Guidance for International Medical Graduates working in ICM

Educational Meeting

Each doctor has a Clinical Supervisor (CS) responsible for their academic progression. Please know who your supervisor is, meet them early, to arrange a Personal Development Plan (PDP) for you, a Shadowing period, a plan to get you signed off on basic procedures, and a plan to apply to ICM training or portfolio (CESR) pathway.

This person can also signpost to enhanced inductions run but the trust/hospital and support networks within their hospitals. The faculty has produced some suggested topics to cover over the initial meetings. These are not exhaustive.

 

Portfolio

Some trusts do offer online portfolios to keep track of your competencies. If not available, you could use a paper forms portfolio from the FICM website to document any Supervising Learning Events (SLEs) you have done or a Logbook to record your competencies.

For more information, please visit the following pages on our website:

• FICM Assessment Forms
• ICM Logbook Resources

You will be required to participate in an annual appraisal, so some sort of portfolio will be required for this process (see below).

 

Basic & Advanced Life Support

Basic Life Support is a great starting point to familiarise yourself with the structure of medical emergencies in the UK and what you will be expected to do. You may be able to organise this with your educational supervisor or trust/health board at the start of your job. The simulation department within the hospital may also support this.

Speak to the resuscitation department at your trust/health board to book an Advanced Life Support (ALS) provider course, this is a very useful structured course that supports your management of the acutely unwell or deteriorating patient. For more information on the ALS Course, please visit the Resuscitation Council's website.

 

FICM Associate Membership

Any IMG working in Intensive Care Medicine in the UK (who has not received a National Training Number) may be eligible for FICM's Associate Membership. This membership gives you the privileges of:

• accessing FICM's Lifelong Learning Platform (LLP)
• attending Faculty events
• participating in Continuing Professional Development
• sitting the Final FFICM examination as long as you also fulfil the eligibility requirements in the FFICM Examination regulations. 
• and voting in Faculty elections.

 

Learning Resources

• FICMLearning: FICMLearning has extensive educational resources for doctors including: Blogs, Podcasts, Case of the Month, and Simulation scenarios. 
• e-ICM: e-ICM has an online module covering most of the FICM ICM curriculum, you will get an autogenerate certificate with CPD points once you complete each set of modules. It also has modules specific for introductions into ICM. To access e-ICM for the first time as an NHS employees you will need to: Register for e-Learning for Healthcare, then add e-ICM to your programmes by selecting e-ICM in the 'My Programmes' section (please note, it can take 24 hours for the programme to become available to you). 
• Difficult Airway Society Guidelines: To access the guidelines on intubation see their website here. 

 

Appraisal

Non-training’ doctors receive an annual review of overall performance with a trust appraiser; this is to demonstrate that you are meeting the principles and values as set out by GMC’s Good Medical Practice. It is required for GMC revalidation and it is a 5 year cycle. Doctors with a National Training Number (i.e. an ICM CCT training post) receive an Annual Review of Competency Progression (ARCP) at the end of each medical year for which a portfolio is required. There are more resources available regarding this on the faculty and GMC websites and from your hospitals.

We hope this information helps to support and guide the start of your career in Intensive Care Medicine in the UK, ensuring your experience is a positive and welcoming one.