Public Health Medicine Training: How Should We Train the Trainers?

Abstract

In the United Kingdom, a qualified medical doctor needs to undertake a five year training programme to reach Consultant status (Medical Specialists in a particular area such as public health, surgery, obstetrics etc.) During this period of training they are known as 'Specialist Registrars'. Consultants in Public Health Medicine have a key training role acting as Trainers assisting these Specialist Registrars to acquire epidemiological public health skills necessary to attain Consultant status. In addition to formal Public Health Medicine training, Trainers have a pastoral role that can mean that they need to be sensitive to the emotional needs of their Specialist Registrars. Praising or reprimanding adults is not an easy task and few people are trained for it. In this training role, Consultants themselves need to be equipped to undertake this effectively. The 'Wales' training model, developed by the Faculty of Public Health Medicine in Wales, has sought to address this need and could be replicated to train Trainers in other medical specialties and in other parts of the world. Key words: Trainer training.