Overseas Doctors' Training Fellowship (ODTF) of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 1538 K
Held at	: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/library-services/archives-and-heritage/archives/ ›
Full title	: Overseas Doctors' Training Fellowship (ODTF) of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Date(s)	: 1981-1999
Level of description	: Collection (fonds)
Extent	: 1 box, 12 microfilm reels, 7 CD ROM
Name of creator(s)	: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists | RCOG

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Overseas doctors' training schemes (ODTS) were instituted by the Department of Health after the Second World War to arrange postgraduate training in the UK for overseas doctors. Under the schemes the Department arranged training posts for doctors from overseas, monitored training and negotiated with the Home Office over visas. During the 1970s the royal medical colleges were also developing their own procedures for assisting and advising overseas doctors wishing to train in the UK. In the late 1980s responsibility for developing their own training schemes, including sponsorship, was passed to the royal medical colleges.

In 1983 the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists decided to expand its existing arrangements, which had hitherto been confined to the placement of postgraduates financed by funds from overseas in unpaid supernumerary posts. Double sponsorship schemes were therefore initiated, the overseas sponsor normally being the national or regional representative committee of the College; in countries without such committees sponsorship by Fellows or Members, or, exceptionally, deans of medical schools was considered. Placement of sponsored trainees and their subsequent supervision was the responsibility of the College's Director of Postgraduate Studies. In 1986 a Sponsorship Officer (now the ODTF Officer) was appointed.

In 1994 the ODTS section within the College acquired a careers side, currently run by a Careers Officer, who produces careers advice and guidelines. ODTF (the section was renamed in 2001) also maintains records of overseas doctors who have passed the membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (MRCOG). The ODTF falls under the umbrella of the Postgraduate Training Department of the College.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers relating to the Overseas Doctors' Training Fellowship (ODTF) of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 1981-1999, comprising MRCOG pass files of overseas doctors on microfilm and CD ROM, 1990-1997; printed regulations and guidelines for overseas doctors, 1986-1999; miscellaneous correspondence, 1981-1993, relating to meetings for overseas doctors and some questionnaire results.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

The records are arranged as outlined in the scope and content.

Conditions governing access:

Printed material open. Correspondence files open 20 years after last date on file. Pass files open 75 years after last date on file, other than to individuals seeking information regarding their own pass files.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright is vested in the College.

Finding aids:

A database of overseas doctors who have applied to sit the MRCOG is maintained by the ODTF Administrator. Once the doctors pass the MRCOG their names are removed from this database and added to the MRCOG database maintained by the Register Secretary, Membership Services Department, with an annotation to indicate that they are overseas doctors.

Archival Information

Archival history:

The bulk of the pass files on microfilm derives from the ODTF administrator. In the case of the pass files on CD ROM the material was transferred from the now defunct Central Services Department, which arranged for the information to be converted to disk. In 2001 it was decided, following consultation with the College Archivist, that microfilm should again be the preferred non-paper medium.

Immediate source of acquisition:

Allied Materials

Related material:

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists holds the President's papers on the development of the ODTS (Reference: A4/21/42-43, A4/21/157, A4/25/82 and A4/25/168); Vice President/Overseas Officer's papers (Reference: A5/41/5-6); College Secretary's papers (Reference: A8/48).

National Register of Archives: Click here to view NRA record

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Compiled by Clare Cowling, revised by Julie Tancell as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.

Rules or conventions:
National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997; ISAD(G), Second Edition, 2000.

Date(s) of descriptions:
November 2002