Interview: STEP in the right direction

Mike Hale: What support does J&J offer pre-regs in terms of preparing for the final assessment?

Kamlesh Chauhan: At Johnson & Johnson Vision, we have a deep understanding of the pre-reg system having run programmes over several years to support trainees. Our understanding is not only in terms of what trainees need but also the support that supervisors require. The support we provide is through our four-year Success Through Education Programme (STEP) initiative. It is an extensive series of digital resources that include interactive digital assets, live lectures including demonstration of techniques, and support from mentors.

Over the period there are almost 100 interactions that are delivered in a timely fashion to coincide with when subjects are of particular relevance to the trainee. This part of STEP supports trainees to successfully navigate their practice-based assessments including the Stage 2 assessment that allows them to undertake the Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) assessments. Once this has been completed the trainees attend a one-day course where they undergo more face-to-face training. A critical and valuable part of this element is the ‘mock’ OSCEs which enable the trainees to experience what an OSCE feels like. The experience is very real as the assessment is carried out under exam situations. Following this the trainees are given feedback as to how to improve their performance at the actual OSCE.