JCST Selection Good Practice Toolkit - Archived

Background

The Good Practice Toolkit, otherwise referred to as the JCST Selection Project, is being developed to support a range of good practice methods for selection, providing deaneries with detailed guidance at each stage of selection and enhancing the implementation of the process as a whole. The resource is not intended as a ‘one size fits all’ selection system, but a framework that deaneries can use where appropriate and at their discretion, to adapt to and facilitate their own existing system. The project is steered by the JCST Selection Sub-Committee, and received its funding from the Department of Health.

The Project Team comprises David Rowley (Clinical Lead) with Adrian Woodthorpe (RCS Eng College Lead), Maria Bussey (Project Manager) and Ben Jones (Project Co-ordinator) representing JCST and external consultants Fiona Patterson, Maire Kerrin, Victoria Carr and Louise Faulkes from the Work Psychology Group. Working with the project team is a Selection Project Faculty Group whose members have undertaken to help develop and disseminate agreed good practice throughout deaneries and specialties. The members of the group represent the key stakeholders, including Heads of Schools; Core surgical training leads; the SAC Chairs; deanery management; a senior trainee and patient/lay representatives.

As well as building upon existing innovations and evaluation to date, the toolkit will introduce into the selection process two new components: the Situational Judgement Test and an E-Learning Tool. The SJT tests a candidate’s aptitude for a surgical post, presenting them with a series of example scenarios with possible responses to each for them to prioritise using their judgement. This was first piloted in spring 2009 with core surgical trainees across seven deaneries, and a further pilot took place in September with volunteers sitting their Part A MRCS in both London and Edinburgh. It is hoped that the test will go live in 2011. The E-Learning Tool meanwhile is intended to support the training of surgical consultants who are new to interviewing, whilst refreshing the advanced skills of more experienced interviewers.

Workshops, Peer Review Seminars and desk reviews of each deanery’s selection process will also provide regular opportunities to continually evaluate, share ideas, and develop the toolkit further.

For further information, view the Project Position paper which features an illustration of the range of components in the toolkit.