Happy new year and welcome the Intensive Care Society’s new blog!
My name is Fran, and I am the chair of the Trainee Advisory Group (TAG), the group representing intensive care medicine trainees as part of the Society’s seven professional advisory groups.
This month we are gearing up to run elections to join our Group so I’d like to tell you about what we have worked on recently and what is coming up in the next year.
Currently we are only six in number, with several members leaving the group having finished training, but we are involved in a great deal of the Society’s work.
I’m new to the chair role, taking over from the brilliant Emma Jackson, who has recently completed training. As well as getting to grips with the job I’m working with the rest of the TAG to produce another great ABC of ICM session for the 2023 State of the Art Congress in June. I’ve also recently joined the editorial board for GPICS v3, which is an exciting and far-reaching project I’m looking forward to being involved in for the next few years. As TAG Chair I’m co-opted onto the FICM StR committee, so that we can share priorities and challenges across both the representative groups working for ICM trainees across the UK. We are looking to produce guidance on stage 3 training this year to help people navigate this challenging time in training. I’m also working internationally with trainee representatives from all over the world to share projects, opportunities and learning, with an international FICM Trainee Eye magazine to be published later on this year.
Our TAG members are also involved in the Society’s working groups and committees. Our education and learning representatives Sarah Burgess and Sara Scott worked hard in 2022 to bring you a range of educational events targeted to trainees, including the successful ‘Hidden Curriculum’ Study Day. In 2023 they are working with the Society’s Learning team to produce educational days; in January we have ‘Medicine for Intensive Care’ – focussing on what brings medical patients to ICU, and in March we have a day on Maternal Critical Care. We also have plenty more events planned for later on in the year.
Sekina Bakare represents us within the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion working group, providing her expertise on many EDI projects. In 2022 she put together an excellent podcast for black history month, speaking with prominent members of our ICM community about promoting change, addressing issues and understanding the needs of black people within the intensive care workforce. Looking forward into 2023 Sekina will be working to produce a report looking at black intensivists within the UK, similar to work produced last year by the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh.
Sam Clark, our representative on the Standards and Guidelines committee, has authored guidance on the use of central venous catheters for the administration of radiological contrast media and on transfer to the outdoors for end of life care of critically ill patients.
Eleanor Damm is co-chair of the Environmental Sustainability working group and is impressive in her dedication to ensuring the climate crisis remains at the forefront of our minds. As well as chairing the working group, she has published articles, worked on webinars and spoken at State of the Art 2022, and I’m sure we will continue to benefit from her passion in the coming year.
I am very fortunate to work with a group of motivated, inspiring and friendly intensive care medicine trainees who really showcase what a brilliant group the ICM trainees in the UK are. I think I speak for everyone on the committee in saying that being part of this group and working on meaningful projects outside of training gives purpose and reward. We would absolutely love to welcome new members in 2023, so please consider applying, there is so much to be involved in!