I'm a junior doctor- AMA

[NotExactlyRocketScience]

Exactly as the title says- I'm a junior doctor, ask me anything!

What stage?

I'm coming to the end of my second year of training (FY2).

Kl

Sorry that was rude, I should expand, I’m the same level and interested to hear what CT/ST doctors have to say about things when it’s anonymous. Good luck with your next steps :)

What would you like to specialise in and why?

On a scale of 1-10, how much do you hate Jeremy Hunt?

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I would love to know your opinion on (media) Doctors who have seemingly abandoned medicine to pursue nutrition and to produce cookbooks etc.

Also, are there some aspects of the role that you didn't bargain for?

Since leaving school how long has it take you to get to this stage ? Did you go straight from alevels to uni or do something in-between

If you watch casualty/Holby how true is their representation of junior doctors

Also when at uni as a med student did you have long summers like other students or were you required to be on placement during these ?

I am hoping to do graduate entry medicine. Would you recommend a medical career?

AnotherCrazyDaisy I think general practice. I like the mix of patients and the autonomy of the job, and avoiding the hospital environment and constantly changing staff is a bonus. Its also the specialty that I have worked in that involves the most diagnostic medicine, and that's something that i really enjoy.

What's your view on the traditionally antagonistic relationship between doctors and managers in the nhs, how can we make it better?

(Also, thank you! You guys work so bloody hard and make such intense decisions every day, I have the utmost respect for you!)

Just beware that there are some morale hoovers on here who will expect you to give your GMC number etc.

UnOwen Id have to say I hate him 10/10. The damage he has done to the health service is immeasurable. Estimated additional deaths over this government are in the tens of thousands. And so many of my colleagues are leaving medicine because the working conditions are just unsustaninable long term. These are passionate, intelligent, excellent doctors, leaving the job that they love and that that have trained for since they were sixteen.
Angry isn't the word.

The thing that I enjoy most is the people- we see people at their best and their absolute worst, but we see them at their most 'real'. Its a privilege.
On an intellectual level I also enjoy the challenging diagnoses- I think that's part of why I also enjoy GP, each consultation is a challenge of communication and medical skills. It keeps me on my toes.

doesthisseemright While a lot of us joke about 'selling out' etc, I think anyone who has managed to escape the health service and use their skills in a different way has done pretty well. We only get frustrated when the science is left behind- it feels disloyal to the rest of us who are fighting misinformation and Dr Google more than ever.

I didn't bargain for the sexism. I was obviously very naive, but at 18 I thought that time had moved on and that people who valued science and evidence would not think that I was less because I was a woman. hollow laugh Its improving, but it's absolutely endemic and there are still some areas of medicine that seem to never have lost the boys club atmosphere.

forgivenminds Its taken me almost 10 years, but I did have 2 kids along the way. I worked for a year between finishing uni and starting my FY1 job, in the non medical job i did through uni. I needed to save enough money for moving costs and rent deposit etc.

The juniors on casualty/holby are ridiculous. I think those shows forget that we are nerds at heart. We are high achievers, high IQ, probably not part of the group of cool kids at school. The doctors i know are more likely to enjoy a good pub quiz than all the drama and power struggles of Holby City.
Also most of us have a real commitment to medicine that isn't evident in these shows. We've worked towards it for the whole of our adult lives, and most of us see it as a privilege. We take it much more seriously than the juniors on these shows ever seem to!

We got about 3/4 weeks for summer.

My DS16 has always wanted to study medicine.
He has the academic ability and lots of drive and determination.
Would you advise him to go for it?
If you were 16 again would you still follow the same path?

And a big thank you for all you do.

HungryHippo yes! I absolutely love my job, and most of my colleagues feel the same. It has it's challenges, and medical training will control your life for a long time, but for me it's worth it.

LondonLoves Thank you.
There definitely is a difficult relationship with management in most hospitals I have worked in. I think it comes about because we feel that nobody asks us before making decisions, there's no consultation of the doctors who make up a large part of the workforce before making changes that massively affect patient care and our working conditions. Asking us what we think would be a start!

Have you read This is going to hurt?

slightaggrandising they can ask for it if they want, im not going to give it to them! And I'm happy that I'm breaking no rules or ethical principles by answering questions on an anonymous forum.

Thanks for answering my q and massive respect to you for doing training/studying alongside having kids - can't have been easy!

I spend a lot of time working with junior doctors, and I don't know how you guys do it, the constant moving hospitals would drive me nuts. What do you really think when a student nurse or hca questions (politely) something, we see this a lot and some doctors are great at taking on board the views of those on the ground so to speak and others will not listen at all. Maybe questions is the wrong word, discusses?

When you are studying, do they teach the medical students about how vital the nurses are and why you should listen to them?

I love the NHS but it seems so inefficient - and I don't say that as a criticism of the medical staff.

How would you address these inefficiencies whilst still keeping it free at the point of use?