Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme (ISCP)

ISCP is the collection point of all the information on which your Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) is based.

It is important that trainees remember the full scope of what is within ISCP. It is important to note that Work-place Based Assessments (WBAs) are only a component of the assessment process, which includes formal feedback from trainers, Multi-Source Feedback, evidence of audits and research which you must all be uploaded onto the website. It should be viewed as a living document and portfolio of your works. Regular updating the ISCP ensures that your TPD can stay abreast of your progress and address any concerns with you early so as to streamline the ARCP process.

• Paper published in BJOMS on getting the best experience at virtual exams for candidates and examiners: Virtual postgraduate exams and assessments: the challenges of online delivery and optimising performance

ISCP is a formative process and the WBAs you undertake are designed to show your progress in acquiring competences when you attend your Annual Review of Competency Progression (ARCP). It is worth the trainee noting that they are not immediately meant to show that they are fully competent at a task or discussion but it is to demonstrate learning and active engagement with the learning process.

It is important that you have sufficient WBAs for the Training Committee to be able to assess your progress. An inadequate number or assessments, uneven distribution (across your training rotation or the curriculum) or failure to obtain sign off of all parts of your learning agreement will result in an ARCP outcome 5. 

Annual Requirements for Placements

The following information is provided as guidance and may vary from deanery to deanery, please discuss with your local TPD to clarify any specific areas and targets. Be aware it may also be subject to change over the duration of your training.

Each year you will need to have demonstrated/shown evidence towards the completion of specialty specific competences as defined in your learning agreement set up with your Assigned Educational Supervisor (AES).

For each placement you must have completed:

• Multi-Source Feedback (MSF)- and have it signed off by your AES prior to your ARCP.
• Teaching- You are expected to attend at least 70% of the regional teaching sessions and provide a valid reason for any absence.
• Audit - You are required to complete 1 audit per year as principal investigator and to present the audit at an 'in house' meeting. It is expected that you would have been involved in supporting other audit work.
• Assigned Educational Supervisor reports-You must complete your initial meeting within 4 weeks of starting and the, interim, and final reviews in a timely fashion. Specifically all appropriate sign-offs must be complete before your ARCP. Please also record any absence including sickness within ISCP.

Surgical logbook 

eLogbook is the only approved surgical logbook for specialty training in OMFS. Your logbook should be up-to-date and validated. Practical activities to demonstrate your professional skills should be performed regularly. New trainees must use eLogbook only and ensure that this logbook is accessible to your ISCP account. You are required to give each consultant access to your logbook using your own, or a trainer specific password. Ensure they are accurately recorded as they can help lend weight when applying of for fellowships as well as provide evidence of experience and progression for ARCP.

Annual Surveys

It is a requirement of many deaneries that you must complete the local deanery or LETB survey annually. You will also be expected to complete the annual GMC and JCST surveys. Should you have cause to make a complaint about your training at any point, you are advised to follow the processes set out by your deanery or LETB. These surveys are important as they help shape your training locally.

ARCP and placements

ARCP "annual review of competency progression" is an annual process. Guidance should be issued to you and your educational supervisors locally as to the timing of learning agreements.

ISCP, evidence required

ISCP with its WBAs including the MSF and its other domains for research, audit, teaching, courses, patient feedback, clinical incidents and Serious Untoward Events which are in the ‘Evidence’ section, provide a means of recording all the information in the above 4 domains. There are sub-sections for recording your reflection, what you feel has been learnt and what might be the plans for the future.

• Research evidence- would include uploading abstract, published article, Jpeg/pdf of posters.
• Audit evidence- should include the summary of the purpose, gold standard, your role, methods, outcomes, conclusions and plans for the future. A Powerpoint presentation detailing these would be acceptable.

There are 2 types of evidence considered at ARCP:

• Mandatory evidence, which must be present for each ARCP year
• Additional evidence, which is cumulative and must be acquired over the entire period of training

These targets and the timescales will vary slightly between deaneries so please check with your TPD when you start.

ISCP ARCP Annual evidence applicable for each year in training (mandatory)

WBA’s- 40 work based assessments (80 in London). This is a minimium, however the focus is on quality. WBAs are used to provide evidence towards EPAs (entrustable professional activities).

A new curriculum will be introduced from August 2020 and the main change is that training will be ‘outcomes-based’; A trainee can finish training when he/she  is judged to have reached the level expected of a day 1 consultant in the specialty. This change to outcomes-based training, and other changes driven by standards set out by the GMC, require some other changes to assessment in training.  Links to features of the new assessment process are provided below:

It is expected that trainees will produce WBAs should show progression and consistency and should be done contemporaneously, demonstrating reflective practice. They should be validated by a consultant or by a person approved by a consultant.

• Multi source feedback & Patient feedback
• Topics signed of by AES
• Logbook up-to-date a- It is no longer a requirement to have a validated elogbook for ARCPs. However, trainees must ensure that accurate details are entered in the elogbook as random checks can be made to ensure accuracy of the data entered.
• Learning agreement completed, including CS comments
• Attendance at teaching 70%
• CV up-to-date
• Current audit “assessment of audit” WBA
• Observation of teaching "OOT” WBA

Presentation/poster at a regional/national/international meeting

ISCP ARCP Additional evidence dependent on seniority (suggested progress)

This is the suggested 5-year schedule for accumulation of evidence for CCT. Some flexibility should be allowed given the nature of some of these goals, but the rate of attainment should be maintained otherwise an adverse outcome at ARCP may result.

Over 5 years you will be expected to complete 5 pieces of evidence from the following: first author publications, presentations at national or international meetings, extensive literature review and presentation at local meetings/regional teaching. Two of these pieces of evidence should be completed by the end of ST4. A broad outline of your evidence must be agreed with your AES and/or TPD to ensure it meets the relevant requirements/standard.