Wales

Why choose Wales for your IMT training?

Choosing Wales to undertake your IMT training will be a great decision for many reasons.  Whether you’re looking for high quality and varied clinical training, a supportive learning environment, career flexibility or a rewarding lifestyle outside of work; Wales and the Wales IMT programme has a lot to offer.

The Wales IMT programme has a strong track record of providing high quality clinical training as well as opportunities for academic development.  The IMT rotations in Wales are based around 4 regions which provide a variety of opportunities with options to work in large academic institutions but also to experience medicine in urban and rural settings. 

Our IMT programme consists mainly of 6-month rotations which allows residents to fully experience the advantages of an individual speciality as well as providing opportunity to fully embed yourself within a clinical team.  Rotations include an immersive 3-month rotation in Intensive Care Medicine linked to a high-level intensive care unit in IMT-year 2.  Similarly, we provide 6-months training under the supervision of a dedicated geriatric medicine trainer within the first 2 years.  This ensures that those who chose to leave the programme at the end of IMT2 also have a broad and comprehensive grounding in general internal medicine.

There are a number of additional benefits to choosing Wales for your IMT training. 

• Comprehensive regional teaching programme consisting of 5 full days per year conducted remotely and available to view any time.  This is overseen and validated by one of our IMT Training Programme Directors and is guaranteed to cover all aspects of the curriculum over 2 years
• A single experienced educational supervisor (ES) for the whole 3-year programme.  This ensures you and your ES can get to know each other to better focus on your training journey through IMT stage 1
• Dedicated Educational Development Time (EDT).  All Health Boards in Wales have committed to providing rostered time for individualised educational development (e.g. for engagement with portfolio, quality improvement, exploring speciality interests).
• A strong and integrated Royal College Tutor and Associate College Tutor network.  This helps provide a local, site-based point of contact to help residents engage fully with their training programme.  The ACT network provides peer-led advice and representation in all hospitals across Wales.  RCP tutors also help provide local insight into your progress towards your ARCP.
• Clinical skills training available at every site with regular access to skills lab training
• Regional Training Programme Directors (4 in total) provide detailed knowledge of your rotation and individualised guidance / advice if needed.
• Access to ‘Y Ty Dysgu’ our online learning platform where you will be able to access teaching related to the IMT programme as well as the higher medical specialities.
• HEIW is a leader in flexible training and fully supports residents to pursue less than full-time training if desired

Academic Opportunities

Each rotation in Wales has links to one of our 3 medical schools with plenty of academic opportunities available in a multitude of disciplines.  If your career ambitions lay in academic medicine, Wales has a world-class offering in the form of the Welsh Clinical Academic Track (WCAT) which can be entered at any stage of training including IMT.  This offers 20% protected academic time in training as well as a salary-funded 3-year PhD.

Recent Trainee Feedback

• 'It's possible to have a very good balance here between a job you love and a lifestyle you enjoy...'
• 'A lot of people will come for the lifestyle – and that's why a lot of people stay, Swansea for the outdoors and the sea, Brecon for walking and climbing and Cardiff as a City.'
• 'I don't know anyone who hasn't hugely enjoyed it (the training) when they come.'
• 'The facilities are good, everyone I've come across has been enthusiastic to train me, the education facilities are really excellent.'

Living and working in Wales offers a blend of professional and lifestyle advantages coupled with a cultural richness and natural beauty which is unique within the UK.

Wales is home to three national parks (Eryri/Snowdonia, Bannau Brycheiniog/Brecon Beacons and Pembrokeshire Coast), so no matter which region you chose to train in you will never be far from incredible rugged landscapes or some of the best beaches in the world.  If you prefer a more urban environment then there is plenty to offer in the 7 cities of Wales – including Cardiff, Swansea, Bangor and Wrexham….as well as the smallest city in Britain, St Davids in Pembrokeshire.

Despite being a relatively small Nation, Wales has 4 UNESCO Heritage sites deemed to be of outstanding value to humanity which reflect a rich and diverse heritage.  These are the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales, The Castles and Town Walls of King Edward I in Gwynedd,  Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal and the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape

Wales is a passionate sporting Nation with rugby the national sport.  However, there is widespread opportunity to participate (actively or from the sidelines) in football, golf, cycling, cricket and athletics to name but a few.  We are proud to be the home of many international sporting venues including the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Swansea City Stadium, Sophia Gardens Cricket ground and of course the Racecourse football stadium - made famous by the Disney plus series ‘Welcome to Wrexham’

We have a widely celebrated multi-cultural heritage.  Famous cultural figures associated with Wales include the poet Dylan Thomas, film icons such as Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins, Michael Sheen and Catherine Zeta Jones; music legends such as Sir Tom Jones and Dame Shirley Bassey and politicians including Aneurin Bevan, who founded the NHS in 1948.  The World’s most famous literary festival – the Hay Festival is held annually in Wales and there are no less than 7 national museums detailing everything from the history of Roman Britain to the coal industry – as well as holding the largest collection of impressionist art outside Paris.