Life as a Career Start In Grampian

"It's been a few months over 11 years since I started my adventure into the world of medicine and I am loving it more than ever!

I moved up to Aberdeen to do my GP training a little over 3 years ago and it was the best move I ever made. I have now embarked upon the first stage of my career as a fully qualified GP. That feeling of not having to do any more exams again (unless for some unknown reason I choose to) is so satisfying. The journey however, has only just begun!

RCGP Video, The Future GP

The RCGP have released this 3 minute video highlighting some of the career opportunities available to GPs and features our very own Laura Muirhead, currently ST3 and AiT rep for the North of Scotland!  The video has been featured on the BBC news website.

Rural GP Recruitment Featured on Countryfile

The issues of provision of general practice and GP recruitment in remote and rural areas was given an airing on BBC's Countryfile program this Sunday and is available on iplayer should you have missed it.

Neil Bennett, one of  our GP Educational Supervisors on the Rural Track program was interviewed. Neil is based at Taynuilt Practice near Oban , Argyll and works with trainees in the Oban based section of the Rural Program.

Also featured was David Hogg, now a GP on Arran and a graduate of the NHS Education Scotland Rural Fellowships for post CCT GPs.

So if you are interested in rural general practice there are a lot of opportunities for you in Scotland, either the rural Program for those yet to start GP training or the Rural GP Fellowships for those who have completed training.

• Countryfile 17th January 2015
• Scottish Rural Track Program 
• GP Rural Fellowships

Snowsports on Your Doorstep!

Enjoy your skiing or snowboarding?  Thinking of doing GP Training?  Why not combine the two! This is Glencoe ski area today, within an hours drive of both Oban and Fort William, both centres for our Rural GP Training program.  Alternatively you could join our Caledonian program with bases on Speyside in Aviemore and Grantown on Spey, both down the road from Cairngorm Mountain whilst the Grampian program has the Lecht and Glenshee just up the road.

You can't beat having this on your doorstep!

The Complex Balance of Life In General Practice, Family Life and Climbing

Adrian Crofton is a GP Trainer in one of our training practices in Aberdeen.  Here he talks about how he decided on a career in GP and how he now balances that career with his home life and his love of climbing in Scotland.  A lesson for us all.

"I have just completed a learning styles questionnaire - I seem to be a “trial-and-error” person to the core. For instance, I would rather disassemble a wardrobe twice than look at the instructions, or drive round a block three or four times looking for a particular street rather than use a sat-nav. This is not just bloody-mindedness, but rather it enables me to understand the structure of the wardrobe, or, in the navigation case, to really make me aware of where I am. I seem to have taken a similar approach to my career... I only truly knew I wanted to be doing something other than academic neonatology once I had tried it...

Which Specialty Will You Choose?

Deciding what area of medicine to spend your life in is not easy.  Harriet Aneke-Ogbu has been kind enough to share her experiences and explain why she has chosen to apply for GP Specialty Training this year.

"Whilst at medical school, I always wondered what a suitable career would be for me. At the time, I did not really understand the challenges with choosing a specialty and commitment to it. I believed all I had to do was find an area in medicine that intrigued me and kept me interested and just get on with it. As if it was that simple! I spent my time gaining experience abroad and in the UK, in areas of medicine I thought I would like. Firstly, oncology which I did not enjoy then gynaecology which was also a ‘no-no’. I thought cardiology was exciting, challenging and interesting. So, I did my elective on a cardiology project in America which I enjoyed but all the doctors seemed so busy. I just put it down to the American system.

Life In Fort William on the Rural Track Program

Dear FY2s,

Congratulations, you are now approaching another one of those decisive moments in your life. Your hard work over the last 7 years has rewarded you with the most precious of all things: choice. As I approach the half way mark in my training I would like to share with you my experience in the rural programme thus far; how I came to be here, what it has offered me and how it has impacted my life.

BBC Alba Documentary on Dr Alex MacLeod

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04vjzsg/an-dotair-mor 

Those interested in Rural General Practice may be interested in this  BBC Gaelic TV documentary with sub titles on the life of Dr Alex MacLeod who was the GP in North Uist for 40 years during the time following the Dewar report in 1912 and the setting up of the Highlands’ and Islands Medical Service in the inter war years and onwards to the foundation of the NHS in 1948.

North of Scotland GP Training Rotations for August 2015 Now Finalised

We have now finalised the Rotations we will be offering in August 2015.  You can now view the rotations here.

So good luck in Rounds 2 & 3 of recruitment and make that really smart first step towards a career in GP in the North of Scotland by selecting our programs when you state your preferences.

We look forward to meeting you in August 2015!

North of Scotland August 2015 Rotations

GP Obstetrics in Shetland - a unique challenge

The view from Lerwick surgery!

I'm Dylan Murphy. I'm one of the few GPs still doing Obstetrics in the UK. This either means I'm mad or that remote and rural practice offers some challenges unavailable elsewhere. Hopefully it's the latter!

I came to Shetland 13 years ago and have been working as a GP here ever since. I'm also an Educational Supervisor. I wasn't drawn because of the obstetrics. I'm not a wannabe obstetrician. The practice I joined simply "did obstetrics." So I just got on with the job and found I actually liked it and was good at it. Since that time, things have changed both nationally and locally.