Planning your Medical
Career
Learning outcomes - you will:
•
•
•
•
•
Understand a range of career options open to
you after Foundation Training
Be more familiar with the career path to and
through Specialty Training
Recognise the importance of early career
planning and adopt a four-stage approach
Carry out a self-assessment of your career
values and preferences in order to inform future
decisions
Be able to access a range of career information
resources and know where to go for help
Deanery Careers Team
• Dr Melanie Jones
Associate Dean and Careers/LTFT Lead
• Sally Blake
Career Development Adviser
pgmedicalcareers@cardiff.ac.uk
Who we support:
• Doctors during Foundation, during Speciality
Training and some beyond
• This means you!
Career Support for Trainees
Self
review
Deanery
Assoc Deans
Career Adviser
Performance, ISP
Advanced Local Support
PGO, FPD, TPD, Mentors,
School, Occ health
Local info / support
Ed sup, college tutor, PGCM
The first two tiers show who is involved in providing local support
Why bother about career planning?
• From 2010 career management has more focus
in Foundation Curriculum and portfolio
• Earlier decisions or positioning now needed
• Everyone needs to be prepared for uncertainty,
compromise and change (in any career)
• Careers don’t “just happen”- you live with your
choices
• NHS workforce needs drive opportunity, not
personal dreams
Your career at its simplest…
1.
2.
3.
4.
Go to Medical School
Become a Junior Doctor
Enter specialty training
Become a consultant
The reality…
Interactive Career map
From hot button on Deanery homepage www.walesdeanery.org
Main Options after F2
•
•
•
•
•
•
Specialty Training programme
Integrated Academic Training (WCAT)
Specialty doctor
Time Out/Abroad
Research/teaching
Other use of medical training (law,
finance, informatics, sales, health
related)
Speciality Training
“Uncoupled” Core
Training (2-3 years)
• Surgery
• Medicine
• Anaesthetics
• Psychiatry
• ACCS – 3 years core
then on to Anaes, Em.
Med or acute medical
Then apply for ST3
Direct entry “Runthrough” specialities
• General Practice
• Clinical Radiology
• O+G
• Paediatrics
• Ophthalmology
• Histopathology
• Microbiology inc Virology
• Chemical Pathology
• Public Health
Speciality Choices
• Early years core training is generic, with
transferable competencies
• Some junior doctors know exactly which
speciality they wish to enter, others want to keep
options open – it works either way
• Some will put location before specialty, others
vice-versa
• Most medical graduates are pluri-potential and
will adapt well to a range of options
Four Stages of Career Planning
1. Self assessment (Patient history)
2. Career Exploration (Examination)
3. Decision making (Diagnosis)
4. Plan implementation (Treatment plan)
• Is your goal Realistic?
• Have you considered all Opportunities?
• Have you built in the Anchors that will provide personal
support in the background to your career?
• Will your choice Develop your potential?
• Can you work with or minimise the Stress factors in your
career choice?
Four stages explained:
Now:
• Self assessment
Exploring career values, motivators, preferences, personal strengths,
limitations
• Career exploration
Establishing options, alternatives and plan B’s, information gathering,
networking, reality checking
Next:
• Decision making
Evaluating options, mapping skills and attributes against actual roles,
considering options and preferences, clarifying personal factors,
making choices
• Plan implementation
Applicant research, CV update and applications, preparing for
assessments and interviews
Exercise 1
• Sort cards under the 4 headings
• No more than 8 “very important" cards
Then discuss with your colleagues:
• Any surprises?
• How similar or different are your preferences from those
of each other?
• Any which might be more or less important in 10 years
time?
• Will you find outlet for all the v important in your current
career choices?
Other Self-assessment tools
Specific to medical careers – SCI59
•
•
•
•
On line self assessment tool http://www.bma.org.uk/careers
Improves self awareness if questions considered.
Take it with a pinch of salt – hazard warning!!!
Free to BMA members via their website
More general self-assessment tools:
www.teamtechnology.co.uk ; MBTI-style and team style
www.windmillsonline.co.uk ; assessing career values and
interests
www.prospects.ac.uk ; Prospects Planner for graduate careers
What do I need to know?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Skills and competencies required
Qualifications and training needed
Experience needed at each point of entry
Pathways and progression
Competition ratios
Number and type of posts
Local and UK variation
Must be up to date – things change!
See www.medicalcareers.nhs.uk
How to explore
• You can organise “tasters” in F2 to look at specialties
you may consider or want to find out about
• Go to national or local medical careers fairs (BMJ)
• For events in Wales see Deanery careers pages
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/walesdeanery/careers l
• Talk to trainees – what did they choose, why?
Useful websites
• www.mmc.nhs.uk : person specifications and specialty recruitment
information
• www.medicalcareers.nhs.uk : national career support resource,
includes specialty information and workforce projections
• careerfocus.bmj.com/ : details of UK and other job vacancies, career
advice, FAQ
• www.gprecruitment.org.uk/ for GP training information
Careers in Wales
• www.walesdeanery.org : for info on PG training and employment in
Wales and career support information
• www.doctorstrainingwales.tv : for video clips on specialty training in
Wales
• www.medicalcareerswales.com : quick links to Local Health Boards
and current NHS vacancy information in Wales
Deanery On Line Resources
•
•
•
•
E Learning module on PLATO
Interactive map and app
E-guidance link
Career planning pages
www.doctorstrainingwales.tv
Next Steps
• Self assessment - try Sci 59 and other profiling
tools
• Get CV in shape for F2 applications
• F2 applications – exploring options or reinforcing
early ideas?
• Research and explore specialties of interest
• Think ahead to possible F2 tasters
• Think about tactical use of study leave
• Build portfolio – record career reflections
• Bookmark sources of information