Only One Week Left!

Brimmond Hill Looking Towards Deeside

Round 1 of GP Recruitment closes on Thursday 5th December at 5pm so you only have one week left to make that life changing decision.  Go to the NRO Website to get your application in for GP Training in the North of Scotland.  We guarantee, once you come here, you won't want to leave.  The lifestyle and employment opportunities are second to none.

Aberdeen City and Shire - Learn

Thinking of coming to Grampian for your GP Training?  Have a partner also wanting to learn? Want to know what educational opportunities may be available to your family?

Grampian has a strong educational tradition.  Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils have produced this excellent guide to some of the learning opportunities available to you in Grampian.

More information on our Grampian programs .

Twitter Hour, Thursday 28th November, 7.30 to 8.30PM

Thinking of applying for GP training in the North of Scotland?  Have some questions?  Why not ask our Director of General Practice, Dr Ronald Macvicar, or our trainees, David Lovell on the Grampian program or Kate Dixon on the Rural track Program?  All three will be hosting a Twitter hour next Thursday 28th November, 7.30 to 8.30pm.

Join @ronaldmacvicar @scotmedtraining #scotmt

Training Practice Profile : - Portlethen Medical Practice, Grampian

As part of our blog we thought it would be useful for you to hear what our GP trainees thought about their experiences in their GP Training Practices. David Lovell, who is on the third year of the 4 year Grampian scheme, has written about his ST1 experiences at Portlethen Medical Practice in Grampian

“You’ll need to drink your tea faster if you’re going to be a GP!” - This was one of the first things my GP trainer said to me when I visited Portlethen Medical Practice for the first time. After spending six months working there I can see what she meant! However, I have become increasingly glad that this is the case. During my time there I was constantly presented with numerous new challenges many times a day, and it was great.

North Of Scotland Expertise Goes East!

Word of our innovative Rural Track Program is spreading fast! We are currently playing host to a group of Japanese doctors and health administrators who are visiting us to see what lessons can be learned from the way the North of Scotland tackles the delivery of healthcare to remote and rural communities.

Our visitors are from the Japanese Association for Development of Community Medicine (JADECOM) and are visiting the Centre for Health Science in Inverness, Belford Hospital and the Fort William Health Centre.

North of Scotland Rotations For August 2014 Now Finalised

We have now finalised the rotations for all five of our programs for the August 2014 intake.  You can see all the details on the links below. For more detail on what it is like to be a trainee on these rotations, go to our trainee blogs.

• Grampian 3 Year
• Grampian 4 Year
• Caledonian 3 Year
• Caledonian 4 Year
• Rural Track

Recruitment 2014 is Now Open

Recruitment for August 2014 entry into GP Specialist Training is now open!  So make the right decision and get your application in!  In the North of Scotland we can promise fantastic lifestyle opportunities whichever program you choose.  Don't just take our word for it, read our trainees blogs to see what they say about their training and their lives in the North of Scotland.

So take your first step on the ladder to the most rewarding career medicine has to offer- General Practice.

An Early Start!

For all you skiers out there!  The recent cold snap has left enough snow for Cairngorm Mountain to start it's skiing season today.

So if snowsports are one of your passions, why not move up to the North of Scotland where we have cornered the market.  Where ever you are based in the North of Scotland (with the exception of the islands of course : ) ) you will have skiing pretty much on your doorstep.  Oban and Fort William have Glencoe and Nevis Range ski areas within easy reach, trainees in Aviemore and Grantown have Cairngorm mountain just up the road whilst for those in Inverness it is an easy drive in under the hour.  For those on the Grampian scheme, Glenshee and the Lecht are both within easy distance.

The Harbour

Oil Supply Ships Waiting Off Aberdeen Harbour

Not familiar with Aberdeen?  Want to get a feel for what Aberdeen is like?  Why not watch the new series of "The Harbour" being shown on BBC Scotland at 7pm on Monday evenings.  But beware, you might need a translator for some of the local dialect!

You can also watch it on iplayer . The Harbour Series 2, Episode 1

Recruiting The GPs Of The Future

Skills Scotland recently ran a careers day at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre. The aim was to give school pupils an opportunity to look at career options.

Improving Our Grampian Rotations

We are constantly trying to improve the relevance and educational value of the hospital aspect of our training schemes.  Last year we introduced extra posts in both pediatrics and obstetrics & gynecology, these posts replacing general orthopedic posts.  We have been working closely with the clinical supervisors in these departments to maximise the educational component in these posts and ensure the experience gained is particularly relevant to our GP specialist trainees.

As part of this process we have been keeping in close touch with our trainees in these new posts and they have been giving us feedback on their experiences.  Here is some of what they have been telling us!