Are there any doctors out there who have had a long break from medicine and managed to get back in?

[backtoworkthistime]

I am medically qualified and fully registered.
After house jobs and then 3 to 4 yrs full time general adult medicine I gave up work due to having children and other family circumstances.
Many years later[18 oh dear] I do feel I would love to somehow get back.
I am not deluded in any way and know that competitive careers are a no no but would love to do something~from psychiatry[have no experience],to medical clinic[is this possible] to an attachment to family planning ~ actually anything!
Have any of you had a similar experience or any advice to offer on this?
Thanks

Look in the BMJ online they have had some articles in the last year about similar situations to yours

ok thanks renaldo will do.
I read a bmj blog a year or so ago about a woman who got back into medicine though the scheme in England which has now closed.

Have you got any contacts locally? I used to work with someone who was great at getting us part-time Clinical Assistants. They were all people she knew herself or via her husband who was also a doctor.

And where I am now (Addictions in patient unit) we could do with a part-time doctor to do the admissions and ward round for 2-3 hours a day. The work is contracted out to a GP surgery to cover at the moment, but before that we were looking for someone.

I think renaldo may be talking about the Flexible Careers scheme which was like a GP retainer scheme for hospital doctors which of course closed because lots more female trainees were coming through and it would really have been useful. Typical.

Do you have MRCP?

With MMC there are actually going to be loads of gaps in a lots of hospitals at middle grade level (SHO/Reg), purely for service rather than training - and any forward thinking trusts (possibly DGH's may be better for this than teaching hospitals?) will be having to think about novel ways of covering these gaps. Whereabouts are you? Did you get MRCP? A lot of the gaps will be ward based rather than clinic - for example covering shifts on Medical Admissions.

I suspect you will feel like you need to do a bit of observing/training before you dive back in - may be difficult to get paid for this, but you might be able to sort out a 'clinical observer' type role. Probably the best thing to do is to contact the Deanery in your area and speak to the Flexible Trainees office - not that you want to be a flexible trainee, but they look after lots of different specialties so may be able to point you in the right direction for someone to talk to. Also you could try the Working Lives people at the Royal College of Physicians. The Royal College run regular regional Update courses which might be worth going on if you have to make up your own re-training programme. Maybe try and find a 'supervising' consultant and ask them what basic skills and re-training they would expect. Check with the GMC what your revalidation requirements would be coming back in after a career break.

Sorry to ramble on and not to be of more actual use, but I really hope you can sort something out as I think medicine needs to take advantage of the experience of people in just your situation. In my experience as a flexible trainee (now part-time consultant physician) you really do have to make things up as you go along and just push for what you feel suits you. Someone somewhere will be very pleased to have you back at work - it just might take a bit of time to find who!

Thanks surfermum and smellyeli
Doing admissions on a unit sounds a good idea~i think I have the skills for that sort of thing,after an attachment period obviously.I mean it would be difficult for me now to initiate treatment etc as my knowledge/prescribing is out of date,so checking patients and doing pre procedure investigations sounds ok.
smellyeli~lots of good advice thanks.I think I should contact the Deanery to arrange an attachment/clinical observer period.One of the things that has delayed me is trying to make a decision about whether I would be capable of getting up to scratch in a medical role or not,but better to go to the Deanery and do a general medical attachment first and take it from there.
Thank you for the encouragement~ I think I feel the stirrings of some ambition in there somewhere!
Unfortunately I do not have the MRCP.

I don't think it matters about MRCP - sorry, I mentioned it twice by accident - sounds like I'm obsessed with it! - but the college would still be a good resource.

What Deanery are you in? You might be near me. Good luck with it all.

don't worry!
I am in wales~my nearest Deanery that deals with this sort of thing is Cardiff,about 2hrs from here[am in the sticks!]

Ah, I am West Midlands (but near-ish to Powys, if that's any help!)

Well not near but not too bad
Just had a bit of a moment!
I googled Deaneries directly as I couldn't find any articles on bmj online and the Mersey Dean was a Prof whose name I recognised who I worked with when I was in Liverpool!
Feel a bit , and [at myself]all at the same time!

Right!~sorry for the digression!I've made my own choices over the years and of course tried to fit in with what appeared to be the best for the family.

There is a scheme here in Wales whereby you can have a supernumerary post for 6 mos then after that compete with everyone else but I guess drs with shorter term difficulties will also use it.

I need to get over this basic confidence issue of re entering a workforce of drs 15 yrs younger than me who are still basically competent.

I will try to find details of the returning to hospital training courses I saw mentioned on the bmj site.

Supernumerary post sounds good - I'm not sure if we have a scheme like that here.

I think you're right - it's about choices and what's right for your family (only just working that bit out for us - a work in progress!) The problem sometimes particularly with hospital medicine is that people presume there is only one way to do things. You never get to meet people who aren't on the hamster wheel unless you get off the hamster wheel,IYSWIM.

I think you will have a whole load of transferable skills that the young whippersnappers can only dream of! Raising and running a family involves huge amounts of efficiency - time-management, prioritisation, focus, multi-tasking etc. - I know it's a cliche, but it really is so true. Also, there are a lot more mature students out there now, so a good few junior docs will be in their 30's rather than their 20's - you might not stand out as much as you think....

I'll try and find out if any of my flexible friends know who would be a good person to talk to in your area.

Must go - DD is trying to eat a used battery that she's found in the bin.

Thanks a lot smellyeli!
I need to

1.Contact the post graduate Dean in Cardiff.Hopefully this will lead to two things,a local clinical attachment and a possibility of getting on a supernumerary post for 6 mos in a medical type post~maybe medicine for the elderly or A & E ~ maybe this will get clearer after the attachment.

2.Research retraining courses

I'll do that and post again tomorrow~don't want to take up too much of your time!

backtowork - how is it going? Any joy with the Deanery? Hope things are moving for you.

PS You can have my job! The way it's been this week, anyway

interesting thread. How is it going back to work?
I worked as a pyschyiatry staff grade before giving up 5 years ago after having baby no4!
Have also been wondering recently about a way back in eventually....all quite scary though. I feel I have been out of it so long I wouldnt have a clue where to start!
may look into placements for observing etc.. though..

interesting thread. How is it going back to work?
I worked as a pyschyiatry staff grade before giving up 5 years ago after having baby no4!
Have also been wondering recently about a way back in eventually....all quite scary though. I feel I have been out of it so long I wouldnt have a clue where to start!
may look into placements for observing etc.. though..

oops sorry double post...brain frazzled , not sure I would ever function back in the world of work lol

Have been out for 9 years, used to be SpR year 3 in medicine with geriatrics then Staff Grade in stroke before giving up to have 2nd 3rd and 4th children. Have moved away and have no contacts here. Would like job in term time only and part time. Feel as though I am asking too much so haven't even approached dean yet.... Can't believe how rusty I feel! great thread feel like I'm not the only one up this particular creek....

I'm very late to join this too. I had my dd whilst I was just a 2nd yr SHO in O+G, managed to get back in in a very isolated hospital (don't know if that made a difference) and make it to Staff Grade, but I have now found a job in medical education which will be "only" 37.5 hours (it's going to seem like part time!) - it's worth looking at your local trusts on NHS jobs, which is where I found this post, it was not advertised in the bmj. Wishing you lots of luck.

well I took the plunge, and have an appointment to see Postgrad Dean on Sep 25th. ..... Feeling very scared! It seems a million years ago since I was a Staff Grade in Psychiatry....
Not sure how it will work out. I will also need flexible hours - thinking maybe mornings only to fit in with school etc...The whole thought of childcare arrangements is stressing me out already....reminds me why I gave up LOL
It will also depend on how the initial Return to Work placement will be structured and paid etc... childcare is going to cost a lot, and cant afford to be out of pocket really.....still we'll see.
Keeping fingers crossed that something can be worked out.

How is everyone else getting on? It is comforting to hear of others in similar positions - makes me feel slightly less add LOL

That's excellent galen~hope it goes well!

I have applied for a clinical attachment in A@E and /or medicine so have coddled together my CV.I have to e mail it tomorrow th Human Resources[personnel!]
I have also been given permission to attend the post grad meetings in my local PG centre.
And am going on the Advanced life support course!
Seems to be more info online atm than there was.

So, some progress ~ watch this space!

just an update

I have an interview with the post graduate Dean on sept24th to discuss options and constraints[!]to my career plans.

The current possible plan is to apply for an F1 post left over from the Foundation Programme recruitment round but to do that I have to do the clinical assessments which are in Manchester~a 16 station OSCE sort of mini finals.

How it will work I don't know yet~maybe I will be registered twice lol.

I am awaiting approval from a consultant willing to take me on in medicine or A&E for an attachment...

STOP PRESS the phone just rang and the HR sec said the local resp consultant IS going to take me on for the attachment!!

Am over the moon~hope my brain still works!

Don't know if anyone is still on the thread but am very excited as HR later rang to say that the cardiology consultant is also keen to support me during an attachment...keen~how nice!

due to start 28 september

er better get a stethoscope!

Have got the paperwork ~where is my original qualification certificate I don't know but I'd better get looking.

This is good practice for getting a job though.

Just wondering how clever and/or knowledgeable they may be expecting me to be.

I have to introduce myself to the consultants tomorrow ~ deep breaths!

This is fantstic. I hope it goes really well. Do report back.

well it went well in terms of I got to occupational Health and had a Hep B booster and went to the clinical meeting.

However I didn't cross paths sufficiently with the consultants to get an introduction in ~ so I'm going back tomorrow!

I did manage to introduce myself to the juniors who were lovely~they aren't much older than my eldest lol!!

I also left the paperwork in the right place so that was also good!