How to Advance your Career

Dr Anna SlovickFY2 Lister Hospital

Content– How to choose your career– Desirable Qualifications – Clinical Experience– Audit– Teaching– Research/Publications– Presentations– How to further your education– Commitment to specialty– Prizes/Academic achievements – Other interests (Demonstration of Leadership/Teamwork)

• Within medicine• Outside medicine

Step 1: Choosing Your Career• Choose your career as early as possible• If unsure…don’t panic!• Think about what you enjoyed at med school/as

FY1• Attend career fairs eg. RSM/BMJ• Speak to your Educational Supervisor• Do a taster week/s (mainly in FY2)• Be focused once you’ve decided

Desirable Qualifications• MBBS • BSc (if you have this a bonus)• Prizes/Academic achievements

– Don’t worry if don’t have any from medical school– Plenty of opportunities eg.

• Numerous specialty / college essay / RSM trainee prizes to apply for.

• Do Membership Exams as early as possible– MRCS: Any time post-qualification– MRCP: 18months post-qualification– Not a pre-requisite for ST1….– ? Helps short-listing (no one knows!)

• Others to consider at a later stage: PhD, MD, MSc

Extra Qualifications

• ILS / ALS• ATLS (FY2 A&E/ Surgery/ Anaesthetics)• Basic Surgical Skills (FY2)• CCrISP (for ST1 Surgery)• Simulation Training Days

Clinical Experience• Try to obtain good references and feedback:

– Know your patients well– Be reliable, keen, punctual, organised etc.

• Attend & contribute to departmental meetings– Eg. Offer to present

• Attend theatres regularly (if budding surgeon)• Try to choose appropriate FY2 job if possible

– However, deaneries state core competencies gained regardless of job

– If not on rotation of interest…

Clinical Experience: Other Options• Consider introducing yourself to a consultant of

desired career specialty– Enquire about projects/audits/lunch time meetings in their

dept with which you could get involved

• Taster weeks• Go abroad eg. India

– It is possible to spend FY2 abroad depending Foundation School and whether appropriate placement

– Use your time off (lots of it with introduction of 48hr wk)

Audit• Get involved in dept audits• Be selective about which audits to take on:

– Be smart: ie. Predict if where a change could be implemented.

– You may get asked to do v. time-consuming audits with poor outcomes

• If possible choose a topic relevant to career interest• Try to present the audit:

– Departmentally– Locally - To managers– Nationally - At meetings eg. RSM audit prize meeting

Audit

• Try to implement the suggested change• Ensure you complete the loop

– Ie. Get a colleague on your rotation to re-audit– (Combined efforts=double no. audits)

• Try to publish results if new findings

Teaching

• If enjoy teaching, do a ‘Teach the Teacher’ / ‘TIPS’ course

• Teach medical students/nurses at work– On ward rounds/ regular sessions

• Think outside the box – eg. run/help with:– Student Revision courses– Anatomy demonstrating

Publications

• Case Reports/Series– Look out for interesting cases– Try to get writing asap

• V. tempting to leave it & never complete it when change jobs!

– Decide on suitable journal before writing• Ensure follow journal advice re. format

– Present reports where possible

Publications

• Book reviews eg. Past Test• Write accounts/letters• Literature Reviews – time consuming but

respected• Studies

Presentations

• Credit awarded accordingly:– Local eg. dept/grand round– National eg. RSM/specialty prize days– International eg. Conferences

• Present: Case reports/Studies/Audits.• Verbal vs Poster

Courses/Education• Check BMJ careers section/education centre

• Acute Medicine/Surgery courses• Radiology courses• ECG courses• Communication Courses• Teach the Teacher Courses

– eg. RSM/ TIPS (UCL)/ Royal Colleges• Publication Courses

– eg. RSM/BMJ• RSM Section meetings of interest

Commitment to Specialty

• V important• Again….Taster Weeks• Elective / Experience abroad in area of

interest• Presentations/publications• Clinical experience if possible

Other Interests

• Good demonstration of leadership & teamwork

• Within medicine: eg.– Committee work– Mess involvement etc

• Outside medicine: eg.– Sport/ music– Charity work etc

Summary

• Don’t panic…• Stay focused• Relax when off work – Don’t burn out!• Maximise utilisation of time whilst at work• Up date your CV Regularly• Ensure no blank boxes on job application forms….• So gradually start trying to fill them.