Respiratory Cover Photo

Section 1: Information about the writer

Husham Elfaki Abdalla

ST6 Sheffield University Teaching Hospitals

Section 2: Scope of practice in the UK:

  • Wide range of skills including scopes (bronchoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound and thoracoscopy)
  • Thoracic ultrasound
  • Pleural procedures including indwelling pleural catheters
  • Non-invasive ventilation
  • Airway diseases, lung cancer, TB, Sleep medicine, pleural infections, occupation lung diseases and interstitial lung diseases.

Section 3: Type of Training/ Route to Training

  • A 5 years programme coupled with GIM (General internal Medicine) this means that you will be qualified as a respiratory and general internal medicine physician.
  • Through your 5 years you will have one portfolio with 2 sets of curricula and at the end of every year will have an Annual review of clinical competence (ARCP) for both specialities.
  • You would be expected to attend regular deanery organised training days for respiratory and GIM (70% attendance every year) and you are expected to keep your own log books for USS, chest drains, bronchoscopies etc.
  • You have the opportunity to go out of programme at any time for a fellowship or research and you are also allowed unpaid leave for a maximum of 2 years if you wish to have a break from work at any time.
  • Towards the End of your training you must sit and pass a speciality certificate exam which is a paper exam delivered by the royal college of physicians.