Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Non-Clinical Careers
1. GP appraiser
Appraisal aims to help GPs consolidate and improve on good performance, towards
excellence. It can identify areas where further development might be necessary and
assists with development and maintenance of a Personal Development Plan.
GP appraisers generally have two days training and regular updates. As well as
training they are interviewed and if successful they are issues with an honorary
contract by the PCT where terms and conditions are set out.
Contact your GP to see if they are recruiting new appraisers. The deanery runs many
courses on appraisal.
http://www.londondeanery.ac.uk/search?SearchableText=appraisal
There is an introductory programme for those who wish to develop their teaching
skills.
http://www.londondeanery.ac.uk/general-practice/courses-and-conferences/deanery-
gp-course-prospectus-2007-2008/ld_course_details?category_id=21
3. FY2 teaching
Why not consider being involved in supervising foundation year 2 doctors during their
primary care placements. GPs who are not trainers need to be approved as
education supervisors. Training and assessment are available by the deanery.
http://www.londondeanery.ac.uk/general-practice/courses-and-conferences/deanery-
gp-course-prospectus-2007-2008/ld_course_details?category_id=35
4. Programme director
The Programme Director has responsibility for the doctors in training and the training
programme on Vocational Training Schemes. They monitor and oversee the training
and manage the weekly training programme.
The Programme Director is required to have achieved the Teaching the Teachers
training or its equivalent and have experience in teaching and education.
http://www.londondeanery.ac.uk/general-practice/courses-and-conferences/deanery-
gp-course-prospectus-2007-2008/ld_course_details?category_id=26
6. GP Tutor
The role of Deanery GP Tutor is to work collaboratively with local colleagues to
maintain and improve standards of GP CPD and performance. This relates to all
aspects of practice through nurturing lifelong learning skills and maintaining a fit for
purpose GP workforce.
7. Associate Director
The team of associate directors is responsible for developing, operating and
supervising postgraduate medical education and professional development for
general practice. Each AD has specific responsibilities within one specific area. They
are paid on a sessional basis on the GP educator pay scale.
8. Academic
Academic training in general practice is different from hospital medicine. Many
doctors have completed their clinical general practice training before starting formal
academic training. Many start academic training after a period of full-time NHS
practice.
While in training
Look into Academic Training Fellow Posts (that mean you can training as a GP and
also develop a research interest)
http://www.gprecruitment.org.uk/vacancies/academic.htm
These posts are 75% clinical and 25% research, and run over 4 years. There is often
the opportunity to undertake a Masters degree
After training
For doctors who have completed GP training there are GP academic posts that come
up in research/education in the various universities. These are often advertised in the
BMJ but under the clinical research section that does not necessarily come within the
GP section.
Education posts usually involve not only face-to-face teaching, but also co-ordination
of part of the training courses for the university. These posts may be as teaching
fellows or lecturers. Enthusiasm and demonstration of some commitment to teaching
is needed (i.e. some practice based teaching, or sessional teaching for a
department). Contact the departments of primary care (UCL, Imperial, QMW, KGT
9. Mentoring
Mentoring is:
“Guiding another individual in the development and re-examination of their own
ideas, learning and personal and professional development” SCOPME
10. LMC
Please see the introductory section to understand where the Local Medical
Committee (LMC) sit in the framework of General Practice. They are the local
negotiating group linked to the General Practice Committee (GPC) of the British
Medical Association (BMA). You can be elected to be a representative of your area
on matters. There are roles for principals and roles for sessional GPs. Please see the
LMC website for further details. Below is an example using London.
http://www.lmc.org.uk/
Most writers haven’t had a professional career in journalism. Editors are quite used
to general approaches from novices to professionals. If you have an article you will
be paid. This varies from under a hundred to a few hundred depending on the size of
the article. Another useful tip is to look towards the lifestyle magazines (e.g.
Cosmopolitan or Esquire). Some of them need either additional writers or some of
the newer magazines don’t have a medic writing for them. As a GP you will be a
goldmine of information or even better know where to access the information to be
able to write about it.
There are effective locum companies who will act as a recruiting agent for you. One
example of this is below but there are others so please do check.
http://www.broadcasting-doctor.org
The advantages are relatively lucrative pay for short time periods of work. However
the work is often infrequent and unsustainable.
Some of the details have been kindly provided by Dr. Una Coales.
An 18 month course run by Central North West London Mental Health Trust
accredited by the University of Holloway can be found on the website:
www.nwlcbttraining.net
14. NLP
The field of Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) explores the links between the way
we think (neuro), the way we communicate (linguistic) and our patterns of emotion
and behaviour (programming). This field was co-created and developed by Richard
Bandler, and the principles and novel approaches of NLP are being increasingly
used by doctors and other health professionals. Consultations with patients often
take on a new light when using an NLP approach, and Medical NLP draws on this
approach to help health professionals develop their range of skills in providing "whole
person" healthcare.
NLP approaches can be adapted for use in 10 minute consultations, and so can be
easily integrated in NHS practice. There is also considerable scope to use NLP skills
in a private practice setting, so learning this very interesting and enjoyable approach
can act as an additional source of income.
The following organisations run NLP training courses for doctors which have been
accredited by Richard Bandler:
The Society of Medical NLP (www.medicalnlp.com)
Acuity Doctor (www.acuitydr.com)
These roles are where you support managers/commissioners who are very good at
their job but need medical support in making the decisions. A very valued role would
be to provide commissioning (the buying in or paying of services) support in helping
them to decide medical need on patients whom this is requested for or invoiced for.
Exceptional treatment panels look at funding outside of any normal arrangements
(e.g. contracted or NICE approved). Continuing care panels review those difficult
cases where it is unclear if social needs outweigh medical needs thereby requiring
funding from the Local Authority. Guidance is available and you will be there to
translate the medical terms and help the commissioners understand the situation.
The roles would be to liaise with the PCT and PBC to support the Trust in
maintaining their business with the area. It is a role that can get support through the
Trust. It is not for everyone, as this is not a clinical role but will move you into a
management capacity. You will find most Trusts will negotiate to keep you on and
any clinical role you may already have.
17. Research
Academic posts (see above) are also good entry to research posts. They introduce
you to the academic environment and you will meet experienced researchers. There
are often opportunities to work on smaller project that may lead to a more
substantive post.
Many research posts and increasing education posts are asking for MSc. Think
carefully about which MSc you may want to undertake. If you are interested in
education then a MSc in medical education is useful, and if in research then perhaps
epidemiology, or a primary care MSc that is more research heavy.
Some PCTs will allow GPs on their performer’s lists to apply for funding to help
support their MSc- but this is PCT specific. Otherwise it is sometimes good to contact
the MSc providers e.g. http://www.ucl.ac.uk/openlearning/pged.htm and ask if they
know of funding opportunities
There are various fellowships funded by the MRC and Wellcome, which incorporate
studying for a MSc. It is helpful to develop an application with a local department of
primary care.
http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Careers/Fellowships/AvailableFelllowships/SpecialTraininginH
SRHpP/index.htm
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/node2131.html
Working for the pharmaceutical industry – Adam Poole, BMJ Careers, 30 Jun 2007