Diary log by Dr Nusrat Iqbal

Dr Iqbal works as a trainee doctor at South Warwickshire NHS Trust​. 

I entered immersive training at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust having logged around 40 colonoscopies. However, having taken a recent break from surgical training to complete a PhD, in addition to the challenges of attending regular colonoscopy lists alongside other training and rota responsibilities, I wasn’t seeing much skill development or progression.

From the very first day of immersive training, my trainer and I identified the specific difficulties I was having, such as maintaining torque and tip control. At the start of each list, we identified learning objectives and particular areas that I wanted to work on and made time at the end of each list to assess what worked well and what I needed to focus on next time, as well as completing assessments on JETS. I have also had the opportunity to attend the basic skills in colonoscopy course and participated as a trainee on the Training the Colonoscopy Trainers (TCT) course. Both opportunities have complemented the practical sessions by enabling me to understand the theory behind colonoscopy techniques.

A typical day in training has 4 colonoscopies per list, with a maximum of 8 procedures in a day and I am involved in all aspects of the sessions, including consenting patients, reviewing their notes and indication for the procedure, as well as administering medications and sedation. The trainers are all consultant gastroenterologists and nurse endoscopists and I have been fortunate enough to have several sessions with the same trainers to maintain continuity. Each trainer brings a different perspective and I have benefitted from being taught a range of techniques.

Immersive training has helped me to consolidate my experiences in colonoscopy and enabled me to develop a toolkit with which to approach more challenging cases, which will benefit me immensely as I continue gaining competency. I wholeheartedly recommend the programme to colorectal trainees wishing to gain more experience in endoscopy.