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GP Careers in the 21st Century: trainee highlights from the back row

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By Maham Stanyon, GPVTS ST2

An engaging conference showcasing the variety and celebrating the diversity of career pathways in general practice. As a trainee the conference opens your eyes to the possibility of a job tailor made to your interests whether clinical, educational, academic or managerial, incorporating the holy grail of both patient care and job satisfaction.

Throughout the day long event, the importance of mentoring and utilising the diverse generalist skill set to explore new avenues were reinforced as vital ingredients for success. Topics covered ranged clinical leadership opportunities and Darzi fellowships, to portfolio careers encompassing world travel, education and media medicine. Newly emerging fields pioneered by GPs such as out of hours medicine also shared the spotlight, with the launch of the first academic urgent care post announced to trainees. Unusually the speakers represented the entire experience spectrum, from newly qualified GPs to those at the pinnacle of illustrious careers, giving a cutting edge flavour to the conference amongst the heartfelt and honest talks from those more senior.

Reflected back from the event was the reassuring message that patient care is the glue underpinning each of their careers, despite the challenges to life working in the NHS. Summed up by our programme director, “the NHS is changing faster than ever before, but with change comes opportunity”. As GP trainees we are best placed to realise those opportunities, with conferences such as this one to give us the skills and the vision to make the most of them.

Comments

Professor Azeem Majeed said…
Thank you for your very informative article.
9:31 AM
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