Guest-edited by resident doctors, the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has published a special edition of Commentary, its membership magazine, alongside news that doctors in training will now be known as 'resident doctors' at the college.
Out now, the October issue of Commentary showcases the enthusiasm and energy of early career physicians across the UK. Alongside articles celebrating the work of RCP obesity clinical fellows and examining the impact of the new internal medicine stage 1 curriculum, the magazine discusses the importance of getting out and about to meet RCP members on college trust visits, how the new Green physician toolkit could help change day-to-day medical practice, and the potential of lifestyle medicine to transform chronic disease management. With additional features on Hospital at Home and an in-depth look at how RCP Global supports fellows and members across the world, there’s something for everyone.
The RCP has also announced that it will join the British Medical Association and the UK government in changing how the college describes doctors in training.1 From now on, the RCP will be using the term ‘resident doctors’, following a recommendation from the former RCP Trainees Committee that has been supported by RCP Council and senior officers. 2 This replaces the terms ‘trainee’, ‘junior doctor’ and ‘doctor in training’ and covers all doctors in national training programmes and those who are locally employed on contracts that mirror the terms and conditions of doctors in training. Applications are now open to join the refreshed RCP Resident Doctor Committee (RDC). 3
A new ‘next generation’ oversight group has been established, with representation from resident doctors at all career stages, including specialty registrars, internal medicine trainees, foundation doctors and medical students. The oversight group will lead work at the college to review existing workforce policies and provide recommendations, advice and guidance on strategic priorities such as medical recruitment, retention, workforce planning, education and training, and doctor wellbeing.
A month after the publication of The King’s Fund independent learning review, this news signals a clear intention to put resident doctors at the heart of college business.
Newly elected co-chairs of the RCP RDC, Dr Anthony Martinelli and Dr Catherine Rowan said:
‘Having taken the reins of one of the most important committees at the RCP, we’re keen to get to work straightaway. It is a time of modernisation for the college, with a constitutional and governance refresh underway.
'The NHS relies on resident doctors, who bring irreplaceable skills and training to the multiprofessional team, which is why we are particularly pleased that the RCP is launching its next generation initiative this autumn with a focus on addressing many of the issues which drive dissatisfaction and burnout among resident physicians.
'2025 will be the year of generation next at the RCP. We'll be advocating on behalf of resident doctors for action to address workload, deliver high-quality medical training and improve the working lives of early career physicians. We want to give resident doctors a voice and help them speak out for change.
‘We want to thank outgoing co-chairs, Dr Melanie Nana and Dr Megan Rutter, who steered the former Trainees Committee through one of the most challenging times for the college in its 506-year history.’
- In July 2024, the British Medical Association announced it would stop using the term ‘junior doctor’ and replace it with ‘resident doctor’ to better reflect the expertise of early career colleagues. The UK government’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has also agreed to recognise this change. These changes took effect on 18 September 2024.
- Following the BMA vote, the former RCP Trainees Committee (TC) ran two polls over the course of a month. TC members voted to mirror the name change proposed by the BMA/DHSC. This change will apply across all college activity.
- The RCP RDC can be found on X at @RCP_RDC.