11: GP+ Training Programme Director with Dr Irene Afreh-Mensah

In this month's episode we hear from Dr Irene Afreh-Mensah, a First5 GP whose work week is a variety of clinical work as a salaried GP, TPD and one day of Undergraduate teaching at the local University. Irene shares her experience in medical education to date, skills and qualities needed to be a TPD and advice for those hoping to follow a similar career path. If you're aspiring to become a TPD, there are several key steps and tips that can help you prepare for this leadership and educational role:

Build a strong network - Networking is powerful as it gives you access to opportunities you may not be aware of otherwise e.g. job vacancies. Engaging with local and national training committees will help you to better understand the challenges and developments in medical education and training. Attending courses, conferences and workshops related to medical education will help you expand your networks and opportunities.

Enhance your leadership skills - TPDs have a significant administrative and leadership role, so understanding how to manage teams, projects, and resources is essential. You might want to pursue leadership or management courses to strengthen your skills. Irene advises that you consider what you do in your role now and the transferable skills. Could you within your clinical role maybe lead on a tutorial or give a teaching session where you can receive feedback? This demonstrates you are collating evidence of your commitment to education.

Be Passionate About Medical Education - TPDs are often chosen for their passion for medical education. Demonstrate your enthusiasm for shaping the future of the profession through continuous learning, participation in teaching activities, and contributing to educational discussions. Irene states she has always been passionate about medical education. In her opinion, education is sharing of knowledge, and she's always wanted to give back and help others along their educational journey and help them to learn and develop.

Carve your career path early - Irene advises that Post Graduate doctors take a step back from the idea that training is three years and focus solely on exams and CCT. She urges you to consider what your ideal career looks like and is there anything you can do during training that can help you work towards that. Before Irene started GP Training, she researched various job adverts options to supplement the training. Between ST1 and ST2 she undertook a clinical teaching role. This was a huge springboard for her while training to understand the field of medical education.

Dr Irene Afreh-Mensah is a portfolio GP, who has a passion for medical education and women's health. Her working week is comprised of a salaried role, undergraduate teaching, and postgraduate teaching as a training programme director. She loves spending her downtime with friends and family, going hiking and trying new cuisines.

Further reading

General Practice Specialty Training guidance https://www.rcgp.org.uk/your-career/qualifying-as-a-gp/cct-guidance/training-guidance

NHS jobs https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/candidate

Local Medical Committees https://www.bma.org.uk/what-we-do/local-medical-committees

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