Career planning & getting your next job | A guide for F2s Dr Ian Barton, Medical Careers Lead NHS East of England Multi-Professional Deanery Meeting name : date

Aims Discuss local careers support Building a comprehensive portfolio Preparing for ST1 application Application processes

Careers Planning Career planning involves more than just choosing a career e.g. How are you going to achieve your goal? Self help: Complete the Deanery careers support form (even if you have a career plan) and follow the live links It’s not too late to ask for some help i.e. a careers support meeting – you must complete the careers support form first Stress the value of the careers support form to review careers plans even for those who have made a careers choice.

Getting the Most out of a Careers Support Meeting What exactly do you need at the present time? Choose the most appropriate advisor Prepare for the meeting (complete the form!) Remember it’s your problem, not your advisors! Advisor: see next slide No form means no meeting Ensure trainee remains in charge

Who should you meet for advice Educational supervisors Relevant tutors/other specialists Trust Careers Lead: Deanery Careers Leads Whoever it is, use the careers support forms Generally it should not be necessary to speak to the Trust Careers Lead. The Deanery Careers Lead should only be approached in exceptional circumstances (e.g. the need for careers counselling in a failing trainee) Stress the need to use the form as preparation and an agenda for the meeting

Latest version of the form (there have been over 25 previous versions Latest version of the form (there have been over 25 previous versions!!). There is a score for satisfaction with career plans

Why and when to use the form Self assessment Puts you in charge Evaluates where you are Provides a framework Develops a plan Acts as an agenda for a careers meeting Serves as a record for your portfolio Justifies the use of the form

“Speciality Recruitment” section of the Medical Speciality Training website www.mmc.nhs.uk Processes explained Timelines Person specifications Competition ratios By speciality By deanery Sample application forms Moving on now to recruitment processes. The MST website is a MUST read at this time

Preparing your Evidence Get a box file to save things you might need. Keep everything! Degree/exam certificates Prizes Certificates of attendance at teaching / courses etc Copies of papers/ presentations / audits Keep your ePortfolio up to date Try to put something in every week Keep your CV up to date and targeted Remind them that for most specialities we will go through their portfolio in the interview. If nothing else catches our eye, we will look at their reflective practice and their C.V. so make sure their C.V. is updated. Take the opportunity to remind them to put something in their portfolios every week.

Showing you are committed Do psychometric / aptitude tests Do courses: ALS ATLS etc – if relevant Surgical skills etc College exams Do a taster Do relevant assessments Sci59 is an aptitude test; Most Trust libraries have it and BMA members have access to it. It has never been validated and it doesn’t point enough trainees at general practice; the best way to use it is to analyse the answers to the individual questions rather than the final outcomes. Psychometric tests, Belbin or Myers Briggs are best done properly with a face-to-face meeting with someone trained to interpret them. On-line versions are less useful. There is no evidence that particular personality types are more suited to particular specialities. The Dean has agreed that Foundation trainees will be allowed study leave for the day of College exams but not to prepare for them

Appointment processes Change every year Different for different specialities Most nationally coordinated Assessed by first choice/Lead Deanery Coordinated allocation process (NES) No National clearing system for Round 1 for at least some specialities Suggest you look at the latest version of the “Quick Guide to Speciality Recruitment” on the Medical Speciality Training website: (www.mmc.nhs.uk)

Advertisement and applications Check Deanery and College websites regularly Advertised NHS jobs BMJ careers National/Deanery websites Narrow window Don’t leave until the last minute!!! Remind them that the majority leave it to the last day and that slows the whole system up so that last year some applications didn’t get downloaded until after the deadline and were therefore NOT considered

Application forms Sample forms on Medical Speciality Training website (www.mmc.nhs.uk) Two parts to form Part 1 not available to appointments committee Answer all questions honestly Incomplete forms will not be considered Not on MST website for all specialities e.g. surgery at present Dishonesty may result in your post being removed and/or referral to the GMC

Application Form Part 1 Personal details Eligibility to apply: Registration English language skills Right to work in UK Fitness to Practice LTFT, deferred start, disabilities etc Fitness to practice includes GMC referrals, criminal investigations etc Deferred starts will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances (I’m unsure for other specialities but for CMT it will only be for statutory reasons (maternity leave)

Application Form Part 2 Section 1: Evidence of competence and experience Section 2: Employment history Including gaps Section 3: Evidence of meeting selection criteria Note that they have to be explicit about gaps

Evidence of Selection Criteria Additional degrees Prizes Courses attended Achievements outside medicine Presentations and Publications Teaching and Audit (Meeting the person specification) (Commitment to speciality) Not all specialities have questions on the two areas in brackets

Rules for “white boxes” Read each question carefully Answer it exactly – every bit of it Be succinct; good grammar and spelling State situation, your involvement, reflect Be relevant to speciality at ST level if possible Do not plagiarise – be honest Few white boxes nowadays Write answers in word with word count on; Spell and grammar check them Anti-plagiarism software is being used; trainees who have been caught have been struck off by the GMC

Interviews For specialities other than GP Biographical (including portfolio) Be prepared to talk about anything in your portfolio Clinical scenarios Ethical scenarios Practical skills No face to face interview for GP Different for different specialities

General rules for interviews Inform own team, rota coordinators etc Arrange cover if needed Try to anticipate questions and practice Take the requested evidence with you Appropriate dress and demeanour Arrive in good time Say if you don’t understand a question Be yourself and be honest Say what you believe not what you think the interviewer wants to hear You will be told what evidence you need to bring with you e.g. certificates, passport, parts of portfolio

Process for General Practice GP Recruitment website (www.gprecruitment.org) Application form as for other specialities Machine Marked Test (MMT) Selection Assessment Centre (SAC) No interview No review of your portfolio Website gives all the most recent info

Machine Marked Tests Professional Dilemmas Clinical Problem Solving Specialities other than GP which piloted MMTs in 2009 are not using them in 2010) Example questions on the website There are courses but the evidence is that those who go on courses do less well in the real thing!!!

Selection Assessment Centres Written Prioritisation Three ten minute simulation exercises Communication with patient Communication with relative Communication with a non-medically qualified colleague Group exercise (Communication with peers) has been removed Again there are example questions on the website Group exercise removed as the behaviour of one individual (e.g. if very dominant) could adversely affect the performance of the others

Questions

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