Brief history of development

In order to strengthen the training for intensive care medicine trainees, Hong Kong College of Anesthesiology (Intensive Care)—HKCA(IC) had launched a regular, structured 2- years training program ever since 21st Mar 2007. Over the past four years, the whole program had undergone several changes after various inputs from both the trainers and the trainees. Therefore, I would like to recapitulate the changes that had been implemented and to update everyone on the latest progress of this training program.

First to all, the name of the whole program had changed from the “Centrally Organised Training Program” to "Combine Colleges Course" in Dec 2009. These was due to the collaboration between HKCA(IC) with the other two colleges; namely Critical Care Medicine (CCM) of Hong Kong College of Physician and CICM—College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand. With the collaboration of CCM, we had integrated the bi-monthly CCM Inter-hospital Grand Round in our program. It is such a golden opportunity for different ICUs in Hong Kong to gather around; sharing some interesting cases or ICU topics and to learn from each other. It also sharpens the presentation skill of the trainees, who is required to give a concise and in-depth talk among a group of professionals. We also expand the spectrum of topics to be covered; with 16 new topics added into the program. Some of the topics were given by specialist in the field like the Cardiologist, the Cardiac Anaesthesiologist, the Rheumatologist and the Emergency Physicians. Lastly, this training program is open to all the trainees working in ICU at Hong Kong; may it from ICM, CCM or CICM training.

In order to facilitate the ICU trainees to participate in the program, some of the logistics of running the program had been changed and below is the summary of them.

Mission of the Combine Colleges Course

1. To ensure a regular and structured training for all the local ICU trainees
2. To foster the training and learning culture among all the ICUs in Hong Kong
3. To expose ICU trainees to different specialists with different style of teaching and to different units with different case mix or practice

Format of the Tutorial

The training program consists of a mixture of core ICU topics; the bi-monthly CCM inter-hospital Grand Round; examination preparation sessions like bedside teaching; investigation or viva over a period of two and a half years. Format of teaching should be interactive and two-way discussions are encouraged between the tutor and the trainee. For any powerpoint presentation, tutors are encouraged to send it in advance to the corresponding ICU (PWH or QEH)) to facilitate the uploading of the teaching materials. The training program will be distributed to all the SOTs/ICU trainees as well as uploaded on the two following website.

HKCA website or

HKSCCM website

Time and venue of teaching/tutorial

1. Time:

I. For ICU tutorial: Every Wednesday from 1800 to 2000 except Statutory or Public Holiday

II. For CCM Inter-hospital Grand Round: The second last Tuesday of Odd Month from 1815 to 2015. This date may adjust in case it falls on Statutory or Public Holiday.

III. Ad-hoc arrangement: In case both the trainer and the trainee cannot make the tutorial on Wednesday, they can re-arrange another date within that week and this arrangement should be reported to the Training officer of HKCA(IC) Dr Anne Leung by the trainee representative via e-mail at leungkha@ha.org.hk.

2. Venue of the tutorial

The Venue for tutorial had been limited to two hospitals (either PWH or QEH) since 2010. In general, tutors from PWH will conduct the tutorial at PWH, while the rest of the tutors will conduct the tutorial at QEH. The only exception is with bedside teaching or X-ray interpretation, the trainee will need to go to the hospital of the corresponding tutors. The venue for the CCM Inter-hospital Grand Round will be conducted at QEH.

Hospitals	Venue
PWH ( for tutors at PWH)	ICU Conference Room, 4/F, Dept of Anaesthesia & Intensive Care, Main Clinical Block and Trauma Centre, PWH
QEH ( For tutors other than PWH)	D6 Conference room ,ICU, QEH
CCM Inter-Hospital Grand Round	Lecture Theatre, G/F, M Block, QEH or Multi-Function Room, DG, QEH (please double confirm the venue with the poster sent out by HKSCCM before the meeting)
Special arrangement	For Bedside teaching or X-ray interpretation; it will move to the hospital of the corresponding tutors.

Role of trainee

For each 2-year rotation, one trainee representative will be elected to co-ordinate the trainees’ side of the training program. The trainee representative needs to ensure that they will turn up for the tutorial. In case no trainee can come for the tutorial on the schedule time of Wednesday, a separate time should be arranged within that week with the tutor. Any change in the arrangement will be reported to the Training Officer of HKCA (IC) by the trainee representative.

Role of trainer

1. Being committed and responsible to teach on the schedule topics at the schedule date.

2. To take attendance of the trainees and to sign on the attendance record for obtaining CME point.

3. Subsequent management of the attendance record

• For tutorials at QEH, it will be collected by the clerical staff and send to the Training Officer – Dr Anne Leung.
• For tutorial at PWH, please sent to Prof G Joynt via his secretary, Rebecca Luk (Fax number:26372422) or email rebeccaluk@cuhk.edu.hk. Miss Rebecca Luk will then forward the attendance to Dr Anne Leung via Fax or email.
• For attendance record at other hospital, please Fax to QEH at 23881231 or E-mail to leungkha@ha.org.hk

4. In case the tutor is unable to give the lecture, he/she can find another tutor within the same hospital to give the tutorial or he/she needs to inform the Training Officer Dr Anne Leung to cancel the tutorial. Any changes of the program will be distributed to all the SOTs/COS of the corresponding hospital; as well as uploaded on the two following websites:

HKCA website or

HKSCCM website

Role of the ICU Board

1. To devise the training program and to act as the central coordinator

2. To ensure minimum of 35-40 tutorials provided every year and it will be run as long as we have even one enrolled trainee going through the Higher Vocational Training.

3. The Training officer will be the contact person and she can be contacted via the following e-mail: leungkha@ha.org.hk

4. To keep the attendance record of the ICU trainees and to ensure the requirement is met

5. To receive on-going feedback from both the trainees and the trainers and to ensure the program quality

Role of the SOTs

1. To support the training program and be the tutor

2. To be the chief contact person of the corresponding hospital. There should be a two-way communication between the SOTs and the Training officer for any change in the program.

3. To inform other tutors or the trainees of their corresponding hospital for any change in the program

4. To collaborate with COS or the roster manager of the corresponding hospital and to facilitate the trainees to attend the course.

Minimum requirement for HKCA (IC) trainees before exit assessment

1. The trainee is required to attend minimum of 48 tutorials anytime during the 3-years period of Higher Vocational training, preferably during the two-year of ICU core training.

2. Counting of attendance:

• Starting point: Start of Higher Vocational Training
• End Point: Completion of 48 tutorials or End of Higher Vocational Training whichever is earlier. Junior trainees are welcomed to come but the counting of attendance only starts when they enter the Higher Vocational Training.

CME point for tutor

CME point had been applied for HKCA, HKCP, HKCEM and CICM.

Dr Anne Leung
(Training Officer of HKCA(IC))

January 2012