any specialty/staff grade docs?

[purplepansy]

aaaagggghhhhhh. Am a reg in an acute speciality. Work shifts. Hate shifts as would rather be at home in the evenings and weekends. Also hate the fact that my workplace is pretty much a pressure cooker with disasters waiting to happen, and this is normal for the specialty. But do enjoy my job if that makes sense....just wish I could do it properly rather than in such a nightmare of an environment. Husband also works on calls etc so is not around a great deal, and is not prepared to compromise his career. Sick and tired of it all. Thinking of either trying to get a specialty doc post working office hours onlyplus maybe a few nights (ha, if that exists!), apply for GP (but don't like GP and don't want to go back to crappy SHO jobs) or leave medicine, probably for teaching. Any ideas? Really at the end of my tether.

how about going for LTFTT?

Am 0.6 already...works out as 29 hours (except that some weeks its 0 and some it's over 50 - it's only 29 hours averaged over 8 weeks)

I'm also a LTFT reg but in a much less acute speciality and DH non-medic so I find it quite manageable.

I'm now within a year of a consultant job finally and really looking forward not just to the money but to being more in control of my workload/ able to run things my own way. Do you think its worth a bit more short term pain for long term gain? I don't think I would like to be beholden for my whole career. Once you step off the training ladder it is usually an irreversible decision. Ok there's article 14 but with the way the job market is I wouldn't fancy my chances of getting a consultant job by the non-standard route.

Staff grade jobs vary so much ime. Some are really awful just filling in rubbish jobs that no-one else wants to do but some have carved out a nice niche for themselves doing something really interesting. Depends on your colleagues a lot but it seems to me that staff grade Drs are very often in quite a powerless position and first to get shafted when services get cut.

Have you thought of changing speciality to something less acute? You won't have to go all the way back in this age of competency based training. Dermatology? Ophthalmology? Seems a less nuclear option than leaving altogether

meet with the LTFTT dean and let them know. My expereince has been quite good - as i was put in a full time slot i have complete choice over which of the 60% allocated OOH slots I do. Also make sure I take 60% of the allocated rest days too! So try to plan with DH (also a medic) how to fit it in. Plus we have the services of a paid babysitter we call on occasionally at weekends
How old are your kids? im just back into training as my youngest is school age and its so much more doable now. i might go into a SAS post but would echo OP that oyu need to look around and find one where you have clinical autonomy at a senior level and arent seen as a glorifed SHO

As a spec doc you don't generally get much flexibility re the ooh as middle grades are very thin on the ground atm.. so your LTFTT is much better hours.

But am watching with great interest

And most of all given how hard most of us work to ensure sexism is eradicated make sure your husband is the one making career sacrifices whether sunny Jim likes that or not and never the little woman. If necessary get him to hire more help at home. Make sure things are fair domestically and then life is much easier. Never let the male career be put first.

Pathology is more office hours, particularly histolopathology and cytopathology.

ah zenia if only that was the only problem with trying to get a work life balance as an Spr! My lovely DH does all the housework and bends over backwards to work round my job but that doesn't make up for the inadequacies of trying to work and train in the NHS.

purplepansy I really feel for you. How far through are you? Could you really go back to being a year 1 reg if being a consultant is nearly within your reach? I think any specialty that doesn't do general medical on calls would be a good bet though if you did want to change - derm, palliative care, pathology etc. I do office hours (mostly outpatient but some inpatient) plus one evening clinic a week plus 1:6 on calls from home and am banded the same as the poor med regs on weeks of nights in A&E. I don't think it's that unusual, but the downside is being in a not so sexy specialty

I only posted that because she wrote
"Husband also works on calls etc so is not around a great deal, and is not prepared to compromise his career."
he sounds a right male chauvanist and needs to be shown where the dusters are and given a phone directory to arrange the childcare.

I have to say that comment is what jumped out at me as well. Why is your husband allowed to refuse to compromise his career OP? What would happen if you said the same?

Is he a surgical trainee?

Unfortunately this is a problem when you are both medics. LTFTT is probably best especially if you're almost finished. Focus on the benefits of completing your training. There's compromise in everything. The best advice I was given was to try to maintain full time hours. I would then have more control over my working week, I'd earn a full time salary and holiday leave.
I switched from A&E to GP and it's worked for me, but I work 4 long days and it's a juggle. I'm on maternity leave with my second child at the moment and it'll be interesting to see if I can maintain the pace once I return to work.

Are you really considering leaving Medicine? We've all had crap jobs, especially the shift work, but don't let that stop you continuing a fulfilling career.

I suppose it all depends on how far you are from completing your training. A good friend of mine has changed speciality three times, but it's much easier to do that if you're male!

Panache, I am an AE reg. I love it, and don't think I could change specialty, don't want to go back to square one...but still have FCEM to do...sigh. Have 4 years to go (part time)
My husband isn't at all chauvanistic!! He's lovely! He just (like me) is not prepared to change to a more family friendly specialty. And I support him in that. We already pay for lots of childcare and domestic help. He feels very guilty, and would support me whatever I do. If I wanted to stop work to be at home he'd be happy, if I wanted to go back to full time he'd be happy.
Middle grade AE posts are available with decent hours, I think partly because there is a shortage of regs, and I could get a daytime/early evenings job with no weekends and no nights (this job exists and has pretty much been offered to me), but it would be in a very small dgh, with no fun trauma stuff or sick medical pts. Am not sure if it's for me or not...it is such a big step to resign my number. Plus the pay is essentially shite - consultant pay scale starts at the end of the staff grade one...
Don't want to post on DNUK as have my name as my username there, so this is v helpful, thanks!

I am on DNUK too and the mods can post anonymously for you if you want advice there.

Are you LTFT because of children? Is a career break an option?

I am a vet and if it is at all imaginable when DD was really tiny I worked more crazy hours than docs do ( standard week 56 hours the on call on top), but what I wanted to add is that out the other side a partner now and I am really glad I didn't get off. Now I have many more choices than if I had choosen not to pursue partnership. I am able to control my life much more and actually having the time now with DD (8) feels much more valuable than when she was a baby.

How is it going purplepansy ?