First of all, we would like to congratulate you Locum Doctor on coming this far. It must have been an extremely hard journey, very tiring but worth it.
As a Junior Doctor, you must have a lot on your plate during the time around choosing a speciality. You want to make the right decision so that you can pursue the dream and the ambition you had. We are aware that there is pressure to choose a particular specialty, but if you are a doctor unsure about your choice, you can take a gap year off after your second year. You can even try some locum doctor work and try to travel around or work on a side hustle by taking advantage of the flexible work schedule. There are great opportunities and options you should look into before you decide on a specialty.
Have questions about locum doctor work opportunities? Call us and we will help you provide the right job fit for you. Explore vacancies for different specialities on our job page: here
Once you have received a 12 months training after which you enter the Foundation Programme in the second year. If you want to apply for a first year specialty training post in the UK, you need to complete 12 months of clinical experience after your internship. In the UK, this 12 month period is known as FY2.
Now that you are a FY2 Doctor, you will be expected to handle the management of various acute scenarios and contribute to the management of chronic cases. Although, you will be performing these procedures under supervision. Now that your FY2 year is coming to an end, the supervision will come to an end too. You will be in charge of all the procedures and decisions in your specialty so you need to make sure that you choose the right one.
Explore All Your Options Without Rushing Into A Decision.
It’s important to consider all of your options before making a hasty decision. As a result, we advise doing research because it will provide you with additional information about learning all the specialties to freshen up on your knowledge, getting professional guidance, taking a gap year, and working with a doctor locum agency. Here are a few methods for learning how to consider all of your options: –
-
Reading up on the different specialties offered: –
Resources can be found in journals on the internet about the different specialties offered. You can find them on blogs and many other places as the world is extremely connected now. You should also read books which old doctors have written in the specialties which you are interested in.
-
Speak to a practitioner in the field: –
Many old practitioners could give you advice on their lives and careers in a specific specialty. They could also turn into mentors for you and guide you for the rest of your career. Real life examples of problems they faced or successes they had can paint a clear picture. It can also inspire you for your own career path. To even know if they found taking a gap year useful to them to get where they are now.
-
Consider using a consultancy service: –
Many consultancy or healthcare locum recruitment agencies work in recruiting FY2 doctors for specialties. You could go to a consultancy service and they could give you information about vacancies available in your chosen speciality. The recruitment consultants can help you in finding the perfect vacancy for your speciality and provide any further guidance needed. Contact us today if you have any enquiry to make.
-
Take a break and explore different specialities: –
You can take a gap year after FY2 and try your hand at different specialties. You can do this through trying out locum work. It helps you have flexible work timings in various different specialties till you can find the perfect fit for yourself and gives you a chance to travel or spend quality time with loved ones. Here is a blog that we talked about all the top specialties, perks and pay rates and more that we have for Locum Doctors.
We have available vacancies in various specialties such as Cardiology and Obstetrics, click on the link to choose the right option for you: – Register Today
Make Sure That The Option You Choose Fits Your Lifestyle.
There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to choosing a speciality. Along with it being a right step for your career growth, it also needs to be a right step in your life.
A few ways in which you can make sure that you are choosing the right step are the following:
-
Schedules of different specialties: –
You can look at the prospective schedules of other specialties. Look at what the day looks like for other doctors already working in it. This can give you an idea of the hours you will need to put in and if you have the bandwidth to do so. If you have a family, this helps to see what kind of work – life balance the specialty will provide such as flexibility, traveling and earning more.
-
Training given by each specialty: –
As an FY2 doctor, you must also consider the amount of time you will be given to learn about the speciality. If you will be able to adapt smoothly without struggles. You must also consider the amount of guidance which you will be getting from a practitioner. For example, in a field like trauma, you will not get much time to learn because emergencies can arrive at any time.
-
Number of hours which can be given to a job: –
In your time as a doctor, you must have realized the amount of time which you can give to the job. You must have realized a lot about your schedule and the hours you are comfortable working with. Locum work as a doctor helps you stick to those hours. You control your hours and can give time to family with a lighter work schedule. If you are looking to explore locum work, the best locum agency in the UK is Mylocum. They can help you find locum work instantly.
You may have a lot of options of specialties in front of you after FY2. It is crucial that you pick the right option which furthers and strengthens your career. There are various factors such as the ones listed above which you should always keep in mind. It is a very big decision and you cannot always back out of it when you get into it. This is why, if you are unsure, taking a gap year to decide would be the most advisable. You can make best use of this time by pursuing locum work to decide the speciality meant for you.
Read our blog post on how to fill your gap year by working as a locum doctor if you want to know more about what to do in a gap year and how Mylocum Recruitment can help you find a variety of locum work.
Watch our videos on YouTube by real doctors in the NHS who participated in our Healthcare Summit 2023, click here.
We have a lot of openings for locum work for doctors in varied specialties, register with Mylocum using this link immediately: – Register Now
