Developing a higher specialist training programme in renal medicine in the era of competence-based training.

Renal specialty medical training in the UK was reformed in August 2007, with an emphasis placed on competency-based training and the publication of a new curriculum and assessment blueprint. This model of training places additional time demands on both trainees and trainers, with implications for job planning and service delivery. We evaluated the resource requirements and impact on service delivery of implementing a high-quality training programme in renal medicine.

Is PHEEM a multi-dimensional instrument? An international perspective.

Aim: To look at the characteristics of Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure (PHEEM) using data from the UK, Brazil, Chile and the Netherlands, and to examine the reliability and characteristics of PHEEM, especially how the three PHEEM subscales fitted with factors derived statistically from the data sets.

Methods: Statistical analysis of PHEEM scores from 1563 sets of data, using reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis and correlations of factors derived with the three defined PHEEM subscales.

Results: PHEEM was very reliable with an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.