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A small group of established and new mentors assembled in Troon, Scotland, in April for the third meeting of mentors associated with the Parkinson’s Disease Academy. Mentorship has been an integral part of the experience of master classes held by the PD Academy from the beginning and continues to underpin the adult learning experience.

The meeting began with a session from Dr Graeme Macphee who discussed the general nature and benefits of mentoring in medicine with reference to the excellent course run by Dr Nancy Redfern at the Northern Deanery. We then undertook a short demonstration of skills practice based on the three-stage Egan model with a ‘conscripted’ mentee which nicely illuminated some of the issues round mentee resistance! Fortuitously we found a leverage point and an action strategy was formulated! This was followed by small group work where participants were given the opportunity to be a mentor or mentee bringing real life issues to the meeting. A lively discussion and feedback ensued thereafter in informal session and also over dinner. Although the skills practice was intended to primarily familiarise people with the model, several participants commented on the significant value of the brief mentoring they had received! Perhaps this was the benefit of having a group of self-selected, empathic, interested people.

On the next morning we had two excellent sessions from external speakers; the first from Vicky McLeod who has a wide experience in academic and business circles of appraisal skills and performance management. Vicky provided us with a very thought provoking and practically helpful session where we again rehearsed practical listening skills in duos. The session provided much food for thought, not only in terms of pertinence to the Academy but also in relation to our own professional responsibilities whether performing appraisal or being an appraisee.

Thereafter, Theresa Stoker provided us with a very well received practical session in advanced PowerPoint. She built from simple to intricate presentations as well as providing us with written and CD material.

During the last session of the day Dr Doug MacMahon, Chair of Faculty, discussed the possibility of piloting audit projects based on the recent NICE Guidelines though graduands of the Academy. It is proposed that this will complement the proposed Parkinson’s Disease Society Royal College of Physicians audit work around the NICE Guidelines.

At the time of writing an audit template is currently being developed in conjunction with Dr Dorothy Robertson and this will be available when finalised on the Section website.

Further mentors’ meetings are planned and the next will be again held in Troon, Scotland 27-28th September 2007. Bookings for this can be made via RED Publishing

We thank Red Publishing for organising the event and Boehringer-Ingelheim Ltd who kindly sponsored the meeting through an unrestricted educational grant.

Graeme Macphee
Chairman BGS PD Section