Become a GPST in the only place in the UK to feature in the Lonely Planet Top Ten!

Shetland has been named as one of the top 10 destinations in Europe. It is the only UK place to feature - at number six - in the new Lonely Planet list for international travellers this summer.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-48334566

It's a wonderful life! Aberdeen medical students enabled to shadow Grampian GPSTs

I was delighted to help run the GP Trainee Shadowing Pilot this year for our second year medical students. The students came out to a variety of practices in their own time to undertake a half day shadowing a GP trainee here in Grampian.

The feedback from our students was really positive and they really appreciated the opportunity to gain some hands on experience, learn from near-peers and get a taster of real life GP! These positive early experiences in medical school really do make a difference and will hopefully help to promote general practice as a speciality.

It was amazing to see so many of our GP trainees ready to help and get involved and they really enjoyed the chance to build on their teaching and mentoring skills. A really exciting time for both the postgraduate GP training team and undergraduate University of Aberdeen community medical education teams and a great opportunity to work together!

Dr Mary Duffy
Career Start GP (Undergraduate Medical Education)
NHS Grampian

Speed Dating for ST3s

As ARCP draws ever closer and CCT in August starts to loom, the question of what to do when GP training is over begins to occupy the mind of an ST3.

The answer it turns out is speed dating between GPST3s and local practices looking for doctors. Ably organised by Rod Sampson, we had 6 minutes at each stall in either ones or twos. There was great variety in people attending – NHS Grampian, Wick, Thurso, Taynuilt, Alness, Beauly and Inverness. Some had baking, surfboards and even gin to entice us in. There were also other options such as Forensics, Out of Hours, Returner, Retainer and Career Start GPs and introduction to RCGP First 5 group to cushion the loss of GPST day release!

It was an intense afternoon but so helpful to see a variety of what is out there after CCT and in making some good links for the future.

Thanks again to Rod and NES for organising!

Dr Catriona Jones, ST3, Caledonian Programme