Irish psychiatrists will be able to meet their ongoing professional development requirements through distance learning thanks to a new online video website.
The Video Journal of Psychiatry is an innovative new website aimed at psychiatrists in training. The site was developed by CVSLearning in conjunction with the Department of Psychiatry at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and is sponsored by an unrestricted educational grant from Janssen-Cilag.
It is a substantial and easily accessible learning and reference resource for time-pressed MRCPsych candidates.
The VJPsych site will provide a growing set of lectures covering all aspects of the Part I and Part II MRCPsych syllabus. It is open to all qualified medical professionals.
Contributors will include Irish and international opinion leaders, both researchers and practitioners. By end of year, www.VJPsych.ie will contain more than 60 lectures in video format covering the MRCPsych Parts I and II exam syllabus.
The video lectures are supplemented by printable notes, self-assessment quizzes and model exam questions to allow the trainee to acquire practice at exam type situations and techniques. It is planned to introduce Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)-type practice components to complete the examination support menu in time. Users are also invited to add comments and contribute to peer discussions around each topic.
“The goal of the website is to bring high-quality learning material, focused on the MRCPsych syllabus, to the MRCPsych trainee in a convenient and engaging way,” said Dr Brian Hallahan, National University of Ireland Galway and editor and member of the VJPsych Editorial Advisory Board.
“We are mindful of the need to make quality educational material available to MRCPsych trainees, where they need it and when they need it. The http://www.vjpsych.ie website offers psychiatric specialists access to a substantial and engaging online learning resource that is accessible from home, work or while on the move.”
The website provides the video lectures in formats for viewing on desktop PC, Mac, video iPod or PDA.
By Niall Byrne
