I’m a GP

[WutheringBites]

here’s the thing; I can’t get a job. And lots of us who completed training in the past two years can’t either. It’s a national problem (well, at least across England) and there’s thousands of us in the same boat.
I didn’t expect to earn millions as a doctor, but I did think there would always be work for a nice GP. AIBU?

I know. We foresaw this situation a few years back and DS (who has the grades for medicine) decided to train as a nurse instead.
He has no student debt as there are still some routes into nursing where you don't have to pay tuition fees. He definitely has a much better quality of life (he has witnessed doctors in our family suffer burnout) and actually his career prospects are pretty good as jobs in medicine are getting increasingly scarcer.

The thing is GPs are medical consultants, the same grade as cardiac or orthopaedic surgeons. A lot of primary care just doesn't need that level of expertise. You don't just ring up a hospital and expect to see a specialist yet the public expects this with GPs. A lot of what GPs do is onward referrals for more expert opinions and ACPs/ANPs or other members of the MDT can also do this very effectively.
I work with ACPs in a daily basis and they are fantastic at what they do and they do most things.

GPs haven't really moved with the times. They stuck with their medical model through thick and thin. Despite lots of evidence re adverse drug interactions, medication causing falls etc. In the face of data and AI they can't argue anymore. Their new buzz word is "functional medicine" which is great but it's only what other professionals (like OT and sports therapy) have been bleating on about for decades.

Two private GP practices have recently opened within 5 miles of my home. Their focus is on maximising health and fitness and child health . Maybe this is something OP could consider?

Maybe time to shift your thinking and your approach.

Consider starting your own business, which you can develop while looking for a role and keep it up when you get one. That's what I do in my own non medical field.

Do you have a special area of interest and expertise? (Yes I know GP means General!)

EG perimenopause, caring for ND children, adult acne - just some examples

Setting up as a consultant, coach, advisor etc, offering private Zoom/Teams sessions 1-1 or to groups can build your professional brand, and raise your profile, which can lead to them seeking you out instead of you chasing their roles.

I've seen similar posts from other newly qualified doctors. Many of us would like to know what is going on, especially as it's a month wait for an appt round here.

There's good money to be made in women's health, particularly menopause treatments and alternative medication for hypothyroidism. You'd be doing women a favour.

@CrispsPlease lol please I'm a PANP working in the ED with almost 20years of experience. I'm fully aware of the saying you don't know what you don't know and its reserved for novice inexperienced practitioners that are overconfident because they are not aware of the limits of their knowledge in other words they don't know what they don't know. When you are aware of the limits of your knowledge ie you know what you don't know you are a much safer and competent practitioner. It's commonly known as the Dunning-Krueger effect

Ok. You do you. I don't have to prove myself to you but thanks all the same for the patronising put downs.

@CrispsPlease Wow I didn't ask you to prove yourself or make patronising put downs. Mads is that you?? 🤣

I'm afraid I don't have any advice but just wanted to thank you and your husband. People don't seem to realise how invaluable Doctors are and I'm so so grateful for everyone who does this job and anyone who works in health care. Thank you and I wish you all the best in finding a suitable place x

Can someone explain why a Dr can't get a job in the UK? I thought we were desperately short of Drs and nurses here (this being the justification given by the NHS for immorrally imo poaching these people from poorer countries)?

From this thread it seems we have too many Drs here???

@Zebedee999 no funding

Was about to say "Come to Australia -- pleeease!" but then saw that you can't easily up and move. We're short of GPs, too, especially outside the major cities. For years Australia has been looting other nations of doctors instead of training enough of our own. Lately we've been siphoning them out of India, tho I'd say that with a population of 1.5 billion India needs to retain its doctors, and we need to stop luring them away.

I'm retraining as a nurse (second career) and am surprised at how many basic procedures nurses here are not allowed to do. For example, we can't stitch a shallow wound, even under a doc's supervision. We really need our GPs!

Good luck, OP.

I’m really worried about getting knocked off the performers list.
plus, I hate hospitals (which is why I trained to be a GP). The very few jobs that have come up over the last year or so have been very “acute medicine” which absolutely isn’t my bag.

The government won’t be sending their own families to them, though, whatever they say.

Are you trying for locum or perm roles though?

I know you say you don’t want to but set up a private GP in your area. We’re short of GPs but as the NHS won’t hire them anymore, people will have to go somewhere

What an odd comment - why shouldn't someone move into a different role after doing the appropriate training? It's really quite common for admin/reception staff to move into a clinical role in primary care. I doubt it's just like they let her have a go one day as the phlebotomist was off sick...

In my area there is a walk in GP service run by the local county hospital, but its at a very small local outpatients hospital that is much more like a GPs or clinics. Could that be an option?

Theres something very wrong in our country. People have to phone up at 8.00 or use a long online form to beg to see a GP and eventually get seen by a paramedic or HCA whilst highly qualified GPs can't find jobs.

I get that paramedic practitioners and HCAs are cheaper for the NHS and some are very good and for many minor ailments it works well. But there are a lot more conditions that people present at GPs for than minor ailments. I do feel that GPs are just gatekeepers now though to get you your referral or prescribe antibiotics. Wouldn't a hospital based job be more stimulating and interesting if you could get over the hospital element?

I hate to say it but I think its time for private HC to replace the NHS, at least for the next generation. It doesnt work properly, for non acute cases. My teenager was recently signed off by the local hospital after a cursory check and then a phone appointment with a doctor months and months later (having been dilligently referred there and chased up and re prioritised twice by the GP). I took them to a private appointment a couple of weeks ago as we knew something wasnt right and they have immediately diagosed a moderately serious condition which would be life threatening if left and requires a surgical procedure to correct it. As they themselves said, what if I wasnt lucky enough to have a parent that did a job that comes with private HC? We would have had no idea and damage would have been continuing to accumulate into adulthood.

I know you're NHS through and through but something has to change.

Ah, otters are secretly at helm! No wonder :)

I totally understand your hate of hospital. If i ever did my advanced practice, from an interest point of view I'd choose cardiology but i NEVER want to work in a hospital again (worked in hospital 20 years ago before becoming a paramedic), so i just continue as i am, where ironically, i spend most my time sitting just outside hospital!!

Could you do a diploma in menopause and get some private practice work doing that so that you are working and staying current. The more menopause specialist the better and you would be an asset to your practice and women in your community when you do get a GP job.

Come to Australia. Being an NHS doctor is utterly soul destroying.

I’m older; a few of us are, as we take more circuitous routes to qualify.

bloody excellent other experience we bring tho

So many are qualifying & doing exactly that or going into consultancy or pharma earning big bucks. It’s v sad but I understand pragmatic.

Also thank you for so many PP saying lovely things. I’m feeling angry, but also really low at the moment, so although I know AIBU probably isn’t the best place to post for support, it’s actually been incredibly kind.

❤

Keep your chin up OP. Ultimately it cant be possible for all your hard work, dedication and valuable experience to come to nothing. You may have to think outside of the box a bit or consider a different environment but I am sure an opportunity will present itself. And I say that as an older woman in IT when Ive had.similar periods or hopelessness due to the inherent sexism in that industry.

So sorry you’re in this position OP. It’s a disgrace. My DD has just started GP training 😬 It was so competitive for her to get a training place. 4000 places, 21000 applicants.
Why train these doctors if they can’t all get jobs at the end? Probably due to reasons posted above in terms of cost saving. Doesn’t make sense though.