Career options in surgery
A guide to planning your surgical career
Professional Standards and RegulationThe Royal College of Surgeons of England35–43 Lincoln’s Inn FieldsLondonWC2A 3PE
www.rcseng.ac.uk/publications/docs
The Royal College of Surgeons of England © 2008
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, no guarantee can be given that all errors and omissions have been excluded. No responsibility for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
First published 2008
Designed and typeset by The Royal College of Surgeons of EnglandPhotography by the photographic unit, The Royal College of Surgeons of EnglandPrinted by the Aldridge Print Group, Mitcham, Surrey
Career options in surgery 3
CONTENTS
Introduction 05
Section 1 Do I want to be a surgeon? 06 Whobecomesasurgeon? 06 Settingsinwhichsurgeonswork 08 Surgeons’colleagues 08 Workingoptions 09
Section 2 What kind of surgeon do I want to be? 11 Cardiothoracicsurgery 12 Generalsurgery 13 Neurosurgery 14 Oralandmaxillofacialsurgery 15 Otolaryngology 16 Paediatricsurgery 17 Plasticsurgery 18 Traumaandorthopaedicsurgery 19 Urology 20
Section 3 How do I become a surgeon? Ways to enter a surgical career 21 Trainingpathway 21 Fixedtermspecialtyappointments 23 Careergrades 23 Academicsurgery 26
Section 4 How to succeed at entering surgery 28 Howtofindtherightjobforyou 28 Howtoensureyouareeligibleforthejobyouwant 30 Howtodemonstrateyouaretherightpersonforthejob 32
Section 5 How to succeed while you are in surgery 38 Yourprofessionaldevelopment 38 Sourcesofsupport 40
4 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
Career options in surgery 5
Introduction
Surgerycanbeanidealcareerforanyonewhoissuitablytalented;therearemanyhighlysuccessfulsurgeonsfromeverybackgroundandgender.Acareerasasurgeonisanexcitingprospect:bothchallengingandextremelysatisfying.Butisittherightcareerforyou?
Thisbookletisdesignedtohelpyoumakethisdecisionandtoplanyoursurgicalcareerbyoutliningtheoptionsyoucanpursueinsurgery.Itprovidesinformationonthenatureofasurgicalcareer,outliningeachofthespecialtiesandwhattheyinvolve,aswellassuggestingwaystosucceedwhenenteringsurgeryandduringyoursurgicalcareer
Whilethisbookletisintendedprimarilyforusebythoseplanningorre-thinkingtheirsurgicalcareer,itcanbeusedasasourceofinformationatanystageinyourcareer.Thebookletissplitintosectionsthatwillenableyoutofindtheinformationyouneedateachpointofyourcareer.Thefirsttwosections,‘DoIwanttobeasurgeon?’and‘WhatkindofsurgeondoIwanttobe?’,willbeusefultoyouatthestartofyourcareerorifyouareconsideringamajorcareerchange.Thethirdandfourthsectionswillprovideyouwithinformationyouneedtoenterasurgicalcareer.Thefifthandfinalsectionwillhelpyoutomaintainyourcareerinsurgeryonceyouhavesuccessfullyenteredtheprofession.
6 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
SECTION 1: Do I want to be a surgeon?
Therearemanybenefitsyouwillgainfromacareerinsurgery:itisrewarding,offersahighlevelofjobsecurityandacomfortableincomeandyouwillconstantlybelearningnewskills.However,youwillneedtobesurethatyouaresuitedtosurgeryandthatyouwanttobeasurgeon.
Thereareanumberoftoolsthatwillhelpyouanswerthisquestion.Onceyouhaveconsideredwhatyourstrengthsandweaknessesare,youwillneedtogatherinformationaboutcareersinordertoasseswhichfitsbestwithwhatyouwant.Thissectionisdesignedtoaidyouwiththisprocess.Itwillhelptoformageneralunderstandingofwhatacareerinsurgeryentailsandwhatyourlifeasasurgeonmightbelike.Latersectionswillprovideguidanceonhowyoucantakeyourcareerforward,havingdecidedonyourplans.
Thesetopicsarethenexploredinmoredetailforeachsurgicalspecialtyinsection2.
Who becomes a surgeon?Youwillfindavastarrayofpersonalitytypeswithinsurgeryandyouwillencountermanydifferentbackgroundsandgendersaseachspecialtyholdsitownappeal.However,surgicalspecialtiesareamongthemostcompetitiveareasofmedicineintheUK.Tosucceedinsurgeryyouwillneedbothtechnicalskillsandabroadknowledgebase.Youwillalsorequiredeterminationandcarefulcareerplanning.
Thissectioncovers:
whobecomesasurgeon?settingsinwhichsurgeonsworksurgeons’colleaguesworkingoptions
>>>>
Career options in surgery �
Broadlyspeaking,asoutlinedinSelecting into Surgical Training(FPattersonandVCarr,December2007),tobeselectedintosurgeryyouwillneedtodemonstratecompetencyinthefollowing:
technicalknowledgeandclinicalexpertise(andabilitytoapplyknowledgetotheinvestigationofproblems)–eg:elicitingthenecessaryinformationfrompatients,identifyingkeyissues,knowledgeofappropriateoptions,goodhand–eyecoordination
communicationskills(abilitytoadaptbehaviourandlanguagetothesituation)–eg:clearlyexpressingideas,flexibilityincommunicationstyletosuitsituation
leadershipandteaminvolvement–eg:positivitywhendealingwithproblems,non-confrontational,abilitytonegotiateanddelegate
judgementunderpressure–eg:remainingcalmandundercontrol,abilitytocompromiseandknowingownlimitations,abilitytoseekhelpifrequired
decisionmaking–eg:abilitytojustifydecisionsflexibility,consideringallfactorsbeforereachingadecision
situationawareness(includingawarenessofandabilitytointerpret/dealwithsubtlechangesinclinicalconditions)–eg:awarenessofcostandclinicalvalueofinvestigations,abilitytoanticipateevents,awarenessofsymptomsandsignssuggestingchangestopatientscondition
problemsolving–eg:thinkingaroundanissue,abilitytoprioritisethinkingaheadandplanningfordifferentcontingencies
organisationandplanning–eg:anticipatingneedsforchangingsituations,managingtimeandresourceswell,negotiatingsolutionstocomplexandcompetingneeds
professionalintegrity–eg:respectingpatientsandcolleagues,abilitytoadmitandlearnfrommistakes,positivitywhendealingwithproblems
personalattributes(decisiveness,honesty,emotionalstability,drive,focus,empathy)
learninganddevelopment(identifyingandfulfillingyourownlearningneeds,self-reflection)–eg:abilitytoreflectandlearnfromownwork,
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
8 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
toidentifyandfillgapsinknowledge,commitmenttocontinuingprofessionaldevelopment
Throughoutyourcareer,youwillhaveopportunitiestoassessyourprogressagainstthesecriteriathrough360-degreefeedback,andotherassessmenttools,asoutlinedontheIntercollegiateSurgicalCurriculumProgramme(ISCP)websiteathttp://www.iscp.ac.uk/.
Afullerdiscussionofhowyoucandemonstrateeachoftheseattributesfollowsinthe‘howdoIbecomeasurgeon’section.
Settings in which surgeons workObviously,mostofasurgeon’sworktakesplaceinahospitalsetting,eitherintheNHSorintheprivatesector.Surgeons’timeisplannedanddividedintosessions.(Onesessionisapproximatelyhalfaday’swork.)Inadditiontoperformingoperations,surgeonsalsohavetoundertake
wardrounds,outpatientclinics,administrativeworkandteaching.Further,manysurgeonsalsoengageinadditionalprofessionalactivitiessuchasteaching,researchormedicalpolitics.Foralloftheseactivitiesyoucanexpecttotravel,bothwithintheUKandinternationally.Theproportionofasurgeon’stimetakenupwitheachoftheseactivitieswillvaryaccordingtohisorhergradeandspecialty.
Surgeons’ colleaguesWorkingwellwithbothprofessionalcolleaguesandpatientsisessentialforsurgeons.Allsurgeonscanexpecttoworkcloselywithnurses,therapists,othersurgeons(lessandmoresenior),anaesthetists,radiologists,pathologists,referringdoctors(egGPs),administrativestaffandmanyothers.
Career options in surgery �
Eachofthesecolleaguesperformsanessentialroleintheeventualaimofaidingthepatient’streatmentandthesurgeon,whateverhisorhergrade,willberequiredtoformfunctioningworkingrelationshipswithinamultidisciplinaryenvironment.
Working optionsThetrainingpathwaywilltakesurgeonsthroughavarietyoftraininggradestoaneventualpostasaconsultantsurgeon.Currently,thisinvolvesfoundationtrainingfortwoyearsinavarietyofmedicalspecialties,followedbycompetitiveentryintocoretraininginsurgery.Thiswillinvolvemanysurgicalspecialtiesbutmaybethemedtowardsaparticularspecialtyinwhichyouwilleventuallyspecialise.Thisisfollowedbyapproximatelysixyearsinspecialtytraining.WhenyouhavecompletedthisyouwillbeawardedaCertificateofCompletionofTraining(CCT)andcanapplyforconsultantpostsoryoumayundertakefurthertrainingorafellowship.
Inadditiontothistrainingpathway,therearemanyotherwaysinwhichyoucanpractiseasasurgeon.Indeed,thetrainingpathwaywillnotappealtoallaspiringsurgeonsandtheoptionsoutlinedbelowmaybemoresuitabletobothyourlifestyleandcapabilities.
Career grade surgeonsCareergradesurgeonsnormallyworkwithintheNHSandperformavarietyofroleswithinthesurgicalteam.Theyarenotengagedinaformaltrainingprogrammealthoughtheyshouldexpecttraininganddevelopmentaspartoftheirworkinglives.Youcanenteracareergradepostatanumberofpointsalongyourcareer.Youarelikelytoneedaspecialtyqualificationofsomekind(suchasmembershipofaroyalcollege)andtohavecompletedatleasttwoyears’trainingafterthefoundationyears.Youwillfindmoredetailaboutthisinsection3.
Thedutiesofacareergradesurgeonwillvaryaccordingtotheconditionsunderwhichheorshewasemployed.However,nearlyallwillundertakeclinicsandperformoperationsunderthesupervisionofaconsultant.Thelevelofthissupervisionvariesbutmanyreachalevel
10 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
wheretheyworkwithverylimitedsupervision.Indeed,itisnowpossibleforcareergradesurgeonstoapplyforentrytothespecialistregister.Careergradepostsaregivenoneofmanytitles,whichmayincludestaffgrade,specialtydoctor,hospitaldoctorandTrustdoctor.
Thebenefitsofthiskindofpostareoftenrelatedtoflexibility;youmayhaveamorepredictablescheduleandfeweron-callduties.
Academic surgery (http://www.nccrcd.nhs.uk/)Academiccareerswillappealtothosesurgeonswhoareinterestedinresearchandthedevelopmentofnewtreatmentsaswellaspractisingsurgeryinaclinicalsetting.Youcanenteracademicsurgeryfollowingyourfoundationjobsorlaterinyourcareer.Topursuethiskindofcareer,youwillhavetobefullycommittedtoacareerinacademicsurgery.Youwillfindmoreinformationaboutthisinsection3.
Flexible working (less than full time)Youcanapplytoundertakeanyofyourtrainingonalessthanfull-timebasisifyourcircumstancesfulfiltherequriements.Itwillobviouslyimpactonthenumberofyearsyouspendintrainingifyoudecidetotrainonaflexiblebasis.Ifyouarenotintraining,thereareamanyoptionsyoucanrequestfromyouremployertoreduceorrearrangeyourworkinghours(egterm-timeworking,annualisedcontract).Totrainflexiblyyoumustworkatleast60%offull-timehours.Limitingtotalworkinghoursto48perweek,theEuropeanWorkingTimeDirectivealreadyappliestoconsultantsandcareergradedoctorsandwillapplytodoctorsintrainingfrom2009.
Career options in surgery 11
SECTION 2: What kind of surgeon do I want to be?
Thereareninerecognisedspecialtieswithinsurgery,eachofwhichwillprovideyouwithdifferentchallengesandrewardsthroughoutyourcareer:
cardiothoracicsurgerygeneralsurgeryneurosurgeryoralandmaxillofacialsurgeryotolaryngology(ENT)paediatricsurgeryplasticsurgerytraumaandorthopaedicsurgeryurology
Therearesomefactorsthatarecommontoallspecialties.Forexample,inallspecialtiesyoucanexpecttoundertakesometeaching,researchandmanagement.However,therearealsodifferencesbetweenthespecialties.Thissectioncoverseachoftheseninespecialties:thetypeofworkinvolved,workingconditions(oncall,emergencywork,clinics,
administration,etc),workingoptionsandhowcompetitivethespecialtyis.Asyoubecomemoreadeptinyourchosenspecialty,youwillhavetheopportunitytosub-specialisefurther.Thissectionalsooutlinessomeofmainareasofsub-specialisationwithinsurgery.
>>>>>>>>>
12 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
Wor
king
con
diti
ons
Alt
erna
tive
wor
king
opt
ions
Com
peti
tion
Clin
ical
tim
eis
gene
rally
spl
itev
enly
be
twee
nop
erat
ing,
outp
atie
ntw
ork,
time
spen
tw
ithp
atie
nts
and
fam
ilies,
and
adm
inist
ratio
n.A
lot
oft
ime
issp
ent
inin
tens
ive
care
and
hig
hde
pend
ency
uni
ts.M
ost
wor
kis
elec
tive
(pre
-boo
ked,
non
-em
erge
ncy)
bu
tth
ere
isso
me
emer
genc
you
t-of
-ho
urs
wor
k.H
eart
tra
nspl
ant
surg
ery
invo
lves
long
,dem
andi
ngs
urge
ry,
ofte
nat
nig
ht.T
here
isa
rel
ativ
ely
low
vol
ume
ofp
atie
nts
but
you
will
cont
inue
to
see
them
for
alo
ng
perio
dof
tim
e.C
ardi
otho
raci
csu
rger
yin
volv
esle
sse
mer
genc
yw
ork
than
ge
nera
lor
orth
opae
dic
surg
ery.
Ther
eis
scop
efo
rre
sear
cha
nd
acad
emic
act
iviti
es.
Car
diol
ogist
sno
wt
reat
som
eco
nditi
ons
prev
ious
lyt
reat
ed
bys
urge
ons,
mea
ning
few
er
card
ioth
orac
ics
urge
ons
are
requ
ired.
It
ispr
ojec
ted
that
the
rem
ayb
ea
shor
tage
ofc
onsu
ltant
pos
tsfo
rfu
ture
tr
aine
es.I
n20
07t
here
wer
e31
9ap
plic
atio
nsfo
ron
ly6
car
diot
hora
cic
surg
ery
post
sat
ST3
leve
l.*
Car
diot
hora
cic
surg
ery
Dea
lsw
ithil
lnes
ses
oft
heh
eart
,lung
s,oe
soph
agus
and
che
st.T
hese
incl
ude:
car
diac
sur
gery
(he
art
and
grea
tve
ssel
s),
thor
acic
sur
gery
(or
gans
with
int
het
hora
x,e
xclu
ding
the
hea
rt),
tran
spla
ntat
ion
and
hear
tfa
ilure
sur
gery
,oes
opha
geal
su
rger
yan
dco
ngen
itals
urge
ryin
adu
ltsa
ndc
hild
ren.
Pro
cedu
res
tend
to
bem
ajor
and
ofte
nco
mpl
ex.
With
inc
ardi
acs
urge
ry,t
hem
ost
com
mon
ope
ratio
nsa
rec
oron
ary
arte
ryb
ypas
sgr
aftin
gan
dva
lve
oper
atio
ns.
Int
hora
cic
surg
ery,
the
mos
tco
mm
ono
pera
tions
are
lobe
ctom
yor
pne
umon
ecto
my
for
carc
inom
aof
the
lung
.
*M
oder
nisin
gM
edic
alC
aree
rs:P
osts
,App
licat
ions
an
dSh
ortli
stin
gIn
form
atio
n–
sum
mar
yta
bles
:ht
tp://
ww
w.m
mc.
nhs.u
k/
Career options in surgery 13
Wor
king
con
diti
ons
Alt
erna
tive
wor
king
opt
ions
Com
peti
tion
Ar
elat
ivel
yhi
ghp
ropo
rtio
nof
em
erge
ncy
wor
k.
Vasc
ular
sur
gery
has
ah
igh
volu
me
ofu
rgen
tan
dem
erge
ncy
adm
issio
ns.
Man
yva
scul
ars
urge
ons
still
have
ac
ute
gene
rals
urgi
calc
omm
itmen
ts.
Larg
ert
each
ing
hosp
itals
have
pur
eva
scul
ars
peci
alist
s.
Col
orec
tals
urge
ryh
asa
hea
vy
wor
kloa
das
man
ypa
tient
ssu
ffer
from
larg
ebo
wel
can
cer
and
pres
ent
ase
mer
genc
ies
requ
iring
urg
ent
trea
tmen
t.Br
east
sur
gery
has
less
on
-cal
lcom
mitm
ent
asm
ost
wor
kis
elec
tive.
How
ever
,clin
ics
can
beb
usy.
You
can
choo
seh
ows
peci
alise
dto
be
com
e.S
ome
smal
ler
hosp
itals
need
ge
nera
llyt
rain
eds
urge
ons
com
pete
nt
int
hem
anag
emen
tof
the
com
mon
co
nditi
ons
oft
heG
Itra
ct.
Milit
ary
surg
ery
invo
lves
pro
vidi
ng
non-
orth
opae
dic
trau
ma
serv
ice.
Mos
tm
ilitar
ysu
rgeo
nsm
aint
ain
afu
llra
nge
ofg
ener
als
urgi
cals
kills
as
aco
nsul
tant
G
Ior
vasc
ular
sur
geon
.
Rem
ote
and
rura
lsur
gery
isr
equi
red
ina
reas
(of
ten
outs
ide
the
UK)
whe
re
ther
eis
grea
tge
ogra
phic
ald
istan
ce
betw
een
citie
s.G
ener
als
urge
ons
in
such
are
asr
equi
rea
wid
era
nge
of
com
pete
ncie
s,in
clud
ing
som
efro
m
othe
rsu
rgic
als
peci
altie
s.
In2
007
ther
ew
ere
roug
hly
20
appl
icat
ions
for
each
ST3
pos
t,m
akin
git
the
third
mos
tco
mpe
titiv
esp
ecia
lty
att
his
leve
l.*
Gen
eral
sur
gery
Ala
rge
spec
ialty
con
tain
ing
man
ysu
b-sp
ecia
lties
incl
udin
g:br
east
,col
orec
tal,e
ndoc
rine,
upp
era
ndlo
wer
gas
troi
ntes
tinal
(G
I),t
rans
plan
t(o
fkid
ney,
liver
,pan
crea
s)a
ndv
ascu
lar.
Lapa
rosc
opic
sur
gery
may
also
be
prac
tised
as
asu
b-sp
ecia
ltya
nd
isus
eda
cros
sal
lgen
eral
sur
gery
.Mos
tem
erge
ncy
gene
rals
urge
ryp
atie
nts
suffe
rfro
ma
cute
con
ditio
nso
fthe
abd
omen
.H
owev
er,o
ther
con
ditio
ns,in
clud
ing
trau
ma,
requ
irea
hol
istic
app
roac
han
da
wid
era
nge
ofs
kills
and
exp
erie
nce
that
m
ayin
volv
ew
orki
ngw
ithc
olle
ague
sfro
md
iffer
ent
spec
ialty
are
as.
*M
oder
nisin
gM
edic
alC
aree
rs:P
osts
,App
licat
ions
an
dSh
ortli
stin
gIn
form
atio
n–
sum
mar
yta
bles
:ht
tp://
ww
w.m
mc.
nhs.u
k/
14 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
Wor
king
con
diti
ons
Alt
erna
tive
wor
king
opt
ions
Com
peti
tion
Emer
genc
yw
ork
acco
unts
for
mor
eth
an5
0%o
fneu
rosu
rgic
alc
asel
oad,
w
ithm
uch
oft
his
bein
gtr
aum
a.O
n-ca
llw
ork
can
bein
tens
ive
with
out
-of-
hour
sem
erge
ncy
oper
atin
g.
Mos
tco
nsul
tant
neu
rosu
rgeo
nss
pend
4–
5se
ssio
nsin
the
ope
ratin
gth
eatr
epe
rw
eek.
The
rem
aind
ero
fthe
irtim
eis
spen
ton
pre
-an
dpo
st-o
pera
tive
war
dca
re,o
utpa
tient
clin
ics,
teac
hing
an
dot
her
adm
inist
rativ
edu
ties.
Ther
ear
ene
uros
urge
ryu
nits
inm
ost
maj
orc
ities
but
you
may
be
limite
din
w
here
you
wor
kou
tsid
eth
ese.
Entr
yto
neu
rosu
rger
ytr
aini
ng
isvi
aco
ren
euro
scie
nce
trai
ning
.N
euro
surg
ery
trai
ning
follo
ws
dire
ctly
from
thi
s,w
ithn
oad
ditio
nal
recr
uitm
ent
stag
eat
ST3
leve
l.In
2007
ne
uros
urge
ryh
adt
ena
pplic
ants
per
po
sta
tST
3le
vel,* f
ewer
tha
not
her
surg
ical
spe
cial
ties.
Neu
rosu
rger
yIn
volv
est
heb
rain
,cen
tral
ner
vous
sys
tem
and
spi
nalc
ord.
Itc
over
sal
lasp
ects
ofb
rain
sur
gery
,fro
mp
re-o
pera
tive
imag
ing
tor
emov
alo
ftum
ours
.
You
may
focu
son
:pae
diat
ricn
euro
surg
ery,
neur
o-on
colo
gy(
trea
ting
canc
ero
fthe
bra
in),
func
tiona
lneu
rosu
rger
y(s
urgi
calm
anag
emen
tof
aw
ide
rang
eof
neu
rolo
gica
lpro
blem
s,in
clud
ing
intr
acta
ble
pain
,epi
leps
yan
dm
ovem
ent
diso
rder
s),t
raum
atol
ogy,
neur
ovas
cula
rsu
rger
y,sk
ull-b
ase
surg
ery
ors
pina
lsur
gery
.
Spin
als
urge
ryis
the
larg
est
sub-
spec
ialty
,acc
ount
ing
for
mor
eth
an5
0%o
fthe
ope
rativ
ew
orkl
oad
ofs
ome
depa
rtm
ents
.It
ispo
ssib
let
opr
actis
esp
inal
sur
gery
exc
lusiv
ely.
Paed
iatr
icn
euro
surg
ery
acco
unts
for
10–1
5%o
fall
neur
osur
gica
lact
ivity
.
*M
oder
nisin
gM
edic
alC
aree
rs:P
osts
,App
licat
ions
an
dSh
ortli
stin
gIn
form
atio
n–
sum
mar
yta
bles
:ht
tp://
ww
w.m
mc.
nhs.u
k/
Career options in surgery 15
Wor
king
con
diti
ons
Alt
erna
tive
wor
king
opt
ions
Com
peti
tion
Rela
tivel
ylo
wo
n-ca
llco
mm
itmen
tco
mpa
red
too
ther
sur
gica
lspe
cial
ties.
Larg
evo
lum
eof
tra
uma
case
s.M
ost
time
issp
ent
inc
linic
sor
ope
ratin
g.Re
mai
ning
tim
eis
spen
tte
achi
ng,
doin
gad
min
istra
tion
oro
nca
ll.
Toe
nter
the
tra
inin
gpa
thw
ay,y
ou
mus
tha
veb
oth
am
edic
ald
egre
ean
da
dent
ald
egre
e.H
owev
er,y
ouc
an
wor
kas
an
oral
sur
geon
with
as
ingl
equ
alifi
catio
n;t
here
are
cur
rent
lya
nu
mbe
rof
sta
ffgr
ade
surg
eons
who
ha
vep
ursu
edt
his
rout
e.
Cur
rent
ly,e
ntry
to
entr
yto
OM
FS
trai
ning
isv
iao
ney
ear
core
tra
inin
gin
ST1
,with
OM
FSs
peci
alty
tra
inin
gbe
ginn
ing
atS
T2le
vel.T
here
are
few
er
peop
leq
ualifi
edt
oen
ter
this
spec
ialty
as
dua
lqua
lifica
tion
isre
quire
d.
How
ever
,the
rew
ere
93a
pplic
ants
for
20S
T2p
osts
in2
007.
*
Ora
l and
max
illof
acia
l sur
gery
(O
MFS
)W
orks
on
the
faci
alb
ones
,fac
ean
dne
ck.P
roce
dure
sra
nge
from
min
ors
urge
ryt
oco
mpl
exm
ajor
hea
dan
dne
ck
surg
ery.
Uni
quel
y,O
MFS
invo
lves
sur
gery
on
both
har
dan
dso
fttis
sue.
Spe
cial
ista
reas
incl
ude:
hea
dan
dne
cko
ncol
ogy,
adul
tfa
cial
def
orm
ity,o
rtho
gnat
hic
surg
ery,
clef
tsu
rger
yan
dfa
cial
tra
uma
man
agem
ent.
*M
oder
nisin
gM
edic
alC
aree
rs:P
osts
,App
licat
ions
an
dSh
ortli
stin
gIn
form
atio
n–
sum
mar
yta
bles
:ht
tp://
ww
w.m
mc.
nhs.u
k/
16 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
Wor
king
con
diti
ons
Alt
erna
tive
wor
king
opt
ions
Com
peti
tion
As
igni
fican
tam
ount
ofw
ork
ispe
rform
edin
dia
gnos
isan
d70
%o
fot
olar
yngo
logy
pra
ctic
eis
outp
atie
nt
with
ad
ay-c
ase
base
.The
reis
a
signi
fican
tm
edic
ale
lem
ent
toE
NT.
Elec
tive
surg
ical
ses
sions
are
like
ly
toin
volv
eno
mor
eth
ant
wo
days
a
wee
k.Em
erge
ncy
wor
kis
light
but
is
ofte
ndr
amat
icw
hen
airw
ays
peci
alist
sar
ere
quire
d.
ENT
has
little
em
erge
ncy
wor
kso
m
ayb
ew
ells
uite
dto
flex
ible
wor
king
.EN
Tis
one
oft
hem
ore
com
petit
ive
spec
ialti
esa
ndh
ada
ppro
xim
atel
y20
ap
plic
atio
nsp
erp
ost
atS
T3le
veli
n20
07.* T
here
isc
urre
ntly
as
hort
age
of
seni
orp
osts
.
Oto
lary
ngol
ogy
(EN
T: e
ar, n
ose
and
thro
at)
Incl
udes
all
aspe
cts
oft
heh
ead
and
neck
reg
ion,
sku
llba
sea
ndfa
cial
pla
stic
sur
gery
.Spe
cial
ista
reas
incl
ude:
pae
diat
ric
ENT,
head
and
nec
k,vo
ice
and
com
plex
airw
ay,o
tolo
gy(
ear)
and
rhi
nolo
gy(
nose
).EN
Tm
anag
ess
urgi
cala
ndm
edic
al
diso
rder
san
din
volv
esm
any
paed
iatr
icc
ases
.
*M
oder
nisin
gM
edic
alC
aree
rs:P
osts
,App
licat
ions
an
dSh
ortli
stin
gIn
form
atio
n–
sum
mar
yta
bles
:ht
tp://
ww
w.m
mc.
nhs.u
k/
Career options in surgery 1�
Wor
king
con
diti
ons
Alt
erna
tive
wor
king
opt
ions
Com
peti
tion
Itis
likel
yth
aty
ouw
illha
vea
co
mm
itmen
tto
an
emer
genc
yw
orkl
oad
alth
ough
the
nat
ure
of
itsd
eliv
ery
will
vary
bet
wee
nun
its.
Ala
rge
prop
ortio
nof
the
clin
ical
w
orkl
oad
com
prise
sda
y-ca
ses
urge
ry.
Paed
iatr
ics
urge
ryh
asa
low
leve
lof
em
erge
ncy
wor
kso
may
be
wel
lsu
ited
tofl
exib
lew
orki
ng.T
here
ar
efe
wc
entr
est
hat
spec
ialis
ein
pa
edia
tric
sur
gery
so
you
may
be
limite
din
you
rge
ogra
phic
allo
catio
n.
Ifyo
uar
ein
tere
sted
inb
oth
paed
iatr
ic
surg
ery
and
anot
her
spec
ialty
,you
m
ayt
rain
int
heo
ther
spe
cial
tya
nd
spec
ialis
ein
pae
diat
ricc
ases
.
This
isa
rela
tivel
ysm
alls
peci
alty
.In
2007
the
rew
ere
16a
pplic
atio
nsp
er
ST3
post
.
Paed
iatr
ic s
urge
ryTh
esu
rgic
alt
reat
men
tof
dise
ases
,tra
uma
and
mal
form
atio
nso
fchi
ldho
ody
ears
(fo
etal
per
iod
tot
eena
gey
ears
).
Spec
ialis
tar
eas
incl
ude:
neo
nata
lsur
gery
,uro
logi
cals
urge
ry,h
epat
obilia
rys
urge
ry,G
Isur
gery
and
onc
olog
ical
sur
gery
.
Paed
iatr
ics
urge
ons
perfo
rm1
1%o
fall
oper
atio
nso
nch
ildre
n.T
her
emai
ning
ope
ratio
nsa
rep
erfo
rmed
mai
nly
by
surg
eons
from
oth
ers
peci
altie
sw
hoh
ave
anin
tere
stin
pae
diat
ricc
ondi
tions
.
18 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
Wor
king
con
diti
ons
Alt
erna
tive
wor
king
opt
ions
Com
peti
tion
Muc
hof
the
wor
kloa
din
volv
esd
ealin
gw
ithu
rgen
tor
em
erge
ncy
case
s.Th
ere
isa
busy
on-
call
com
mitm
ent.
Mos
tou
t-of
-hou
rsw
ork
invo
lves
bu
rns
inju
rya
ndt
het
reat
men
tof
se
vere
faci
al,h
and
and
low
erli
mb
inju
ries.
UK
plas
tics
urge
ons
have
as
tron
gtr
aditi
ono
ftra
vellin
gab
road
,in
clud
ing
wor
kin
disa
ster
zon
es
help
ing
tot
ackl
ela
rge
dem
ands
for
reco
nstr
uctiv
ew
ork.
An
incr
easin
gnu
mbe
rof
tra
inee
sco
mpl
ete
aco
smet
icfe
llow
ship
fo
llow
ing
CC
T.Th
ism
ayb
ecom
eco
mpu
lsory
ina
bid
to
ensu
ret
hat
cosm
etic
sur
gery
isc
arrie
dou
tby
ap
prop
riate
lyt
rain
edin
divi
dual
s.
Plas
tics
urge
ryis
gen
eral
lyc
onsid
ered
to
be
one
oft
hem
ost
com
petit
ive
area
sof
sur
gery
.It
isa
rela
tivel
ysm
alls
peci
alty
with
lim
ited
trai
ning
op
port
uniti
es.I
n20
07t
here
wer
e18
app
licat
ions
per
ST3
pos
t.
Pla
stic
sur
gery
Invo
lves
the
res
tora
tion
ofn
orm
alfo
rma
ndfu
nctio
n;8
0%o
fall
plas
tics
urge
ryis
rec
onst
ruct
ive.
Urg
ent
and
emer
genc
yw
ork
may
incl
ude:
han
dtr
aum
a,bu
rns
and
scal
ds,a
nds
oft
tissu
ein
jurie
sin
volv
ing
face
,tru
nko
rlim
bs.
Elec
tive
case
sm
ayin
clud
e:r
econ
stru
ctiv
esu
rger
yfo
rco
ngen
itala
nda
cqui
red
abno
rmal
ities
,cle
ftlip
and
pal
ate
and
othe
rfa
cial
def
orm
ities
,bre
ast
reco
nstr
uctio
n,r
educ
tion
and
augm
enta
tion,
or
hand
and
upp
erli
mb
surg
ery.
Career options in surgery 1�
Wor
king
con
diti
ons
Alt
erna
tive
wor
king
opt
ions
Com
peti
tion
Mos
tco
nsul
tant
sco
ntrib
ute
toa
nem
erge
ncy
trau
ma
wor
kloa
dde
alin
gw
ithin
jure
dpa
tient
sad
mitt
ed
thro
ugh
thei
rA&
Ede
part
men
ts.
Trau
ma
wor
kca
nbe
late
nig
hta
nd
ther
eis
are
lativ
ely
dem
andi
ngo
n-ca
llco
mm
itmen
t.It
isa
very
phy
sical
sp
ecia
ltyb
utu
ses
man
ysp
ecia
list
tool
sth
atr
educ
eth
ene
edfo
rex
cess
ive
forc
e.O
rtho
paed
icc
onsu
ltant
sop
erat
ear
ound
40%
oft
het
ime,
with
th
ere
std
ivid
edb
etw
een
clin
ics,
war
dw
ork
and
on-c
allc
omm
itmen
ts.
Con
sider
able
opp
ortu
nitie
sfo
rre
sear
cha
nds
ub-s
peci
alisa
tion.
Trau
ma
and
orth
opae
dics
iso
ne
oft
hem
ost
com
petit
ive
area
sof
su
rger
yas
wel
las
bein
gon
eof
the
la
rges
tsp
ecia
lties
.In
2007
the
rew
ere
23a
pplic
ants
per
ST3
pos
t.
Trau
ma
and
orth
opae
dic
surg
ery
Wor
kso
nbo
nes,
join
tsa
ndt
heir
asso
ciat
eds
oft
tissu
es,in
clud
ing
ligam
ents
,ner
ves
and
mus
cles
.Tra
uma
wor
kin
volv
es
frac
ture
san
dot
her
inju
ries.
Spec
ialis
tar
eas
incl
ude:
low
erli
mb
join
tre
cons
truc
tion,
hip
or
knee
,ank
lea
ndfo
ot,u
pper
lim
b(s
houl
der
and
elbo
wo
rha
nds)
,spi
ne,b
one
tum
ours
,pae
diat
rico
rtho
paed
ics,
rheu
mat
oid
surg
ery,
and
spor
tsa
nde
xerc
ises
urge
ry.
20 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
Wor
king
con
diti
ons
Alt
erna
tive
wor
king
opt
ions
Com
peti
tion
Uro
logi
cals
urge
ons
unde
rtak
e3–
4op
erat
ing
sess
ions
aw
eek,
incl
udin
gda
y-ca
ses
urge
ry.T
hey
also
und
erta
ke
outp
atie
ntc
linic
san
d(p
ossib
ly)
spec
ial
clin
ics,
man
agem
ent/
adm
inist
ratio
n,
teac
hing
and
res
earc
h.
Uro
logy
tre
ats
aw
ide
rang
eof
di
seas
esa
ndu
ses
ava
riety
of
oper
atin
gte
chni
ques
,incl
udin
gop
en
surg
ery,
lapa
rosc
opy
and
robo
tic
surg
ery.
Uro
logy
on
call
isus
ually
not
ard
uous
an
din
sm
alle
run
itsit
isin
crea
singl
yco
mm
ont
ocr
oss-
cove
rw
ith
neig
hbou
ring
hosp
itals
tor
educ
eth
eon
-cal
lfre
quen
cy.
Uro
logi
cals
urge
ons
have
man
yop
port
uniti
esfo
rw
orki
nga
cros
ssp
ecia
lties
,suc
has
with
gyn
aeco
logi
cal
and
colo
rect
als
urge
ons.
‘Offi
ceu
rolo
gy’,i
sa
deve
lopi
ngfi
eld.
Th
isin
volv
esw
ork
inc
linic
san
dda
y-ca
sep
roce
dure
s,w
ithm
uch
use
of
endo
scop
ybu
tno
ope
nth
eatr
eca
ses.
Ther
eha
sbe
ena
rec
ent
expa
nsio
nof
th
esp
ecia
lty.H
owev
er,in
200
7th
ere
wer
eap
prox
imat
ely
18a
pplic
atio
ns
per
post
at
ST3
leve
l.*
Uro
logy
Dea
lsw
itht
heu
roge
nita
lsys
tem
:kid
ney,
blad
der
and
urin
ary
prob
lem
s,as
wel
las
men
’sse
xual
and
rep
rodu
ctiv
ehe
alth
.Thi
sin
clud
esd
iseas
eso
fthe
kid
ney,
urin
ary
trac
tst
ones
,can
cer
(pro
stat
e,b
ladd
er,t
estic
lea
ndk
idne
y),p
rost
ate,
in
cont
inen
ce,e
rect
iled
ysfu
nctio
n,e
tc.S
ome
time
issp
ent
man
agin
gch
roni
cco
nditi
ons.
Inve
stig
atin
gan
dtr
eatin
gpa
tient
sw
ithp
rost
ate
sym
ptom
sor
bla
dder
can
cer
take
sup
ala
rge
amou
nto
fau
rolo
gist
’stim
e.
Spec
ialis
tar
eas
incl
ude:
com
plex
pel
vic
surg
ery,
uro-
gyna
ecol
ogy,
andr
olog
yan
dpa
edia
tric
uro
logy
.
*M
oder
nisin
gM
edic
alC
aree
rs:P
osts
,App
licat
ions
an
dSh
ortli
stin
gIn
form
atio
n–
sum
mar
yta
bles
:ht
tp://
ww
w.m
mc.
nhs.u
k/
Career options in surgery 21
SECTION 3: How do I become a surgeon? Ways to enter a surgical career
Onceyouhavedecidedthatyouwanttopursueacareerinsurgery,youwillneedtogoaboutplanninghowyoucanachievethis.Asallspecialtiesinsurgeryarehighlycompetitive,itiswisetobeawareofallofyouroptionsandallofthewaysinwhichyoucanpractisesurgery.
Thissectioncoverssomeofthewaysinwhichyoucanenterandfollowasurgicalcareer,specifically:
thetrainingpathwayfixedtermspecialtytrainingappointmentscareergrades(egspecialtydoctorandstaffgradepositions)academicsurgery
Training pathwayThetrainingpathwayisthemostdirectroutethroughsurgicaltraining.Followingeachstageoftraining,particularlyintheearlyyears,youwillneedtobeselectedintothenextstage.Ifyouareunsuccessfulattheseselectionsordecidethatanalternativeroutewouldsuityoubetter,thereareotheroptionsyoucantakeup.Theseareoutlinedlaterinthissection.Itisimportantthatyoumakecontingencyplansthroughoutyourcareersothatyouarepreparedfortheunexpected.
>>>>
22 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
Medical schoolEntry methodPre-requisites
DurationExaminationOn completion
Applicationandinterview;possiblyexaminationAtleastthreeverygoodAlevelsinrelevantsubjects,goodGCSEresults5–6yearsMBBS,MBChBProvisionalregistrationwiththeGMC
Foundation programme (F1 and F2)*
Entry methodPre-requisitesDurationExaminationOn completion
Onlineapplication(ranked)ProvisionalregistrationwiththeGMC2yearsN/A(cantakepartsofMRCS)FullregistrationwiththeGMC
Core training (CT1 and CT2)†
Entry methodPre-requisitesDurationExaminationOn completion
Applicationformandselectioncentre/interviewFullregistrationwiththeGMC2yearsMRCSN/A
Specialty training (ST3 upwards)†
Entry methodPre-requisites
DurationExaminationOn completion
Applicationformandselectioncentre/interviewMRCSexaminationSuccessfulcompletionofcoretrainingEvidenceofcommitmenttoasurgicalcareerusually6years(dependsonspecialty)Intercollegiatespecialtyexamination(FRCS)CertificateofCompletionofTraining(CCT)
Senior medical appointment (eg post-CCT training, consultant position, etc)
*Fu
llde
tails
ava
ilabl
efro
mt
hefo
unda
tion
prog
ram
me
(htt
p://w
ww
.foun
datio
npro
gram
me.
nhs.u
k/)
†Fu
llde
tails
ofp
re-r
equi
sites
ava
ilabl
efro
mM
MC
per
son
spec
ifica
tions
(ht
tp://
ww
w.m
mc.
nhs.u
k/)
Career options in surgery 23
ExceptionsNeurosurgeryandoralandmaxillofacialsurgerydonotfollowthispathway.Neurosurgeryrecruitsinitiallyintocoreneurosciencetrainingafterthefoundationprogramme.Thereisnoselectionbetweenthiscoreneurosciencetrainingandneurosurgeryspecialtytraining.
OralandmaxillofacialsurgeryrecruitsdirectlyintospecialtytrainingfollowingCT1,thereisnoadditionalselectionintoST3.
Fixed term specialty training appointmentsFixedtermspecialtytrainingappointments(FTSTAs)arenormallyavailableatCT1andCT2levelandwhichwillprovideyouwitheducationallyapprovedtraining.Eachpostislimitedtoaperiodof12monthsandyoumayonlyundertakeamaximumoftwooftheseposts.
FTSTAsprovideanexcellentwaytoimproveyourportfolioandskillseitherinordertopursueacareeratahigherlevel,forexampleinacareergradepost,orwhilepreparingtoapplyfortraininginthenextrecruitmentround.
Becausethesepostsarestrictlytimelimited,youmustbesuretoplancarefullywhatyouwishtogainfromthemandwhatyournextstepswillbe.
Career grades (eg specialty doctor and staff grade positions)Thereareanumberofcareergradeposts;itislikelythatinthefuturethemostcommonofthesewillbethespecialtydoctor,whichisanewtypeofpostthatwasdevisedinspring2008.
Thegroupofcareergradepostscomprisesstaffgrades,associatespecialists,clinicalassistants,hospitalpractitionersandothernon-standard,non-trainingTrustgrades.ThesesurgeonsworkinkeyserviceroleswithintheNHSandcarry
24 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
outawiderangeofsurgicalcare,ontheward,intheoutpatientclinicandintheoperatingtheatre.
Youcanenterthesepostsatalmostanypointinyourcareerwhenyoudecidetoleavethetrainingpathway.(Obviously,thiswillbesubjecttosuccessfullynavigatingtheapplicationprocess.)However,itwillbeeasiertopursueafulfillingcareerthatincludestrainingandprogressionifyoucompletesomeofyourtrainingbeforeleavingthetrainingpathway.
Specialtydoctorpostswillallowyoutoprogressthroughthegradeandyouwillbeexpectedtotakepartinregularappraisals.Youwillalsotakepartinjobplanningthatwillensureyouaregiventheopportunitytodevelopyourskillsandknowledgetoassistyourprogressionthroughthegrade.
Entry requirementsTheminimumentryrequirementsforspecialtydoctorpostsare:
fullGeneralMedicalCouncil(GMC)registrationminimumoffouryears’postgraduatetraining(twoyearsofwhichmustbeintherelevantspecialty)
Working conditionsLikeallsurgeons,youwillworkinahospitalsettingwithcolleaguesacrossmanydisciplinesandspecialties.Thelevelofsupervisiontowhichyouaresubjectwillvarydependinguponyourprogressionandsenioritywithinthegrade.
Forfull-timespecialtydoctors,theworkingweekwillnormallybe40hours,comprising10programmedactivities(sessions)of4hourseach.Mostofthesewillbededicatedtoclinicalwork(includingadministration)andatleastoneofthesesessionsmustbeforsupportingactivities(egcontinuingprofessionaldevelopment).Youwillbepaidextraifyouare
>>
Career options in surgery 25
expectedtoworkoutsidecorehours(7am–7pm)andforanyon-calldutiesyouundertake.
Unlikepostsonthepathway,whicharetimelimitedandrequirefrequentmovestodifferenthospitals,specialtydoctorshaveapermanentcontractinonelocation.Thisallowsgreaterstabilityinyourhomelife,anabilitytoundertakelong-termprojectsandadeeperknowledgeofindividual(long-term)patients.
Development and progressionThecontractforspecialtydoctorsmakesitclearthattheymustbebothallowedandencouragedtoplantheirjobandundertakeappraisalwhilebuildingaportfolioofworkimprovingtheirskillsandknowledgebase.
Whiledevelopingthisportfolioofexperience,youwillbeabletoparticipateinsupportingprofessionalactivitiessuchas:
formalteachingcontinuingprofessionaldevelopmentappraisalresearchauditworkwithaprofessionalbody(suchasaroyalcollegeortheBritishMedicalAssociation)management
Whenyouhavereachedthetopofthespecialtydoctorgrade,youwillhaveahighlevelofexpertiseandspecialistknowledge.Youwillalsohavetheabilityandopportunitytoworkindependentlyasagreedwiththeorganisationinwhichyouwork.
Shouldyouwishtore-enterthetrainingpathwayatalaterpointinyourcareer,thereareopportunitiesforyouforapplytopostswithinthisstructurealthough,ofcourse,youwillhavetopossessallthenecessaryskillsandqualificationsandcompeteforpostsfairlyinthenormalmanner.Ifyouareeligible,youwillbeallowedtoapplyfortrainingpostsbutshouldrememberthatcompetitionwillbefierce.
>>>>>>
>
26 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
Alternatively,ifyoucontinueinacareergradepostuntilyouhavereachedalevelequivalenttothatofanewCCTholder,youcanapplyforentrytothespecialistregisterviaarticle14oftheGeneralandSpecialistMedicalPractice(Education,TrainingandQualifications)Order2003.Ifsuccessful,thisprocesswillawardyouaCertificateofEligibilityforSpecialistRegistration(CESR),whichisequivalenttotheCCT.
Academic surgeryAcademicsurgeryinvolvessomeclinicalworkaswellassomeresearchorteachinginahighereducationsetting.Topursuethistrainingpathway,youshouldbecommittedtoboththeclinicalaspectofthejobandtheresearch.Approvedacademicposts(academicclinicalfellowshipsandclinicallectureships)arerelativelyfewinnumber.Tosucceedinobtainingoneoftheseposts,youwillneedtohavedemonstratedexcellence(orthepotentialforexcellence)inacademicmedicineaswellasinyourclinicalabilities.Youshouldnotexpecttopursuethiscareerasaneasieroptionthanthetrainingpathway.
Entry requirementsEarlyinyourcareer(normallydirectlyfollowingthefoundationprogramme)youcanapplyforanacademicclinicalfellowship(ACF).ThisisaspecialtytrainingprogrammeandwilleventuallyleadtotheawardoftheCCT(assumingyoucompletetherestofyourtraining).
Clinicallectureships(CLs)areaimedatsurgeonswhohavealreadyundertakensometraininginsurgeryandhavecompletedsomeresearch.YoumaywishtoconsiderapplyingforaCLfollowingcompletionofan
Career options in surgery 2�
ACF.Alternatively,youcouldapplyforaCLatapointroughlyequivalenttoST3levelonthetrainingpathway,aslongasyouhavepreviouslycompletedenoughacademicorresearchworktobeeligible.
Working conditionsIntheearlypartofyourcareer,inanACFpost,youcanexpecttospend75%ofyourtimeundertakingclinicaltrainingand25%undertakingresearchoreducationalisttraining.Thesepostslastamaximumofthreeyears,afterwhichyoucanapplyforaCLtofurtheryouracademiccareer,attempttore-enterthetrainingpathwayorapplyforalternativeposts,suchasspecialtydoctorposts.
CLslastamaximumoffouryears,duringwhichtimeyouwillcompleteyourspecialtytraining.Youcanthereforeexpecttospendaproportionofyourtimeundertakingclinicaldutiesandthesametrainingasyourcolleaguesonthetrainingpathway.Therestofyourtimewillbespentundertakingresearchandteaching.
Progress and developmentHavingcompletedyourtraininginacademicsurgery,youcaneitherpursueahighercareerinresearchandacademicsurgeryoryoucouldapplyforentirelyclinicalpostsasyouwillhavecompletedyourspecialtytraining.
28 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
SECTION 4: How to succeed at entering surgery
Entryintoallaspectsofsurgeryisverycompetitiveandwillrequireyoutobewellprepared.Youshouldplanyourfirstandsecondchoicecareerroutesasearlyaspossibleandfrequentlyreviewyourprogresstoensureyouareabletofollowthesepaths.Suchcarefulplanningwillalsomeanthatyouarebetterabletodealwithanyunexpectedchangestoyourplans.
Thissectionwilloutlinethethingsyouneedtodotosuccessfullynavigatetheprocessofidentifyingandgettingthejobsyouwant.Specifically,itwillcover:
howtofindtherightjobforyou
howtoensureyouareeligibleforthejobyouwant
howtodemonstrateyouaretherightpersonforthejob
How to find the right job for youYoushouldhavestartedtoplanyourcareerwhenyouwereatmedicalschool.Thisinvolvesfirstlyidentifyingwhichspecialtyinterestsyouandthenstartingtocreateaportfolioofexperience,knowledgeandskillswhichdemonstratesyourcommitmentto,andaptitudefor,thatspecialty.Togothroughthisprocesseffectively,youshouldconsiderwhatyouwantfromyourcareerandwhatskillsyouhave.
Havingdecidedyouwishtofollowacareerinsurgery,thereareotherfactorsyoumustalsoconsider.Forexample,howimportantisyourgeographicallocation?Furthermore,youshouldconsiderhowcompetitiveyouarewhencomparedtoothercandidates;someareas,suchasLondon,areextremelypopularandcompetitionwillbefiercer.Onlyyouwillbeabletoanswerquestionssuchastheseandyoushouldgivethemcarefulconsiderationbeforeapplyingforjobs.Mostimportantly,youmusthonestlyassesswhetheryouaresuitableforthejob:payverycloseattentiontothepersonspecificationandjobdescription.Ifyou
>>
>
Career options in surgery 2�
applyforapostforwhichyouhavetoomuchortoolittleexperience,youmaynotevenbeconsidered.
Completingtheapplicationandrecruitmentprocessforanyjobinvolvesaconsiderableinvestmentofyourtimeandeffort.Spendingtimeapplyingforjobsyoudonotreallywantwillinevitablymeanyouareunabletodedicateasmuchefforttoapplyingforthejobsyoureallydowant.Therefore,wellbeforeyoubeginapplyingforpoststoprogresstothenextstepinyourcareer,makealistofwhatyouarewillingtocompromiseon,aswellaswhatisessentialforyoutohaveinanyjob.
Veryfewpeopleareluckyenoughtobeofferedexactlythejobtheywantsoapplyforafewandensureyouhavesomesecondchoiceoptions.However,rememberthatifyouacceptapostyoumusttakeitup:youcannotacceptanofferandthenrejectitifyouaregivena‘better’offerelsewhere.
Forpostsinthetrainingpathway(includingtheacademictrainingpath),aslongasyoumakesureyouareintouchwiththerelevantnetworksandsourcesof
information,forexampleModernisingMedicalCareers(MMC),youwillreceivealotofinformationaboutwherejobswillbeadvertisedasthesewillnormallyallbecomeavailableatroughlythesametimeandtherewillbenationallydefinedrecruitmentepisodes.Careergradepostsarenotsubjecttosuchpreciselytimetabledrecruitmentandyouwillneedtoconstantlymonitorrelevantwebsitesetcforadvertisements.
Jobsarelikelytobeadvertisedon:
individualdeanerywebsitesindividualTrustwebsitestheNHSJobswebsite(http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/)BMJCareers(http://careers.bmj.com/careers/)
>>>>
30 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
Inadditiontothis,somewebsitessuchastheRemedyUKJobs(http://jobs.remedyuk.org/)providesummariesofalltherelevantjobsthathavebeenadvertisedonthesitestheymonitor.Youwillalsofindsomejobsviaagenciesalthoughthesewillnotbeapprovedfortrainingandarelikelytobelocumpositions.
How to ensure you are eligible for the job you wantWhenyouapplyforanypostinsurgery,atboththeapplicationformandselectioncentre/interviewstage,youwillbeaskedtodemonstratethatyouhaveachievedcertaincompetencies.Thesewillincludespecialty-specificknowledgeandskillsbutalsomoregeneralcareer-basedskills.Thissectionwillconsiderwhattheseskillsareandhowyoucanacquirethem.
Listsofclinicalcompetenciescanbefoundaonnumerouswebsites.Ifyouareapplyingforapostearlyinyourcareeratalevelsimilartothecoretrainingyears,youneedtodemonstratethatyouhaveachievedthefoundationyear2competencies.Thesearelistedonthefoundationwebsite(http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/medical-students/how-to-apply/).
Whenapplyingforposts,youwillneedtodemonstratethatyouhavecompletedthecompetenciesforthelevelbelowthattowhichyouareapplying.YouwillfindthesecompetenciesareoutlinedontheISCPwebsite(http://www.iscp.ac.uk/).Foundationlevelcompetenciesarelistedonthefoundationprogrammewebsite(http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/).
Inadditiontospecialty-specificclinicalortechnicalskillsandknowledge,youwillrequireskillssuchascommunication,leadershipandteaminvolvement,judgementunderpressure,decisionmakingandproblemsolvingaswellasgeneralprofessionalintegrity.Thesehavebeenlistedinmoredetailinsection1.
Career options in surgery 31
Youwillacquiresuchcompetenciesfromawiderangeofactivitiesthatyouundertake,boththosethatyouundertakespecificallytoimproveyourcareerportfolioandthosethatareanintrinsicpartofyourworking(andprivate)life.Youshouldtrytothinkimaginativelyaboutsituationsinwhichyouachievecompetenciesandshouldnotlimityourthinkingsolelytoworksituations.
Thingsyoucandotogainexperienceandimproveyourportfolioinclude:
attendcoursesattendconferences,seminars,etcmakepresentationsatconferences,seminars,etcjoinororganiseajournalclubjoinandparticipateinrelevantassociationsundertakeself-directedlearningteachand/ordemonstrate(anatomydemonstrationpostsareparticularlyuseful)researchwriteletters,articles,reports,etcforpublicationauditprojectsworkinalternativeenvironments,egelectivesatmedicalschooljoinandparticipateinyourmedicalschoolsurgicalsocietychoosesurgically-focusedoptionsatmedicalschool
Itcanbedifficulttoworkouthowyoucangaintheseexperiencesbutwithalittleresearchandeffortyouwillbeabletoundertakemostofthese.Youcangainteachingexperienceinformalpostsbutthesecanbedifficulttoobtainandtofitintotherestofyourcareer.Youcanalsogainteachingexperiencebyvolunteeringtoteachpracticalskills,suchas
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
32 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
teachingatyouruniversitysurgicalsociety.Alternatively,youcanorganiseeventsforlocalschoolpupils,tellingthemaboutcareersinmedicineandteachingthempracticalskillsthatwillhelpwiththeirapplicationstomedicalschool.
Youwillbeabletogainalotofadditionalexperiencebytalkingtoseniorcolleagues.Youmaybeallowedtoobserveorassistintheatre,toundertakeauditorresearchprojectsorjusttositinonclinics.Aslongasyouarewillingtocommittowhateverprojecttheyhelpyouwithanddonotexpectthemtosuperviseyoutooclosely,mostconsultantsandother
moreseniorstaffwillbehappytohelpyou.However,theycannothelpyouifyoudon’task(butdon’tpesterthemiftheysayno!).
Therearemanyassociations,networksandorganisationsyoucanjoinorbecomeinvolvedwith.Aquickinternetsearchwillrevealmostoftheseandsomearelistedattheendofthisbooklet.
Whicheveroftheactivitiesoutlinedaboveyoudecidetoundertake,makesureyoukeepyourrecordsuptodateandkeepcorrespondence,certificates,confirmationofattendance,etc.Ifyoudon’trecordactivitiesasyoudothem,youwillfinditveryhardtocompileyourportfolioandwriteyourapplicationforms.Ifyouhaveworkedwithaclinicianoutsidethenormaltrachingprogramme,askforaletterofsupport.
How to demonstrate you are the right person for the jobTherearethreemainpointsatwhichyoushoulddisplayallofthecompetenciesyouhavegainedfromyourexperiences:
inyourapplicationformand/orCVinyourportfolioattheselectioncentreorinterview
>>>
Career options in surgery 33
Application formTheapplicationformisthefirststageintheapplicationprocessandyoushouldthereforededicatesufficienttimetoitscompletion.Forapplicationstopostsinthetrainingpathway,youarelikelytohavetocompleteanapplicationformthatwillaskyouforinformationaboutyourtrainingandexperiencesofar,aswellasanumberofquestionsthatwillrequireyoutoprovideexamplesofparticularcompetenciesandhowyouhavedemonstratedthese.
Youshoulddraftanswerstothequestionsbeforehandandthencopythemacrosstotheform,particularlyifyouareusinganonlineform.Thiswillhelpyouavoidanyseriousmistakesorspellingerrors.
Toensurethatyouareabletocompletetheapplicationformwellintheappropriatetimescale,youshoulddraftsomeanswerstoquestionsyouthinkmayarisebeforeyoubegintheapplicationprocess.Examplesmayinclude:
DescribeatimewhenyouhavehadtomakeadecisionunderpressureWhatexperienceofdeliveringteachingdoyouhave?Describearecentexamplefromyoursurgicalexperienceofatimewhenyoufounditdifficulttomakeaneffectivejudgementinachallengingsituation.Howdidyouovercomethisdifficultyandhowhasthisexperienceinformedyoursubsequentpractice?
Makesureyoureadtheapplicationformverycarefullyandprovideappropriateanswersrelevanttothepersonspecification.Examplesfromyourportfoliowillbeveryhelpfulinthisprocess.
Remember:ifyoudonotprovidesuitableevidenceofyourcompetenciesonyourapplication,itmaynotbeclearthatyoumeettheentryorselectioncriteria.Therefore,youmaynotbelonglisted/shortlisted/invitedtointerview.
>
>>
34 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
CVAlthoughapplicationformsarebecomingthemorenormalmethodofapplication,formoreseniorpostsorforcareergradeapplicationsyoumaybeaskedtoprovideyourCV.
YourCVwillprobablyhavelessthantwominutestoimpresstheassessorofyoursuitabilityforthejobsoagoodfirstimpressionisvital.Ensureitislogicallyandclearlylaidoutandrelevantinformationiseasytofind.Tosaveyourselftime,itisworthspendingsomeeffortona‘master’copyofyourCVthatcanthenbeupdatedasyouprogress.
AgoodCVshouldcombineenoughrelevantdetailtogetyouontheshortlist,withclearexamplesofhowyoumeetthekeycompetenciesrequired.Itshouldchartyourpersonalandprofessionalexperienceandqualifications,makingitclearhowtheyarerelevanttothejob.
Qualificationsandexperienceshouldbeclearlystatedsothereadercanseeimmediatelythatyoumeetthebasicrequirementsofthepost.Aclearsummaryofclinicalexperienceisvitalandyoushouldalsomakeitclearthatyouaresuitedtothewiderrolesofasurgeon:emergencies,outpatientclinics,daycare,workinthewardandworkintheoperatingtheatre.Includeyourexperiencesinperi-operativepatientcarealongwiththelistofoperationsyou’veperformed.
PortfolioAportfolioissimilartoanexpanded,extendedCVandwhatevercareerrouteyoudecidetofollowinsurgery,youshouldmaintainaportfoliothroughout.Thereareanumberoftoolsavailabletohelpyou,suchastheelectronicportfolioavailablethroughtheISCP.Youarelikelytobeaskedtoshowyourportfolioattheselection
Career options in surgery 35
centreorinterviewwhenyouareapplyingforpostsinthetrainingpathway.Ifyoudecidetoundertakecareergradeposts,youwillalsofindyourportfolioinvaluablewhengoingthroughappraisalstoprogressthroughthespecialtydoctorgrade.Furthermore,ifyoulaterdecidetoapplyforaCESR,yourportfoliowillbeacentralpartofyourapplication.
Whileyoumaynotberequiredtoshowyourportfoliotoanyonebeforeyouattendintervieworselectioncentre,itwillbeusefultohavecompiledyourportfoliobeforethispointsothatyouarefamiliarwithitandcanuseittohelpwriteyourapplications.
Tocompileyourportfolio,youshouldorganiserelevantcareerinformationinaringbinderorsimilar,withacontentspageandindextabstoensureitiseasierforbothyouandtheselectioncentreassessortonavigate.Youmayhavetorefertospecificevidencesoyourportfolioshouldbelogicallyandclearlylaidoutforeasyaccess.Theportfolioandtheevidenceitcontainswillsupportyourapplication,anysubsequentinterviewsandyourongoinglearningwhenyouhavebegunyourpost.
Yourportfolioshouldshowyourcommitmenttosurgery.Inadditiontoincludingarecordandevidenceoftheactivitiesyouhaveundertaken(asoutlinedabove),youshouldensureyourlogbookisuptodate–eitherpaper-basedorinelectronicformsuchasthatfromtheISCP.Youshouldmakesureyouincludereflectiveexamplesfromyourworkaswellasdocumentaryevidenceofanyextraactivitiesyouhaveundertaken.
Typesofevidenceincludedinyourportfoliomightinclude:
logbookofclinicalactivitytrainers’reportsauditswrittenworkplaceassessmentslistofcompetenciessignedbysupervisingconsultantassessmentssuchasDOPSandmini-CEX(seeISCPwebsiteathttp://www.iscp.ac.uk/)
>>>>>>
36 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
ExampleportfoliosareavailablefromwebsitessuchasthefoundationportfolioontheMMCwebsite(http://www.mmc.nhs.uk/).Thesewillgiveyoustructurestouseforrecordingbutyoushouldrememberitisyourpersonalinputthatisimportant.
Inyourportfolio,itwillbeusefultoproduceasummarytablelistingallofthecompetenciesrequired(egthoselistedontheISCPwebsiteathttp://www.iscp.ac.uk/,howyouhaveachievedthemandwhereinyourportfolioevidencecanbefound.
Selection centre/interviewForpostsinthetrainingpathway(excludingfoundationposts),youarelikelytobeinvitedtoattendaninterviewandmaybeinvitedtoaselectioncentre.Forotherposts,suchasthoseinthecareergrades,youaremorelikelytobeaskedtoattendaninterview.However,theuseofselectioncentresisbecomingincreasinglypopular.
Whetheryouareattendingaselectioncentreorinterview,thereareanumberofthingsyoucandotoensureyouareaspreparedaspossiblebeforehand.Makesureyouarefamiliarwiththepersonspecificationandthecompetenciesthatitrequests.Thinkabouthowyoumeettheseandexamplesthatdemonstratethis.Makesureyouarewellpresentedandsmart;thiswillnotbeadecidingfactorbutitwillhelpyoufeelmoreprofessionalandtheselectorstoviewyouinafavourablelight.
Theselectioncentreislikelytobealargevenuewithinthedeaneryregiontowhichyouhaveapplied.Itisunlikelytobeinahospitalandmaywellnotberelatedtomedicineatall.Forexample,somedeaneriesholdinterviewsinlocalhotelsandtheLondondeaneryhasheldinterviewsatTheRoyalCollegeofSurgeonsofEngland.
Career options in surgery 3�
Whenyouarriveatthecentre,youwillbemetbyamemberofadministrativestaffwhowilltellyouwhereyoushouldgo,etc.Therearelikelytobemanycandidatesatthecentreandyoumayberequiredtowaituntilitisyourturntogotothenextstation.
Thenatureofthesewillvaryaccordingtowhereyouareapplyingandwhatspecialtyyouareapplyingto;somewillhavemany‘stations’wheredifferentcompetenciesaretestedindifferentways,othersmayhaveonlyone.However,asaminimumyoushouldexpecttohaveatleast30minutesofassessment,includingastructuredinterview.Thisinvolvespre-setquestionsthatwillbethesameforallcandidates.Thesequestionswillassessyourlevelofcompetencyagainstthoserequestedinthepersonspecificationandwillaskyoutoreflectonyourpastexperienceand/oryourreactiontoahypotheticalsituation.
Stationsthatyoumayhavetocompleteinclude:
astructuredinterviewinwhichyoudiscusshypotheticalclinicalormanagementsituationsastructuredinterviewinwhichyoudiscussyourcommitmenttosurgeryandyourbehaviourinpastrelevantsituations(eg‘Whenhaveyoumadeadecisionunderpressure?’)aportfolioreviewinwhichyoureflectonyourskills,competenciesandeducationalneedswithevidenceexamplesfromyourportfolioasimulatedconsultationwithapatient(whowillbeplayedbyanactor)awrittenexercise,egcompletingaconsultationrecordandmanagementplangroupdiscussionpracticalexercise,egsuturingorknottying,examiningapatient,etc
Pleasenote:thislistisnotexhaustive;youmaybeaskedtocompleteallornoneoftheseandyoumaybeaskedtocompletealternativestations.
>
>
>
>
>
>>
38 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
SECTION 5: How to succeed while you are in surgery
Your professional developmentThroughoutyourcareer,youwillneedtoundertakecertainactivitiestoensurethatyouarereadyforyournextstepandyouareabletogaintheexperiencesyouwillfindfulfillingandusefulinyourcurrentpost.
Thissectionconsiderstheseactivitiesandhowyoucanusethemtoensureyoucontinuetofindyourcareerinterestingandsatisfying.Specifically,itwillcover:
planningyourcareer:thenextmoveandmakingmostofopportunitiestransferableskills
Planning your career: the next move and making the most of your opportunitiesAlthoughtherearemanypeopleandresourcestohelpyouwithyourcareerplanningandprogression,itisimportantthatyourememberthatthisisessentiallyyourresponsibility.Youshouldregularlyassessyourcurrentpositionagainstyourplansandevaluatewhatyoustillneedtodo(intermsofacquiringskillsanddemonstratingthatyouhavedoneso)tobereadyforthenextstepinyourcareerplan.Youarelikelytohaveformalopportunitiestodothis,eitherwithyoureducationalsupervisororthroughtheappraisalprocess.However,anymeetingsyouarrangewillbefarmoreproductiveifyoualsoundertakethiskindofreviewyourselfbeforehand.
Keepingrecordsishelpfulinthisprocess.YoushouldmakesurethatyoukeepyourCVandportfoliouptodateanddon’tjusttrytocollate
>>
Career options in surgery 3�
everythingwhenyouapplyforanewjob.Ifyoucan’tfaceconstantlyupdatingyourportfolio,atleastmakesurethatyoukeepanyusefuldocumentationsothatthejobislessarduouswhenyoudoundertakeit.Thekindsofrecordsyoushouldkeepare:
certificatesofattendanceatcourses/conferences,etccopiesofpublicationscorrespondencerelatingtoanyadditionalworkyouhaveundertaken(egvoluntaryteaching)copiesofcompletedworkplace-basedassessments,etc
Youwillneedtokeepyourlogbookuptodatecontinuously.Ifyoudonotcompletethisasyougoalong,itwillbeincrediblydifficulttodosoinretrospect;unlessyouhaveaphenomenalmemory,youwillnotrememberandincludeeverythingthatyouhavedone.
Inadditiontothis,youalsoneedtoensureyouundertakealloftherequiredworkplace-basedassessmentsconsideredinyourappraisal.AfulllistoftheseisavailablefromtheISCPwebsite(http://www.iscp.ac.uk/).Theseassessmentsaredesignedbothtojudgewhetheryouhavereachedtherequired
levelandtohelpyouconsiderwhatyoustillneedtolearn.Assuch,theyareinvaluabletoolstohelpyouconsiderrealisticallyyourprogress.
Whenconsideredinconjunctionwithyourfutureplans,recordslikeyourportfolioandCVwillhelpyouidentifyanygapsinyourskillsandexperience.Youreducationalsupervisorandtheappraisalprocesswillhelpyouconsiderwaysinwhichyoucanfillthese.However,youshouldagainrememberthatitisultimatelyyourresponsibilitytoundertaketheseactions.
>>>
>
40 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
Transferable skillsDuringyourcareer,youmayfindthatyouwantorneedtoreconsideryouroriginalplan.Shouldthisbethecase,youwillfinditusefultohaveanunderstandingofwhichofyourskillsaretransferable.Youwillhavegainedmanyskillsthatcanbeappliedtomanysituationsandyoushouldnotlimityourselftothinkingyouareonlycapableofsucceedinginthespecialtyinwhichyouhavepreviouslytrained.
Non-clinicalskillsthatmaybetransferabletoothersettingsinclude:
management(ofresources,timeandpeople)
communication
decisionmaking
negotiation/influencingskills
teamwork
anunderstandingofhowcomplexorganisationswork
Thesecanbeappliedtoarangeofcareersbothinsideandoutsidemedicine.
Furthermore,youwillalsohavegainedawealthofclinicalskillsandknowledgethatwillallowyoutoconsidereitheralternativespecialtieswithinsurgeryoralternativemedicalspecialties.Youmaybeparticularlysuitedtoaspecialtythathasstronglinkswithsurgery,suchasaccidentandemergency,obstetricsandgynaecology,anaestheticsorinterventionalradiology.
Sources of supportTheLondondeaneryhaslaidoutaclearstructureofcareerssupportwhichwillguideyouthroughthestages.Fullinformationaboutthiscanbefoundintheirbooklet‘Planningyourmedicalcareer:aguidetocarerssupport’.
Thismodelhasfourtiers:
self-help(forallstagesofyourcareer)
educationalsupervisor/appraisers(forallstagesofyourcareer)
>>>>>>
1.
2.
Career options in surgery 41
Trust-basededucationalfaculty(fordoctorswhorequireexpertcareersadviceandinsights)
deanery(fordoctorsexperiencingdifficultyorrequirespecialistadviceandtraining)
Thissectioncoversorganisationsandwebsitesyoucanapproachinthefirststage.
The Royal College of Surgeons of England – Opportunities in SurgeryOpportunitiesinSurgery(OiS)canprovideinformationonallaspectsofsurgicalcareersandcanfacilitatecontactwithexperiencedsurgeonsifrequired.
http://www.rcseng.ac.uk/career/[email protected]
The Royal College of Surgeons of England – Women in SurgeryWomeninSurgery(WinS)isanationalorganisationworkingtopromotesurgeryasacareerforwomenandtoenablewomenwhohavechosenacareerinsurgerytorealisetheirprofessionalgoals.WinS’missionistoencourage,enableandinspirewomentofulfiltheirsurgicalambitions.YoucanjointheWinSnetworkforfree.Throughthisnetwork,WinSprovidesadvice,guidanceandpastoralsupportforwomeninsurgeryandthoseconsideringenteringit.
http://www.rcseng.ac.uk/career/wins/[email protected]
The Royal College of Surgeons of England – regional representativesTheCollegeworkswithvariouslocalsurgeonswhocoordinatesurgerywithintheirregion.Theseinclude:
schoolofsurgery(considersawiderangeofissuesaffectingsurgeonsinadeaneryregion)
3.
4.
>>>
>>>
>
42 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
programmedirectorsandsurgicaltutors(whoareresponsibleforsurgicaltrainingwithinaprogrammeorhospital)
Youshouldbeawareofwhothesepeopleareinyourregion.Ifyouarenot,youshouldcontacttheCollegeformoreinformation.
Specialty associationsEachsurgicalspecialtyhasanassociation.Thelevelofsupportofferedvariesbetweenassociations;youcanfindoutmorebyvisitingtheirwebsites.
Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme (ISCP)TheISCP(http://www.icsp.ac.uk/)providesdetailsofninesurgicalcurricula,standards,levelsofcompetenceandassessmentaswellasinformationandguidance.Ifyouareinthetrainingpathway,youmustregisterwiththiswebsite.
Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT)ASiTisamembershiporganisationthatrepresentssurgicaltraineesatregionalandnationallevelonallmajorsurgicalcouncilsandcommittees(surgicalroyalcolleges,theJointCommitteeonSurgicalTraining,etc).Traineesaresupportedbyspecialtyrepresentativeswhoaddressconcernsandqueriesrelatingtothespecialtyandalsoregionalrepresentativeswhoassistwithtrainingissues,giveadviceandsupportandputonsponsorededucationalandrecreationalmeetings.MembershipgivestraineesdiscountsonsurgicaltextbooksandtheBritish Journal of Surgery.Membersarealsoofferedtravellingfellowships,placesonlaparoscopiccoursesinParis,subsidisedexaminationcoursesfortheMRCSvivaandtheFRCSpart3preparation,discountedsurgicalloupesandreducedratesonnationalcourses.
>
Career options in surgery 43
British Orthopaedic Training Association (BOTA)BOTAdevolvedfromASiTtorepresenttheviewsoftraineesinorthopaedics.ItisamembershiporganisationsolelyfororthopaedictraineesandoffersasimilarrangeofservicestothoseprovidedbyASiT.
Doctors.net.ukDoctors.net.ukisanonlinecommunityformedicalstudentsandGMC-registereddoctors,providingsupportthroughonlineforumaswellasanonlinelibrarywithawiderangeofmedicalresources.Italsoprovidesfreeelectroniccontinuingmedicaleducationmoduleswithclinicalandprofessionalcontent.
Careers support websitesGeneral medical careers information
QueenMary,UniversityofLondon–CareerDiagnosishttp://www.cxdx.qmul.ac.uk/
BritishMedicalJournal(BMJ)Careershttp://careers.bmj.com/careers/advice/advice-overview.html
BritishMedicalAssociation(BMA)CareersServicehttp://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/Hubcareersadvicefordoctors
TargetMedicineCareersAdvicehttp://targetjobs.co.uk/medicine/
Kent,SurreyandSussexDeanery–CareersSupporthttp://careers.kssdeanery.org/
TrainingIntercollegiateSurgicalCurriculumProgrammehttp://www.iscp.ac.uk/
TheFoundationProgrammewww.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/
ModernisingMedicalCareershttp://www.mmc.nhs.uk/
PostgraduateMedicalEducationandTrainingBoardhttp://www.pmetb.org.uk/
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
44 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
Choosing a specialtySpecialtyChoiceInventory–Sci59http://sci59.open.ac.uk/
LondonDeanery–Careershttp://www.londondeanery.ac.uk/careers/
SouthYorkshireandSouthHumberDeanery–CareersAdvicehttp://www.syshdeanery.com/content.aspx?Group=Careers&Page=Intro%20to%20Careers
NorthWesternDeanery–Careershttp://www.nwpgmd.nhs.uk/careers/
NHSCareershttp://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/
The Royal College of Surgeons of EnglandCareershttp://www.rcseng.ac.uk/career/
OpportunitiesinSurgeryhttp://www.rcseng.ac.uk/career/opportunities
WomeninSurgeryhttp://www.rcseng.ac.uk/career/wins/
OrganisationsAssociationofSurgeonsinTraininghttp://www.asit.org/
BritishOrthopaedicTraineesAssociationhttp://www.bota.org.uk/
Doctors.net.ukhttp://www.doctors.net.uk/
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Career options in surgery 45
Support services for doctorsConfidentialSupportandAdviceService(forsurgeons)http://www.rcseng.ac.uk/support/
MedNet–LondonDeaneryCounsellingServicehttp://www.londondeanery.ac.uk/var/MedNet
TheDoctors’SupportNetworkhttp://www.dsn.org.uk/
BritishMedicalAssociationCounsellingServiceandDoctorsforDoctorsUnithttp://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/Hubhealthandwellbeing
Volunteering, working abroad and army medical careersMédecinsSansFrontières(MSF)http://www.msf.org/
Merlinhttp://www.merlin.org.uk/
CommunityServiceVolunteershttp://www.csv.org.uk/
VoluntaryServicesOverseashttp://www.vso.org.uk/
ArmyMedicalCareershttp://www.army.mod.uk/join/career-paths/1099.aspx
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
46 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
Acknowledgements
Withspecialthanksto:
theLondondeanerytheIntercollegiateSurgicalCurriculumProgrammeandtheWorkPsychologyPartnershipforinformationregardingcompetencydomains
>>
Career options in surgery 4�
Allinformationiscorrectatthetimeofgoingtopress(June2008).
Ifyourequirefurtherinformation,pleasecontactOpportunitiesinSurgery:
Opportunities in Surgery35–43Lincoln’sInnFieldsLondonWC2A3PE02078696212OiS@rcseng.ac.ukRegisteredcharitynumber:212808