Bridging the gap--vocational trainee to senior house officer: a new induction course

The objectives of this course were: to develop an induction course for vocational trainees taking up first SHO posts; to enable new dental SHOs to have enhanced skills from the beginning of the post; to create safe practitioners capable of performing SHO duties; and to assess whether such a course is perceived to be beneficial by the SHOs, their educational supervisors and professional colleagues from medicine, dentistry and nursing.

A 5-day intensive, interactive course was developed and directed by a consultant maxillofacial surgeon, with contributions from a range of professional colleagues to teach appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Trainees completing the VT programme; due to commence SHO posts in the Yorkshire Region.

Detailed daily and end of course questionnaires were completed. A post course; in-work evaluation was sought from the trainees, educational supervisors and a range of professional colleagues about the validity of the course.

Daily and end of course evaluations were positive about the perceived importance and relevance of the course. After 6 weeks in post the SHOs continued to place high value on the course as a preparation for hospital practice. Feedback from the supervisors and colleagues indicated that the SHOs were performing well, but the influence of the course on performance could not be determined in this study.

It was possible to design and deliver an appropriate induction course, which appeared to meet most of the needs of new dental SHOs. Feedback indicated the need for modification of some aspects of the course.