The role of the royal colleges in training and development

Setting standards to improve women's health is the core philosophy ofthe Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. This theme is central to our principal functions of training and standard setting in obstetrics and gynaecology. The organisation has almost 12000 Members and Fellows and just under 50% work outside the UK. Members work in 90 separate countries and the potential network of influence is considerable. This article will focus on issues of training and development delivered under the auspices of the RCOG but developed specifically for the under-resourced areas where Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 present major challenges. Historically, many postgraduate doctors came to the UK to work and train within the NHS. Such an experience was not time limited and often provided the trainee with a skewed experience of the discipline. Successful trainees would return home with new clinical and management skills and a postgraduate examination certificate. Membership of the RCOG would enable such doctors to develop a lifelong relationship with the facilities of the college. However, recently such opportunities have decreased owing to a rapid expansion of British medical graduates. Opportunities, coordinated by the RCOG, now allow a limited number of overseas doctors to work under supervision for up to 2 years. It is anticipated that shortly some more senior doctors will come to the UK for exposure to subspecialty and special interest work. Such experiences allow the trainers to become part of a competency-based training assessment process.