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This study attempts to further our understanding of how expertise is acquired in a specific vocational context. Using unstructured interviews with both individuals and groups, carried out whilst engaged in practice, it examines what happens when dry stone wallers are developing their skills, how they gain expertise and how they communicate their learning. It was concluded that learning a craft such as dry stone walling is complex and individual. Learning was clearly contextualised and did not take place in linear stages. The use of maxims or "rules of thumb" was a key element in the learning process, and the use of tacit knowledge and intuition were much in evidence as expertise developed. By questioning whether expertise can be achieved by following a set of rules, or that it progresses in a specific, set direction, the study also highlights the reflective and emotional aspects of becoming an "expert" that are likely to be relevant to other vocational areas.

Introduction: COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on the 11th of March 2020 with the NHS deferring all non-urgent activity from the 15th of April 2020. The aim of our study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on Trauma and Orthopaedic trainees nationally.Methods: Trauma and Orthopaedic (T&O) specialty trainees nationally were asked to complete an electronic survey specifically on the impact of COVID-19 on their training. This UK based survey was conducted between May 2020 and July 2020.Results: A total of 185 out of 975 (19%) T&O specialty trainees completed the survey. Redeployment was experienced by 25% of trainees. 84% of respondents had experienced a fall in total operating numbers in comparison with the same time period in 2019. 89% experienced a fall in elective operating and 63% experienced a fall in trauma operating. The pandemic has also had an effect on the delivery of teaching, with face to face teaching being replaced by webinar-based teaching. 63% of training programmes delivered regular weekly teaching, whilst 19% provided infrequent sessions and 11% provided no teaching.Conclusion: This study has objectively demonstrated the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all aspects of T&O training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]