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‘Research day’ – is it a misnomer?

Lymebrook Mental Health Resource Centre, Stoke-on-Trent ST5 7TL, email: nandak.dayalan{at}northstaffs.nhs.uk

Richard Hodgson, Consultant Psychiatrist in General Adult Psychiatry

Lymebrook Mental Health Resource Centre, Stoke-on-Trent

Okolo & Ogundipe (Psychiatric Bulletin, July 2006, 30, 275–277) could not substantiate why the research day was considered useful by consultant psychiatrists in the West Midlands, but the majority of trainees had used the day for non-research purposes. Perhaps this is why it was considered useful. Certainly, with the changing face of training in psychiatry and the emphasis on new ways of working for consultant psychiatrists (Department of Health, 2005), the day could be used to enhance skills that would be useful to consultants.

It was noted that the day was not particularly productive in terms of publications and no mention was made to this effect. Other issues for discussion are the local availability of suitable training and supervision for research, access to statistical advice, and the lack of clear consensus on what to do in the day. If the day is going to be used to pursue other interests, we need to rethink whether our current approach is beneficial. For example, Hewson et al (2006) proposed that management experience should be an integral part of training for future consultants at an earlier stage. Most would wish to have protected time to acquire specialised skills. We suggest a more pragmatic approach to the research day. Perhaps the first step would be to rechristen it (for example, ‘career enrichment day’). This day could be utilised by the specialist registrar to pursue their particular field of interest, be it research, a higher degree, audit or management.

References

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (2005) New Ways of Working for Psychiatrists: Enhancing Effective, Person-Centred Service through New Ways of Working in Multidisciplinary and Multiagency Contexts. Department of Health. http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/12/23/44/04122344.pdf

HEWSON, L., HOOPER, S. & WORRALL-DAVIES, A. (2006) Taking on the management: training specialist registrars in child and adolescent psychiatry. Psychiatric Bulletin, 30, 71 –74.[Free Full Text]

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Dayalan, N. Articles by Hodgson, R. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Dayalan, N. Articles by Hodgson, R.