Teaching
Uniquely amongst gastroenterology training programmes, there is a weekly regional teaching afternoon held at the John Radcliffe. This encompasses a trainee-delivered / Consultant-facilitated curriculum topic presentation, histology teaching, case –based discussions, and formal lectures.
There is excellent access to local educational meetings, educational resources, and educational supervision; the Oxford programme has placed in the top 3 Nationally for Overall satisfaction in the last 3 GMC Trainee surveys.
Research
The Oxford Gastroenterology Unit is acknowledged as one of the premier units for gastroenterological research in Europe and attracts research fellows from all over the world. It is led by Fiona Powrie, Sidney Truelove Professor of Gastroenterology, a mucosal immunologist. She has established the
Translational Gastroenterology Unit, situated in the John Radcliffe Hospital, with laboratories adjacent to the clinical service offices and the Gastroenterology ward. The Unit builds on excellent clinical programmes in inflammatory bowel disease and hepatology as well as cutting edge basic science programmes in mucosal immunology. The new state of the art laboratories bring together scientists, clinician scientists and gastroenterologists with the objective of translating fundamental research in mucosal immunology into enhanced treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease and cancer. Oxford has an international reputation in the aetiopathogenesis and therapeutics of inflammatory bowel disease, viral
hepatitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. There is a 3 bed Clinical Trials’ Facility within the new Endoscopy Unit.
Most trainees undertake a formative period of research culminating in the award of an MD or DPhil. Where appropriate, trainees have undertaken an MSc. See:
http://www.expmedndm.ox.ac.uk/home and
http://www.expmedndm.ox.ac.uk/gastroenterology-unit for clinical and basic science research projects undertaken by trainees. Other periods of OOP experience are encouraged, as well as competitive entry to one of the National year 4 advanced training modules, of which Oxford hosts one of the 2 Nutrition ATP posts.
Within the rotations and centres to which a Trainee will be attached, all subspecialty parts of the curriculum are covered. These include: specialist management of inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal failure and nutrition, experience in specialised hepatobiliary and pancreatic disorders, general hepatology, interventional endoscopic techniques, capsule endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, oesophageal pH testing, oesophageal and anorectal manometry, liaison psychiatry, and paediatric gastroenterology. Oxford is also one of two centres in the UK for intestinal transplantation.
The only aspect of gastroenterology not formally covered in a local centre is liver transplantation. Trainees wishing to obtain such experience will normally undertake a 2 year training programme in Hepatology within their 5 yr rotation, 1 year of which would be in Oxford with a 3 month secondment at a major
transplant centre (Cambridge). These posts are competitive and decided by separate interview and are advertised on a national basis.