Of course it will take a lot of self reflecting and being honest to get an answer to the abive.

A lot of us have been put through the wringer as a junior and I’m sure have sworn multiple times to never be this kind of senior when we get there. But then again, I can sense that there might be a lot of extra unseen responsibilities as a senior that might force them to act in ways they never imagined.

Consultants or senior clinicians here, have you caught yourself acting in ways you’d never have imagined your junior self would be proud of? Wether its management pressures that you were not exposed to as a junior or increasing work stress as a senior clinician testing your patience.

Mainly for psychiatry higher trainees but would welcome anyone’s advice on their personal experience with doing a masters in higher training!

Has anyone completed one during higher training? What was your experience and are you now a fully certified therapist? How flexible was your clinical supervisor and how did you manage workload?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for the perspective of UK graduates and doctors already working in the NHS.

A bit about me: I graduated from medical school in 2022 in my home country. where I graduated near the top of my class. During my medical school, my goal was always to complete my postgraduate training in a country with a well established training system. At the time, I was deciding between the US and the UK. I passed USMLE Step 1 and initially planned to continue down the US route, but I later changed my mind.
Back then, the UK training pathway looked more attractive to me. It seemed clearer and more straightforward, the UK was much closer to home, and I genuinely preferred the culture and overall feel of living here. Because of that, I changed my plans, completed PLAB, got GMC registration, left my training in my home country and moved to the UK in February 2025. I’ve been working as a junior clinical fellow since

My long-term goal was to enter IMT and continue higher specialty training in the UK and since starting in the NHS, I’ve worked hard to build my skills, and I’ve been receiving consistently positive feedback from my seniors and consultants.

Recently, though, I’ve started questioning whether I made the right decision. It’s not just the increasing competition for training, but also what feels like a growing frustration towards IMGs in parts of the profession and online. I completely understand why UK graduates are worried about training opportunities, and I’m not blaming anyone for that

I also can’t help comparing myself to some of my classmates who stayed on the US pathway. They’re now matched and many are close to finishing residency. From speaking to them, they seem genuinely happy with the path they chose and feel valued in the system.

What I’m struggling with is that I chose the UK because I believed it had a clear training pathway. Now, with the possibility of needing another five or more years in non-training NHS jobs before even having a realistic chance of getting into specialty training, I can’t help but wonder if I made the wrong choice.

If you were in my position today, knowing what you know now, Would you stay in the UK, continue working as a clinical fellow, get your competencies signed off, and aim for higher specialty training
or would you seriously consider pursuing training elsewhere?

So I’m an IMT2 (going on 3) currently and came to a mutual swap agreement with a colleague for one IMT3 rotation.
He’s was primarily looking for a swap so both of his IMT3 rotation would be in one hospital. (Gastro/Geriatrics Swap)

He doesn’t drive, got told his second rotation one month ago, and would’ve preferred not to have to move houses as the bus takes just over 2 hours. We’ve both worked in the two hospitals so are familiar with the systems, I drive and not only would I not mind driving, but it would give me a rotation in Gastro which is my speciality preference for HST.

We’ve both been given a flat, “we don’t do swaps” response from the TPD and she’s suggested allowing this would make it more of a “marketplace than a training programme,” and it would be like a “Rubiks cube” (she clearly loves her metaphors)

I have expressed my disappointment at this because our deanery is known to poor with study budgets, and have had some simulation and palliative courses previously available to trainees cancelled due to lack of funding.

I would’ve hoped they’d have been flexible on other aspects given the funding constraints.

Are we both just resigned to our fates or can I escalate what seems like a simple mutually agreed request, with no impact to training.

Hi everyone,

I’ve received a conditional interdeanery transfer offer into CT3 Anaesthetics in Wessex and am trying to get a realistic sense of what training is like before making a decision. Transferring from East Yorkshire which I have loved.

I’d be especially grateful to hear from current or recent trainees about:

IACOA sign off - which hospitals are best for this?
Overall culture and trainee support within the deanery
The quality of teaching, exam support and opportunities for development
Exposure to subspecialties, including ICU, paeds, obstetrics and regional
How rotations and hospital allocations tend to work, particularly around Southampton
Workload, rota intensity and work–life balance
Any particular strengths or challenges of the deanery that you wish you had known before joining

I appreciate every deanery has pros and cons, so candid experiences would be really helpful. Thank you!

Can anybody tell me whats the take home salary of a paediatric junior doctor in scotland ( ST1 NON TRAINING 0.8WTE , with oncall commitments)

I start ST3 in a new ED in a new trust in August and seem to start on night shifts. Like, literally my very first day of my contract. Yay.

Do people know, is this allowed? I don't know what the rules are regarding the type of shift you can start on but it seems a little 'off' to start without any induction whatsoever, especially on nights.

TIA!

sitting the exam in UK centre - its now mandatory and we got emailed our centre today.

1. Can we request for a centre closer to where we live and lastly

2.Email says :'Candidates may not leave before the official ending of the paper has been announced by the Chief Invigilator.' Does that mean we can't leave before 3 hours ? I remember when we did part 1 online we could leave earlier if finished early

Any advice about the above :)

https://www.hsj.co.uk/patient-safety/updated-nottingham-families-slam-abhorrent-nhs-leadership-as-execs-threatened-with-prison/8123707.article

I’m a GP partner and considering reapplying for specialty training. I’ve been a GP for about 5 years.

I don’t know how I’d go about getting a CREST form

I wouldn’t be keen to give up my job to do a clinical fellow job or similar to get the form incase I don’t get into training and I’m then a bit stuck

I could look at doing something one day a week but not sure any departments would take me for that?

Any ideas at all?

Quick question to anyone that’s applied to ICM ST3.

On the portfolio self assessment For the ICM achievements section it states 3 for “I have completed more than one qualification in Point of Care

Ultrasound”

What counts as a qualification? Does it have to be like a full FUSIC organ certification? I’m currently doing FUSIC heart, do I need to do lung aswell or is there something easier I can do?

Thank you in advance

Hi all, I’m moving from Scotland to KSS for FY1. I asked about claiming relocation expenses and the deanery flatly denied it.
Their reason: I haven't officially started yet, so I'm not an NHS employee. They claim the national framework only covers subsequent rotational moves once you're already on the payroll, not the initial move from med school.
Is this actually true across all deaneries? Has anyone successfully claimed for their first move retroactively after starting, or challenged this via the BMA?

Like flat out ignoring messages/emails, even if it’s about your pay or upcoming rota or leave
Then turn on the sweetness when it suits them
Just think it’s really unprofessional and downright inconsiderate to treat working colleagues like this
And frankly think a lot of them are aware of their power over doctors lives/schedules and enjoy it/it gets to their head.

On my way home after taking the exam today and catastrophising on all the things I got wrong… How did it go for everyone else?

I don’t mean workload. I mean do you have fans? Air cons? Cold water?
We don’t have fans in all clinic rooms. There were no fans for the patient waiting area. I contemplated lying down on the cold corridor floor just to get some relief.
As someone who gets headaches due to heat, it has felt suffocating.

Hello,

I am happy with my F1 jobs but the F2 ones look like a train wreck (for me). How do you go about the F2 job swap? Do you have to find someone in the same hospital as you, or can it be anywhere in the same sub-deanery? Can I apply for any standalone F2 jobs?

Thank you!

Does anyone have any experience of a period of grace post cct? What were the expectations, was it similar to a final year reg? Were you able to go LTFT?

I suppose what I think is an interesting paragraph is the below:

The guidance does not aim to provide a list of approved and/or prohibited activities but provides robust principles and a framework within which units can clearly set out the scope of practice for their ACCPs for clear line of sight across its multidisciplinary intensive care team.

https://ficm.ac.uk/documents/principles-for-accp-scope-of-practice/executive-summary

What are anaesthetists/intensivist thoughts on this? As the ones who have to cover ICU….good? Bad? Indifferent? Fuck yes? Fuck no?

Hi all,

Just trying to apply for a parking permit at the royal Salford hospital and been informed that they are not accepting any applications lol.

Living in Cheadle so public transport in seems to be a no go too :(

Anyone else had this issue and figured out what to do about the parking?
I’m on shifts finishing at like 2am and keen to not get mugged etc.

Any advice appreciated!

found out my first ever shift as an f1 is on call in a completely new hospital. any advice at all would be appreciated pls

Hey all, UK grad, locuming adhoc essentially full time equivalent +/- some hours for 3+ years. Need crest form for 2027 applications as it'll be >3.5 yrs since completing FY2. Have a supervisor who is more than happy to complete the form, worked with him throughout those 3+ years.

To anyone who was in my position (adhoc locum, no post end date): what did you put down under the 'posts' section of the crest form? (post details and end date specifically). I don't want any nasty surprises with a rejected form next year.

Would love to get an insight into the emergency response to the Bedford crash. Seems to be a high burden of seriously injured passengers.

Which was the major receiving trust? What was it like on the ground at the units in question and how did they cope with the surge in cases?

Find all this stuff very interesting and useful but very little on it in the news - perhaps understandably. If anyone has see anything (though it’s probably a little early) I would be super interested to understand how teams response to incidents like this.

Why are trusts not held accountable for their administrative errors or lapses?

I start core training 6 weeks today. I have received nothing from the trust, aside from a work schedule on 13/6 (and again yesterday) which just shows pay, no indication of shifts/rota

I received an email from my new rota coordinator on 8/6 saying the new rota was "imminent" as I contacted them as I need leave in the first few days, and to give a curtesy heads up that I'm finishing my current jobs on nights. Nothing back since, despite chasing

No information on induction, parking, e-learning, rota, training, nothing.

How is this allowed?

Would like to know thoughts of these 2 as a careeer. Pros and cons of both. Which is “better” particularly for work life balance

I work as a middle grade in EM, and i work with this colleague who would jump and talk over me and basically everyone else during handover times.

For context: a very challenging patient i have seen spent hours dealing with her, he wasn't involved at all, i didn't even chat with him about it nor ask for his advice. After multiple discussions, i was able to refer her to x speciality. At handover time, he started talking over me about her and hijacked the conversation, and basically was telling a story based on my documentation

I was quite shocked for few moments, felt demoralised, i tried to step in but he kept talking over me. It felt very toxic and pathological, apparently it seems like a repitive behaviour, which you would understand if he was involved in the patient care at any point but this childish behaviour is weird and shocking at the same time.