Self-nominations sought for the position of Chair of BGS Trainees Council

One of the aims of the BGS is to support doctors through their training in the specialty of geriatric medicine. The Trainees Council provides an important opportunity for trainee doctors to share learning and experience from their journey specialising in geriatric medicine, and to ensure trainees perspectives inform the direction of the BGS, its policy, education and clinical quality work. The Chair of the Trainees Council is the key leadership role in the Society representing the interests of trainee doctors.

Chair’s role and responsibilities

Chairing the Trainees Council committee meetings (three a year). This involves planning agendas, coordinating with BGS staff on meeting arrangements, ensuring discussion of major issues affecting trainees within geriatric medicine, delegating tasks to office-bearers and committee members and overseeing follow-up actions  

  • Serving as a charity Trustee on the BGS Board of Trustees. This involves attending four Board meetings per year and working with the President, BGS Officers, other trustees and the BGS staff to guide the strategic direction of the Society and provide governance   
  • Maintaining communications (via newsletters, e-bulletins, and the Trainees area of the website) with trainee members of the BGS with the assistance of other members of the Trainees Council and BGS staff and reporting back to the BGS on the activities of the Trainees Council
  • Providing input to the national BGS Trainees Weekend, the BGS Spring and Autumn meetings and other relevant events
  • Representing geriatric medicine trainees at the Joint Speciality meeting between the RCP London and BGS
Representation at meetings:

BGS Trainees Council (3 per year), BGS Board of Trustees (4 per year), Joint Speciality meeting between the RCP London and BGS (2 per year), BGS Trainees Update at BGS conferences (2 per year) and annual Trainees Weekend.

Time Commitment: approximately two to three hours a week but on occasion up to one half day a week.

You will...
  • Be passionate about the aims of the BGS and committed to improving the healthcare of older people.
  • Be committed to contributing to a high-quality training and learning experience for doctors specialising in geriatric medicine 
  • Be interested in influencing the external policy environment to ensure that the NHS provides the best possible care for older people.
  • Be a Member of the BGS.
  • Be at the SpR/STR grade.
  • Be able to commit the required time.   
Term

Two years from the date of appointment.

How to apply

Self-nominations, in the form of a covering email and a short 500-word statement on how you would approach the role and your suitability for the position, to be sent to Mark Stewart at M [dot] Stewart [at] bgs [dot] org [dot] uk by 31 July 2021 (midnight). This should also be accompanied by a statement (max 200 words) from a geriatric medicine consultant in support of your nomination.

Candidates are strongly advised to read the BGS blog written by the current Chair of the Trainees Council,  Dr Carly Welch, which explains the nature of the role in details. This can be found on the BGS website here.  

In the event that more than one candidate comes forward,  an election will be held, with votes cast by trainee members of the BGS.