General Practice ST1, August 2017 Round 1, National Recruitment Timetable

I know that it probably feels like you have only just started FY2 but the start of Round 1 recruitment for the August 2017 start for GP Specialty Training is fast approaching.  As you can see from the timeline below applications open on the 9th November and close 1st December.  So why not make that all important decision and choose a career in general practice and even more importantly in the North of Scotland, first for lifestyle and first for training!
Advert	BMJ, NHS Jobs, Oriel
Advert Appears	03-Nov-16
Apply from	9 November 2016 {10:00am UK Time}
Closing Date	1 December 2016 {4:00pm UK Time}
Invitations to Specialty Recruitment Assessment Expected by	No later than 20 December 2016
Specialty Recruitment Assessment	7-14 January 2017
Specialty Recruitment Assessment Results Expected by	No later than 27 January 2017
Invitations to Selection Centre (Interview) Expected by	No later than 27 January 2017
Selection Centre Window	6-17 February 2017
First offers from (n.b. by 5:00pm)	28-Feb-17
Hold Deadline	9 March 2017 {1:00pm UK time}
Upgrade Deadline	16 March 2017 {5:00pm UK time}

Orkney, Shetland & Western Isles Are Best Places To Raise Children

In the recent 2016 Royal Bank Of Scotland Children's Quality of Life Survey, Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles have been voted as the best places in the UK to bring up children.

So what makes the northern tip of Scotland Islands such a good place to bring up children?

• The average primary school class size (17.0) and pupil to teacher ratio (PTR) in secondary schools (10.0) in the Western Islands are the lowest in Britain (national averages of 26.9 and 20.9 respectively). The Orkneys follow with primary class sizes of 18.1 and a PTR of 9.3.
• An average school spend in the Orkneys of £9,281 per pupil is the highest in the survey – just over twice the national average of £4,623. The spending ratio in the Western Islands and Shetlands follow at £9,095 and £8,844 per pupil respectively.
• These factors appear to help secondary school children achieve excellent exam results, with over 90% of pupils in the Islands getting 5 awards at SCQF 4 or better (69.7% GB average1)
• The Western Islands have the lowest population densities in Britain with just 9 people per square kilometre – compared to the national average of 276. The Shetlands and Orkneys also have equally low population densities with 16 and 22 people/square km respectively.
• Children can walk about in relative freedom with an average of 71 vehicles per square kilometre in the Western Islands, 142 in the Orkneys and 145 in the Shetlands, compared to 9,587 in Britain as a whole.
• Importantly, the ONS survey on personal wellbeing indicates the Orkney and Western Island adult populations are among the happiest, most satisfied, least anxious and content in Britain. This bodes well for those growing up on the isles.

So why not give a thought to applying to our Scottish Rural Track GP Training Program?  We have rotations based in all three areas with the hospital component being based in the local Rural General hospitals whilst the GP components are based in the local GP practices.  

Orkney and Shetland 'best two places to raise children in Britain'

The North of Scotland regularly tops the quality of life surveys for both Scotland and the UK.  In this latest survey looking at "Best Places to Raise Children", published by Bank of Scotland, areas covered by the North of Scotland GP Training Schemes fill the top 5 places with Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles filling the top three places in that order.  The islands were closely followed by Aberdeenshire and Highland in fourth and fifth places with Argyll and Bute also in the top 10 in eighth place.

Read more in these articles from the BBC and The Times.

• Orkney and Shetland 'best two places to raise children in Britain'
• Orkney comes top of the class as the finest location to bring up a family

The Challenge of Combining General Practice with Hospital Medicine

Interested in General Practice but like the challenge of some aspects of hospital medicine?
Unsure about whether to apply for a training program in GP or a Specialty?

Have you considered a post in Rural GP Training?

Outer Hebrides Voted in 50 Best Tours in The World

A guided holiday of Scottish islands has been listed among National Geographic's 50 Tours of a Lifetime.

Wilderness Walking: The Outer Hebrides and Skye is the only UK entry on National Geographic Traveler's suggested tours to take in 2014.

The six-day Scottish holiday starts in Inverness and takes in Harris, Skye and Scalpay.

But if you really want to get to know the outer isles of Scotland's West Coast, why not apply for our Rural Track program.  Amongst the four posts still available in Round 2 is one based in Stornaway.  To read more about what it is like go to Kate Dixon's blog.

Read more on the BBC Website

Rural Track Program

Lewis and Harris has been named as the best island in Europe by the international travel site Tripadvisor.
It also beat rivals in Thailand, Chile and Madagascar to be included in the top five islands in the world.

Scotland featured several times on the list with Orkney and Isle of Mull also named in the European top 10.

Read more on the BBC Website:- Lewis and Harris named as Europe's top island by TripAdvisor

So why not consider our Rural Track Programs, we have rotations based both in Stornoway on Lewis and also in Kirkwall on Orkney.  To get a feel for what its like to be on our Rural Track program why not read Kate Dixon's blog, Kate is now in her second year on the Western Isles rotation.

Good Luck!

Good luck to those of you attending the Stage 3 selection Centre in Edinburgh next week.  It's now time to note your preference of training program so remember, North of Scotland consistently ranks at the top end of the GMC trainee survey for satisfaction with the GP component of the training program.  Not only that but Grampian, The Highlands, Western Isles and Northern  Isles all rank right at the top of quality of life surveys, Grampian particularly rating as one of the top places to live in the UK.

Details of Rotations

Don't just take our word for it, why not read what our trainees say about their experience in the North of Scotland, just go to our trainee blogs.

Why Our Rural Track Trainees Have The Best Deal!

Mike McIver, an ST1 currently in Grantown, and previously in Oban has been at the video again!  Mike was at the Rural Program conference in Stornoway and persuaded a few of his colleagues to speak about what has attracted them to the Rural Program.

So make the best decision of your life and join our Rural Program!  You can read more about the conference on Mike's blog at http://scotlandgptrainingcaledonia.blogspot.co.uk/ .

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.

Living and Working in the Highlands of Scotland

Interested in our Caledonian or Rural Track programs but not that familiar with the Highlands then watch this video created by Talent Scotland and see what fantastic working and lifestyle opportunities are available.

Hebrides:- Islands On The Edge

The BBC have produced a 4 part series on the wildlife of the Hebrides, "Islands On The Edge".  The series, narrated by Ewan McGregor, is currently being aired on Monday evenings on BBC1 Scotland with repeats on Sunday afternoon.  The first episode was shown this Monday and you can catch it on iplayer for the next 4 weeks.

So have a look at the fantastic wildlife of the west coast of Scotland, all of which can be on your doorstep if you join our Rural or Caledonian Programs.  Many of the Inner Hebridean Islands can be reached by ferry from Oban where Lorn and The Islands Hospital hosts posts for both of these programs.

Rural Track Program

If you are interested in our rural track programs you may find this video helpful in your decision making.  The first couple of minutes are the best bit.  It gives a balanced view on both the rewards of rural practice and some of the challenges faced in providing rural health care and in working in rural areas..



For more information on our rural track programs go to our rural track program page or alternatively read this article from BMJ Careers in 2012. 

We have now released full details of our Rural Track Program rotations to start in August 2013.

If you wish to discuss our rural track program you can email Dr Elizabeth Barr the Program Director.

Outer Hebrides, Shetland and Orkney Islands - happiest places in the UK

Warbeth Beach, Orkney

The first results of the Office of National Statistics "National Wellbeing Index" has listed the Outer Hebrides, Shetlands and Orkney Islands as the happiest places in the UK!  So why not have a look at our Rural Programs and train in the happiest parts of the UK! 
Read more about the survey here.

You can also read more on the Rural Program in this article published in BMJ Careers