curriculum

The Evolution of Acute Medicine Specialist Skills

Original Articles, Volume 24, Issue 2, Pages 61 – 108 (2025)

Background: Specialist skills are central to the AIM curriculum, supporting both service delivery and portfolio careers.
Methods: We surveyed UK Acute Medicine consultants and registrars via the Society for Acute Medicine to assess specialist skills selected, perceived value in obtaining consultant roles, and job-planned time.
Results: 146 responses (64 registrars, 82 consultants) were received across all UK regions. Among registrars, Intensive Care Medicine (19%) and echocardiography (14%) were most common. Medical Education, while previously dominant among consultants, has declined. Skills such as Neurology and Infectious Diseases were less frequently chosen but associated with greater job-planned time and perceived value.
Conclusions: Specialist skill preferences are changing, influenced by training pathways and consultant job structure. With increasing rates of burnout and moral injury, as well as changes to the AIM curriculum, it is vital that we monitor trends in their selection going forward.

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Acute Medicine Trainee Survey 2024

Original Articles, Volume 23, Issue 4, Pages 169– 208 (2024)

The training of Acute Physicians is crucial for future delivery of high-quality urgent care. The 2024 Acute Medicine Trainee Survey gathered 124 responses, assessing training satisfaction, challenges, and progress since the 2022 curriculum update. Most trainees (66.2%) reported satisfaction, with access to training in Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) improving (74.7% vs. 63% in 2023). Disparities in...

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The appropriateness of current UK training in acute internal medicine

Original Articles, Volume 18, Issue 3, Pages 137 – 204 (2019)

Doctors training in Acute Internal Medicine (AIM) need to provide evidence that they can effectively manage 20 ‘top’ and 40 ‘other important’ acute medical presentations. However, the presentations considered important in the AIM curriculum do not have an empirical evidence base. This study compared real-life presentations against those in the AIM curriculum. Data on all presentations to the acute medical service at The Royal Free Hospital, London, were collected retrospectively for five non-consecutive weeks and prospectively for one week. Five frequently encountered presentations viz: cough, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, hyperglycaemia and lethargy were not amongst those listed as ‘top’ or ‘other important’ in the AIM curriculum. Hence, demonstration of competency in these presentations is currently not an explicit requirement.

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Focused Acute Medicine Ultrasound (FAMUS)

Special Article, Volume 17, Issue 3, Pages 117 – 172 (2018)

Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) has seen steady growth in its use and applications in aiding clinicians in the management of acutely unwell patients. Focused Acute Medicine Ultrasound (FAMUS) is the standard created specifically for Acute Medicine physicians and is endorsed by the Society for Acute Medicine and recognised by the Acute Internal Medicine (AIM) training committee as a specialist skill.

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Is the Acute Internal Medicine (AIM) curriculum, for higher specialty training (HST), fit for purpose?

Education and Training, Volume 16, Issue 4, Pages 153 – 212 (2017)

This review will critically appraise the AIM curriculum from a trainee’s perspective. The author will focus on the curriculum’s aims and objectives, availability of learning opportunities, adopted assessment and evaluation strategies and finally make recommendations to aid curriculum development.

Is the Acute Internal Medicine (AIM) curriculum, for higher specialty training (HST), fit for purpose? Read More

Focused Acute Medicine Ultrasound (FAMUS) – point of care ultrasound for the Acute Medical Unit

Research Audit and Clinical Practice, Volume 15, Issue 4, Pages 165 – 220 (2016)

Point of care ultrasound (POCU) is becoming increasingly popular as an extension to clinical examination techniques. Specific POCU training pathways have been developed in specialties such as Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine (CORE Emergency Ultrasound and Core UltraSound Intensive Care, for example), but until this time there has not been a curriculum for the acutely unwell medical patient outside of Critical Care. We describe the development of Focused Acute Medicine Ultrasound (FAMUS), a curriculum designed specifically for the Acute Physician to learn ultrasound techniques to aid in the management of the unwell adult patient. We detail both the outline of the curriculum and the process involved for a candidate to achieve FAMUS accreditation. It is anticipated this will appeal to both Acute Medical Unit (AMU) clinicians and general physicians who deal with the unwell or deteriorating medical or surgical patient. In time, the aspiration is for FAMUS to become a core part of the AIM curriculum.

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Where Do AMU Nurses Perceive Their Educational Needs? Results of the 20:10 project

Research Audit and Clinical Practice, Volume 11, Issue 1, Pages 1 - 56 (2012)

Abstract

Our aim was to identify the perceived educational needs of nurses working in acute medicine to enable development of a training curriculum specifically for this staff group.

Methods: Post-graduate nurses from North Wales were invited to list 20 conditions and 10 skills for which they felt under prepared for their work in acute medicine. A workshop was then organized, attended by acute medicine nurses,medical colleagues and educationalists from two local universities to discuss initial data.

Results: Nurses identified particular needs for education around presenting symptoms with perceived deficits in knowledge or training. We found a heavy emphasis on respiratory and cardiac conditions. There was considerable overlap with frequent diagnostic categories from non-surgical hospital discharges and with priorities for training of junior doctors. Skills were often those traditionally associated with medical staff or care of patients with critical illnesses.

Conclusion: The 20:10 project represents the first attempt to map educational needs of nursing staff on the Acute Medical Units of a large University Health Board using self-reported needs. The identified needs will support professional development, create incentives for recruitment and guide University postgraduate developments and commissioning.

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SAM Acute Medicine Trainees Skills Survey 2009

Clinical Reviews, Volume 8, Issue 1, Pages 1 - 52 (2009)

Abstract

Specialist trainees in Acute Medicine have expressed concerns over skills training in the curriculum, compared with skills training in practice. Thus, an online survey was conducted in 2009 to investigate these comments in detail. The responses from 132 trainees were analysed. The results show that the majority of practical skills are being performed by trainees who feel that they have reached a level of competence sufficient to enable them to teach the skill to others. The major causes for concern were highlighted as temporary cardiac pacing, endotracheal intubation and Sengstaken Blakemore tubes. We recommend that these skills should be taught via simulation where not available in practice, but true competence cannot be expected for the majority.

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