Apply for your first job in the UK – all in a nutshell

Dr. Michail Ch. Sideris

Clinical and Academic Fellow in Colorectal Surgery, ST1 level

King’s College Hospital London, NHS Foundation Trust

Why NHS

• Practise medicine in English

• Worldwide famous health system

• Integrated teaching and assessments

• Excellent training opportunities

• Career planning

• Options

ABCDE exists indeed

When you are stuck in your career thereIs always a good way to go back. Just exactly as in every patient you follow the ABCDE protocol

The UK foundation Program

• 2 year training program which follows 5 year basic course +/- any further studies

• Visit online site for more information

• The UK foundation program : 2 years training program aim to develop all the basic clinical skills that a junior doctor should have to pursue a career in the NHS. By the end of foundation a junior doctor should have the relevant competences - ( GMC ) to proceed

Clinical Training in the London School of Surgery

FOUNDATIONSCHOOL

FY1 FY2 ST3 ST4 ST5 ST8

OVERSEAS

CORETRAINING

HIGHERTRAINING

CT1

3x4GENERIC

APPLIEDBASIC

SCIENCES(ANATOMY

PHYSIOLOGYPATHOLOGY)

MRCS

CT2

2x6GENERIC/THEMED

ANATOMYDEMONSTRATION

- TEACHING- SURGERY

KNOWLEDGEPLUS

SIMULATION

CT3

2x6THEMED

TRAININGFOR ST3

RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH

CLINICALTRAINING- PLUS

SIMULATION

CLINICALTRAINING- PLUS

SIMULATION

OR

PREPARATIONFOR

FRCS

OVERSEAS

RESEARCH

TRUSTPOSTS

Basic Structure• Foundation Year One - preregistration year, house officer 3 four months placements (1 general medicine, 1 general surgery) equivalent to the 6th year

• Foundation Year Two - Senior House officer , 3 four months placements

Which stage shall I enter the NHS ?

• FY1

• FY2 - never even think of that

• Question 1 - How determined am I ?

Question 2 : how should I prepare ?

• 5 steps to get ready

• English

• Foundation Textbook

• CV structure

• Interview preparation

• Patience

Question 3

• How many years ?

Question 4

• How possible is to success ?

Question 5

• What's next ?

Foundation Program

• Develop basic clinical skills

• Become safe

• Recognition of acutely unwell patient

• Escalation to seniors

• Team work - reliability

Supervision

• Clinical

• Educational

Supervisor's reports

• Induction meeting with clinical supervisor

• Induction placement with educational supevisor

• End of placement report

• Mid- Placement report

Assessments

• CbD

• Mini- CEX

• DOPS

• Developing the clinical teacher

• Core Procedures

• TAB

Eportfolio

• Assessments

• Placement's reports

• Reflections

• CV

• Progression

Steps to follow

• English

• Built your cv with presentations, publications, audits, electives, teaching, organising skills, voluntary, courses

• Spend time with your application

• Interview skills

• Terminology

• Avoid pitfalls

How I can manage to follow a strategy ?

English and language skills

• IELTS

• Movies

• Elective/ clinical attachment

• Chatting with friends in english

• Use subtitles

CV

• Outstanding

• Dedication

• Simple, structured, orientated

• Up to the standards

• Emphasise on details

• Always not more than 3-4 pages at your stage

How to build your application

• Think

• Ask

• Advice

• Feedback

• Change

Interview skills

• Preparation with foundation handbook

• ISC books for interviews

• Ask for advice - trainees and consultants

• Practice in front of the mirror

• Think : could this candidate be my fy1 or fy2 ? Why me and not my colleague

Common pitfalls

• Unstructured answers on application

• Always tell the truth

• Avoid shooting yourself with no reason

• Greek to english translation

• Avoid humour

Structured summary

• Step 1 -> determined to come

• Step 2 -> bureaucracy

• Step 3 ->apply for clinical attachment, build your cv efficiently along with application

• Step 4 ->english

• Step 5 -> ask people, feedback reevalute

• ABC approach , if stuck start from the beginning

Always keep in mind..

• In the UK you will be given an opportunity but you should try hard

• Even if you are a brilliant doctor , NHS is a different and well structured system so you have to spend time and see how it works before you start

• Balanced level of confidence

• Appropriate escalation of things, discuss with seniors, be honest

• Optimise your efficiency and being safe (ABC, recognition of acutely unwell patient, good team player, stick to GMC rules ) is the most vital thing in the NHS

• There is always a good side of every aspect..

So..

29

Thank you