Thoughts & Plans
Feb. 28th, 2007 09:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hobbitommWell, this is the public version, now I'm actually in the right sort of frame of mind to make comments outside my flist.
I still feel let down/betrayed by the NHS, which sadly, I remain committed to. I blame my parents entirely for giving me a sense of duty, and so on. Anyway, in summary, for those new to the situation, I've not gotten a promotion in Plastics, and secondary to the new 'up or out' scheme (MMC) for medical training selection, I am consequently out of Plastics. 2nd round of selection kicks off in April, and we shall have to see what posts are available to apply for. I'm thinking, now, essentially in terms of lifestyle choices, because it's very unlikely I shall be able to get any job in any form of surgery, since they'll all have been filled from the first round of applications. So, the trick now will be to get something that makes for a nice life, where I've got a good work/life balance (something surgery in this country could never be accused of! But I'd be prepared to do it for a specialty I love. For another? Erm, no!)
The prime contenders right now are radiology (mmmm, fun interventional stuff like angioplasty, coiling of brain aneurysms, and repair of aortic aneurysms without surgery!), and General Practice (pro:3.5 working days a week, no on-calls, and scads of cash, plus the capacity to do some minor surgery in the community, cons: 90% of workloads people coming to whinge.)
But it's all up in the air- we won't know until the first round is completed what the options will be, since it'll depend entirely what is sufficiently unpopular that not enough people want to do it.
Ho hum.
(For those of you interested in the background to all of this, Channel 4 News did a little piece on this- available on their website)
I still feel let down/betrayed by the NHS, which sadly, I remain committed to. I blame my parents entirely for giving me a sense of duty, and so on. Anyway, in summary, for those new to the situation, I've not gotten a promotion in Plastics, and secondary to the new 'up or out' scheme (MMC) for medical training selection, I am consequently out of Plastics. 2nd round of selection kicks off in April, and we shall have to see what posts are available to apply for. I'm thinking, now, essentially in terms of lifestyle choices, because it's very unlikely I shall be able to get any job in any form of surgery, since they'll all have been filled from the first round of applications. So, the trick now will be to get something that makes for a nice life, where I've got a good work/life balance (something surgery in this country could never be accused of! But I'd be prepared to do it for a specialty I love. For another? Erm, no!)
The prime contenders right now are radiology (mmmm, fun interventional stuff like angioplasty, coiling of brain aneurysms, and repair of aortic aneurysms without surgery!), and General Practice (pro:3.5 working days a week, no on-calls, and scads of cash, plus the capacity to do some minor surgery in the community, cons: 90% of workloads people coming to whinge.)
But it's all up in the air- we won't know until the first round is completed what the options will be, since it'll depend entirely what is sufficiently unpopular that not enough people want to do it.
Ho hum.
(For those of you interested in the background to all of this, Channel 4 News did a little piece on this- available on their website)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-02-28 09:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-28 09:53 am (UTC)But thanks for the thought!
Report URL
Date: 2007-02-28 09:58 am (UTC)http://www.channel4.com/news/special-reports/special-reports-storypage.jsp?id=4531
no subject
Date: 2007-02-28 10:03 am (UTC)My stepbrother loves the GP lifestyle, but it's certainly not for everyone.
Best of luck with the next steps.
Re: Report URL
Date: 2007-02-28 10:48 am (UTC)Granted my MP is a tory so he'll probably just write back and say 'Yeah, the government sucks.' But hey.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-28 10:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-28 11:03 am (UTC)Hope to see you some time soon ...
Re: Report URL
Date: 2007-02-28 11:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-28 11:22 am (UTC)Re: Report URL
Date: 2007-02-28 11:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-28 12:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-28 12:49 pm (UTC)The light hearted bit..
Date: 2007-02-28 02:33 pm (UTC)The slightly more serious bit
Date: 2007-02-28 02:48 pm (UTC)I hadn't realised it'd gotten so bad.
I suppose radiology, which you seem reasonably positive about, will allow you to build on the skills you built up as a Plastics SHO; great dexterity, intuitive grasp of 3-D tissue manipulation and Anatomical stuff.
You seemed very down about reverting to a physician's path when we spoke of it last. OTOH GenPractice is now seen as the frontline of medicine. From what I've seen/heard from my parents it's changed radically in the last 15 years and especially in the last 5.
Would you like me to ask my Dad (or even my Mum?) to talk with you about the direction that branch of the profession is headed in?
no subject
Date: 2007-02-28 03:51 pm (UTC)I hope you find something fun and rewarding -- goodness knows you will do well at whatever you do.
I think you'd make a lovely GP, though you might get a bit sarcastic with folk. (Only those who deserve it of course!!)
no subject
Date: 2007-02-28 06:27 pm (UTC)Your post reminds me, I did my weeks work experience in a radiology department and got to see all sorts of interesting things including an angiogram and an angioplasty, CT, MRI, Nuclear medicine and dopler imaging.... When the big wigs realised that a 16 year old work experience girl had seen an angioplasty they got all upset and said that no one under 18 was allowed in future so I didn't get to seeing a "propper" operation though:( I can't remember what sort it was going to be now but it was a pity.
no subject
Date: 2007-03-01 02:00 am (UTC)Would you consider going abroad to finish your training in plastics?
I mentioned your situation to a few chums in the Bute, and they suggested France, Italy and (oddly!) China, before they suggested doing nose-jobs, boob-jobs & facelifts in Sunny California (yes, I know of you feelings of vanity-surgery)
no subject
Date: 2007-03-01 07:13 am (UTC)The rest? I don't have the local languages- my foreign options are Ireland, Canada, New Zealand and Australia
no subject
Date: 2007-03-01 11:26 am (UTC)I was just about to ask about options like going to Canada. I can vouch for the friendliness of the natives.
The Cdn and UK health systems are quite similar: started w/ state support for 'basic' health care in 1950s(?), has now all the same unwieldiness of the hugely expanded and bureaucratized system that tries to be all things to all people.
Health services are managed at provincial level, not federal, though all thoretically follow the federal health act.
And like here, some people get fed up, and jump the queue with money and/or a quick trip abroad.
The main difference is that there is *no* basic Rx coverage. I paid for all my meds, including the Pill (both meds and prescripting fee) when I wasn't insured by my parent/school/employer.
HOwever: the quality of care is much the same, the calibre of hospitals, and the level of research.
I think you and Ormsweird would find yourselves comfortable in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver, all of which have both big hosptial/research communities, and good-sized SCA groups to play in.
Vancouver has weather closest to UK standard.
Montreal is freakin' cold in winter, but unlike here buildings are insulated and well-heated. And while it's in Quebec, Montreal is pretty bilingual; you can get by with a minimum of French, and will find lots of other anglophones.
In fact, all the cities are cosmopolitain - the colour/race/ethnic mix is a lot like London.
Seriously: all of those options are good, but I'd plug for Canada. :-)
no subject
Date: 2007-03-02 10:50 am (UTC)fingers crossed for you
x
no subject
Date: 2007-03-07 01:01 am (UTC)Even _when_ they get rid of the shaven chimp?
I guess it's their attitude to vanity-plastic surgery, coupled with non-state-supported essential work.
Here's a possible ray of sunshine
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/06/nsurgeon06.xml
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/07/ndocs07.xml
Fingers crossed for you.