Assess psychiatric status.
Go to the Royal College website for further guidance.
Courses held on the Diploma in Child Health
Please note that the College does not hold or keep any information on DCH courses
Reference
http://www.northnottsvts.nhs.uk/dch.htm
