Home News Latest Releases SpRs wanted for Quality Improvement Scholar in Residence programme – Closing date extended to 31 May 2019

SpRs wanted for Quality Improvement Scholar in Residence programme – Closing date extended to 31 May 2019

4 April, 2019

Would you like to be a Quality Improvement Scholar in Residence?

Closing date extended to 31 May 2019

Fourth- and fifth-year Specialist Registrars and senior GP trainees who are interested in Quality Improvement are invited to apply to the Quality Improvement Scholarship in Residence Programme.

Developed by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua), the scholarship will help you develop as a clinical leader by providing you with expert support and bespoke training over the course of one academic year.

This is a fantastic opportunity for three individuals to develop their clinical leadership skills and quality improvement knowledge.

The closing date for applications has been extended to 31 May 2019.

What do you get as part of this scholarship?

If you are successful in getting a place on the programme you will be provided with

  • Regular mentoring sessions 
  • Bespoke support to complete a QI project during the year
  • A place on the ISQua Fellowship Programme
  • A place on the RCPI Quality in Action programme
  • Access to RCPI's Train the Trainer programme
  • Access to other related QI courses throughout the year
  • Teaching experience: Towards the latter half of the Scholarship Programme you will participate in coaching/delivery on the RCPI QI in Action Programme

Time Commitment

The scholarship in residence programme runs over one academic year starting in September 2019.

The time commitment will be 2.5 days per month. This commitment includes individual mentoring and the specific courses outlined above.

The programme equips us to have the skills and confidence to make improvement happen - in partnership with our patients. Throughout this scholarship programme I have been learning about the relevant improvement skills and tools, which all clinicians can, and should, be able to engage in Quality Improvement to ultimately improve patient care. We have learnt about QI tools that enable frontline workers to come up with appropriate solutions using our skills and talents.

Dr Ahmeda Ali

Quality Improvement Scholar in Residence 2018 - 2019

What long term benefits does the Quality Improvement Scholar in Residence Programme offer?

The RCPI/ISQua Scholarship Programme will provide you with an outstanding opportunity to:

  • Develop your skills and knowledge in the areas of healthcare quality improvement and patient safety, with a special emphasis on teaching and mentorship
  • Develop your leadership and management skills in order to effectively lead improvement within the healthcare system
  • Develop critical thinking and analytical skills in the field of quality improvement
  • Understand how to spread healthcare quality improvement initiatives within healthcare systems, through national and international organisations
  • Broaden your professional network and develop effective working partnerships in the area of healthcare quality improvement
  • Cultivate an advocacy role for clinical quality improvement amongst postgraduate doctors in training in Ireland

Dr Kieran Murray on being a Quality Improvement Scholar in Residence at RCPI

This scholarship has provided me with a number of wonderful opportunities. Not only has it allowed me to develop my skills and knowledge in the areas of healthcare quality improvement and patient safety, but this immersive experience has been very rewarding in a number of other ways.

Dr Eoin Fitzgerald

Quality Improvement Scholar in Residence 2018 - 2019

Apply by 31 May 2019

If you would like to apply for the one-year Quality Improvement Scholarship in Residence Programme commencing September 2018, please complete the below application form and submit it, along with your CV, by 31 May 2019.

Open application form (MS Word document will download onto your device)

Please submit completed applications to qualityimprovement@rcpi.ie by 31 May 2019.

"All healthcare providers have two roles"

Dr John Brennan, a GP, completed the first scholarship in residence programme in RCPI in 2016/2017. He has the following message for this year's applicants:

"The Irish healthcare system faces significant challenges and barriers to providing high quality affordable care to patients. These challenges are echoed throughout most health systems across the world. Quality Improvement Science and Methodology has been developed to tackle these challenges using a practical person centred approach to solving complex systems problems.

"It is my belief that the creativity and energy of doctors in training and other Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors is the greatest untapped resource in Irish healthcare. I feel strongly that all healthcare providers have two roles, the first being the provision of healthcare, and the second is the continuous improvement for patients and professionals alike.

"This programme has afforded me an opportunity to maximise the potential impact that I may have in my future career as a clinician, and as an improvement activist, leader and educator. The exceptional mentorship provided by the Scholar in Residence Programme has enabled me to hone my improvement skills, as well as providing a platform upon which I could develop my mentorship, coaching and teaching skills in this exciting area. Moving forward, I plan to use my experience from my year as Scholar in Residence to try to lead for improvement in the Irish healthcare system, and to facilitate the spread of this vital science at a time when the challenges facing healthcare continue to mount."

Dr John Brennan, Quality Improvement Scholar in Residence 2016 - 2017

Contact us

Quality Improvement Department

Tel: +353 1 863 9700