1. IST Summary from ASiT Mr. Archik Das
MBChB, BMedSci (Hons), PGCert Surgery, MRCS
IST Representative for ASiT Council
ST1 General Surgery (IST) – King George Hospital, London
Summary of the work that ASiT has been doing to monitor the progress of IST in its early stages

2. Contents IST – expectations of the trainee Personal experiences of IST
What ASiT have done so far: meet & greet and survey findings
Key trainee concerns for the future of IST
Take Home Messages

3. IST – expectations of the trainee
1- More emphasis on training to become a surgeon
Allow more time in activities beneficial for training (theatre, clinic, MDT) and a better balance between training and service
2 - Well Organised
Due to multiple commitments, surgery needs to be meticulously organised
3 - Investment in the trainee
Trainee needs an investment of time and effort
Promoting apprenticeship model of surgery.
4 - Run-through training in the same region
Provides geographical stability, confidence, security and peace of mind to the trainee
More focus and emphasis on general surgery from day 1
Facilitates planning of the future: house, relationships, social life etc

4. Personal Experiences of IST
Work in a DGH
1 in 8 on call rota
3 IST trainees, 4 staff grade doctors, 1 FY2 trainee
Daily ward rounds, 1 x MDT per week
Attend 5-7 theatre sessions per week (mixture of elective/emergency)
2 clinics per week (protected teaching)
Highly satisfying and enjoyable job due to my supervisor (Mr Aman Bhargava) and training opportunities available

5. ASiT Meet and Greet
Multiple regional meet and greet sessions hosted by regional ASiT Representatives to discuss IST and impact on other trainees
Funded by ASiT
Gathered detailed feedback from IST trainees in the early stages of their training

6. IST Trainee WhatsApp Group
24 members so far
Discuss day to day issues/concerns/positive feedback of IST
Interested in joining? Please get in touch!

7. ASiT Survey – key findings
50%
50%

8. 5%
20%
10%
20% 5%
30%
10%

9. 47%
53%
Examples: too much time scheduled to cover the ward, heavy on call commitments, only allowed to take annual leave when scheduled for theatre

10. 74%
10%
16%

11. 26%
32%
21%
21%

12. 42%
53% 5%

13. 11%
89%

14. 5%
95%

15. 5%
11%
42%
21%
21%

16. 68%
32%

17. 42%
32%
26%

18. Key Concerns expressed by IST trainees
ST3 Benchmarking – when/ where/how? Is it fair?
How will IST adapt for higher surgical training?
How to switch careers?
60% training heavily sheared by ward/on call commitments
Any real change from core surgical training in previous years? “Shiny new label”?
IST while highly satisfying, is not yet what is says on the tin
High expectations not always being met
Short of realistic, measurable and achievable goals.

19. Take Home Messages… IST needs good supervisors
Not only about having exposure to training, but also the quality of training
Uncertainty for ST3 benchmarking/absence of training number protection is causing major concern amongst trainees
Important to continue monitoring the pilot and act on feedback
Even if objectives are not being met, supervisors can provide an IST experience, can make CST feel like IST.
Most important thing is the feel of the post