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 BlakeCareer Development Adviserpgmedicalcareers@cardiff.ac.uk Who we support:• Doctors during Foundation, during Speciality

Training and some beyond • This means you!

Self review

Assoc DeansCareer Adviser

Performance, ISP

Advanced Local SupportPGO, FPD, TPD, Mentors,

School, Occ health

Local info / supportEd sup, college tutor, PGCM

Career Support for Trainees

The first two tiers show who is involved in providing local support

Deanery

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. Go to Medical School

2. Become a Junior Doctor

3. Enter specialty training

4. 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 “Run-through” 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 stylewww.windmillsonline.co.uk ; assessing career values and

interestswww.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 pageshttp://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