Portfolio Careers SCM Report - by student Giles Kisby

Giles Kisby and Dr Radha Modgil at the BBC Radio 1 studio

This placement has been a real eye opener into the range of work that GPs get involved with. Within just the first week I followed GPs at Chelsea and Westminster working in the urgent care centre, in Hounslow working to replace inappropriate admissions to hospital with better support in the community and also travelled to Harrow to attend a Macmillan CCG meeting looking to better manage end of life care.

I have always enjoyed my GP attachments but never before have I been exposed to the range of non-clinical work which many GPs get involved with. This placement brought that side to the forefront - showcasing a diverse array of extra-clinical interests. A good example was an evening with Dr Radha at Radio 1 for her programme "The Surgery" (inset) - not work I would traditionally associate with being a general practitioner! Similarly I was able to join Dr Easton plan a piece on Acromegaly for BBC World Service - I can only thank Professor Meeran for firmly instilling in me a firm knowledge of the hormonal axes!

Finally I was placed for 3 days with the London Medical Council, the representatives for GPs at both the individual and National level. Discussing cases ranging from the mild to the criminal was not just interesting but also was a good insight into the medico-legal avenues that GPs pursue. It also underlined common pitfalls (hint: no documentation is no excuse!).

As I got further through the placement it became more clear that rather than being in conflict with the clinical role, introducing such variety into the working week can help avoid burnout and so instead complement the quality for care for patients.

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