Rheumatology is a dynamic, varied and exciting career, yet too few medical professionals are choosing the specialty. Unlike other more prominent specialties, medical students get little exposure to rheumatology and when faced with treating patients, junior doctors often struggle to find useful learning materials.
When Dr Jayne Little first took on junior doctor roles in rheumatology, she admits to feeling out of her depth. “I’d had a week of rheumatology training as a medical student, then years with nothing and I suddenly found myself managing these conditions for the first time,” she explains.
Dr Little read books and went to conferences to study theory of practice but was finding it difficult to learn the practical elements specific to rheumatology.
“There are things done routinely in rheumatology that are rarely done elsewhere, like disease activity scores, joint exams and prescribing certain drugs,” says Dr Little. “There just weren’t any learning resources out there to help, which means most people just muddle through.”
Dr Little joined Stockport NHS Foundation Trust as a consultant two years ago and began leading junior doctor inductions. She says: “I felt strongly that all non-specialty juniors on placements needed interactive resources to teach them the clinical aspects and give them a better grasp of rheumatology.”
Dr Little devised a programme for doctors rotating through the hospital to help drive rheumatology training, realising that this would make a big difference. However, once she thought about taking it outside of the hospital she realised a national resource to provide the aspects of learning missing for trainees was what was needed.