Special Interest Training Committee

Meeting dates (2024)

Meetings are held three times a year and begin at 14:00 GMT:

• 20 September

Remit

The Special Interest Training Committee oversees the development, approval, and quality assurance of special interest training programmes and modules, ensuring they meet GMC standards and support high-quality patient care.

Function

• Ensure the SITM programmes in the UK support the development of specialist skills and knowledge allowing trained doctors to offer the highest quality of patient care in the UK.
• Develop all special interest curricula that fulfil the needs of both pre-CCT and post-CCT doctors, including Special Interest Training Modules (SITMs) and Specialty Interest Professional Modules (SIPMs) suitable for implementation in the UK and internationally.  
• Contribute to the accreditation of special interest structured training internationally.
• Be responsible for the development of Special Interest Professional Modules (SIPMs).
• Be responsible for developing policy, procedure and regulations for all SITMs and SIPMs, accredited special interest structured training internationally (pre- and post-CCT) as follows: 
  • Approval and validation of new SITMs and SIPMs
  • Review the suitability of SITMs so that they may be undertaken post–CCT
  • QA processes for all SITM and SIPMs to include feedback from trainers, trainees, trained doctors, employers, and patients.
• Contribute to the thorough revision of special interest training that fulfills the needs of both pre-CCT and post-CCT doctors, and special interest structured training suitable for implementation internationally.
• To support short life subgroups as required to undertake specific tasks with appropriate representation from other committees, e.g. Academic Committee and specialist societies.
• Provide evidence of review and quality control required by the GMC relating to SITMs and SIPMs both pre- and post-CCT trainees. The Committee will work to the curriculum standards defined by the GMC.
• Ensure that the content of all SITMs and SIPMs remains coherent and relevant to other elements of the approved curriculum including academic and subspecialty training requirements and to continuing professional development purposes.
• Respond to requests for SITMs and SIPMs to be changed in accordance with changes in practice to reflect modern developments in UK practice and oversee the necessary submissions to GMC.
• Work with other College committees (including Specialty Education Advisory Committee, Curriculum Committee, Academic Board, Subspecialty Committee, Specialist Societies Committee, Trainees’ Committee and Professional Development Committee, Education Resources Adviser) to allow an integrated approach across all aspects of the curriculum and programme with SITMs/SIPMs.
• Supported by the eLearning team, to be responsible for the quality assurance process for online special interest training resources on RCOG eLearning.
• Provide guardianship for each SITM and SIPM by members of the Committee.

Reporting mechanism

The Special Interest Training Committee reports to the Specialty Education Advisory Committee.

Administrative support

Specialty Education and Training Department

Membership

SITM Directors: A full list of SITM Directors with contact details is available on this page under SITMs.