Hertfordshire MRCPsych. Course & Proposed MSc degree in
Psychiatric Practice
Modernisation in Medical Careers in response to a need to review medical specialist
training has led to changes to the training in Psychiatry. The Royal College of
Psychiatrists in cooperation with the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training
Board have developed a new training curriculum which commenced in August 2007.
A consequence of these changes has been the demand from both the Eastern and
London Deaneries that training schemes should be managed by their geographical
deaneries. In the case of Hertfordshire trainees this has meant moving out of the
London training schemes to be managed through our own locally based training
scheme linked to the Eastern Deanery.
Psychiatric trainees are expected to enrol for a training course in Psychiatry, which
used to be attached to the London or Cambridge universities. This has meant incurring
travel costs, being off site for a day a week on different days as trainees varied in their
choice of which course to attend.
It was with the knowledge of these problems in mind that the College tutors in
Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust who had begun to meet monthly
thought it would be worthwhile to develop a local training course for psychiatric
trainees that would also offer training opportunities for other Trust staff as well as
Primary Care staff and mental health professionals from other organisations. As the
Trust already had links with the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Postgraduate Medical
School, it was felt that collaboration between the two organisations would be the most
productive way to develop local training programmes which were validated by the
university and could lead not just to training opportunities by Trust staff and
psychiatric trainees but credits towards postgraduate university qualifications in
various disciplines in mental health.
A local MRCPsych. Course Steering Group was set up in January 2007 with the task
of developing a course in collaboration with the Postgraduate Medical School,
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University of Hertfordshire. This has led to the development of a two-year course run
along modules similar to what operates in other university postgraduate programmes.
The outcome has been the development of a locally based MRCPsych. Course from
September 2007 to meet the academic needs of junior doctors in the Trust. The first
set of trainees to sit their examinations met with success in the new MRCPsych.
Examinations format set for the first time in 2008.
The MRCPsych. Course consists of four modules run over two years in the
Harperbury Postgraduate Centre. Each module has a pair of course organisers who are
consultant psychiatrists and visiting fellows in the university to help run the respective
modules with the support of the Postgraduate Centre. Year 1 is held on Tuesday
afternoon and Year 2 on Thursday afternoon.
Modules and Course Organisers
Year 1 Semester 1: Foundation Skills in Psychiatric Practice
Course Organisers:
Kamalika Mukherji & Sadgun Bhandari
Year 1 Semester 2: Science of Psychiatric Practice
Course Organisers:
Rahul Tomar and Hanellie Fourie
Year 2 Semester 1: Clinical Psychiatry
Course Organisers:
Simon Belderbos and Alison Lowe
Year 2 Semester 2: Specialist Clinical Topics in Psychiatry
Course Organisers:
Louise Richards and Iain Oswald
A Steering committee oversees the running of the course with members drawn from
both the University of Hertfordshire and Trust. The members include:
Cheri Hunter, Associate Dean (co-chair)
Prof. Chris Hawley (co-chair)
Professor Fabrizio Schifano, Associate Dean
Dr John Done, Head Health related Research, University of Hertfordshire
Dr Louise Richards (Consultant in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry)
Dr. Simon Belderbos (Consultant Psychiatrist)
Dr. Alison Lowe (Consultant in Addictions Psychiatry)
Dr Iain Oswald (Consultant Psychotherapists)
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Dr. Rahul Tomar (Consultant in Old Age Psychiatry)
Dr Hannelie Fourie (Consultant in Old Age Psychiatry)
Dr Ajay Upadhyaya (Consultant in Old Age Psychiatry)
Kamalika Mukherji (Consultant in Learning Disabilities)
Shubinder Shergill (Consultant in Learning Disabilities)
Ankush Singhal (Specialty Registrar in Psychiatry)
Kunle Ashaye (coordinating tutor Hertfordshire Training Scheme in Psychiatry)
Development of MSc Degree in Psychiatric Practice
The course has been developed along lines similar to other university postgraduate
programmes with funding provided by both the Trust and University for a Program
Lead for an MSc Degree Programme in Psychiatric Practice, which will run as a twoyear programme along side the MRCPsych. Course from September 2008 and offer
placements in various Psychiatric settings to students not working in clinical jobs.
In order to ensure that the programme is relevant to other professionals and their
training needs including Primary Health Care Staff, the courses are delivered to
reflect the needs of a multidisciplinary audience in mind and those who attend may
register for the MSc degree programme to run along side the MRCPsych. Course or
use as credits towards other university postgraduate qualifications. As a result the
course and degree programme is open to all who have an interest in developing a
greater insight into Psychiatric Practice and obtaining further academic qualifications
in Mental Health and Psychiatry.
For further information contact:
Postgraduate Centre Administrator
Or Christine Lawes - Postgraduate Centre Manager
Harperbury
Harper Lane
Radlett, Herts
WD7 9HQ
Tel. 01923 427346 E-mail: Christine.lawes@hertspartsft.nhs.uk
Dr Kunle Ashaye Coordinating Tutor – Hertfordshire Training Scheme in
Psychiatry Tel. 01438781566 E-mail: Kunle.Ashaye@hertspartsft.nhs.uk April 2008
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