02 FYi


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Welcome News


RISE IN OUT-OF-WORK


F2 DOCTORS THE number of doctors who finished foundation training but could not find a job has increased, a new report shows. The proportion of trainees still seeking employment as a doctor in


the UK in August 2013 was 7.6 per cent, up from 7.4 per cent in 2012 and 6.3 per cent in 2011. The number of F2s who moved directly into specialty training also


Welcome to your FYi


FOUNDATION years can be a bit of a whirlwind, but what happens next? On page 4 I discuss the pros and cons of taking a break from training, whether to explore different specialties, hone your CV for that perfect post or spend time abroad or with your family. As our news item on page 2 reports, this is becoming increasingly common as almost double the number of foundation year 2 doctors are taking years out compared with a couple of years ago. There is something of a career


theme to this issue as Dr Liz Berkin offers some practical advice on page 10 on how to make sure you choose the right specialty. Children’s favourite media doctor Ranjit Singh – better known as Dr Ranj – talks about the demands of TV work, his specialty training in paediatric emergency medicine and being asked for autographs by patients. Find out more on page 12.


COVER PHOTOGRAPH: CHRISTIAN VERMAAK SCALE OF TRAINEE


EDITOR: Dr Anne Parfitt-Rogers


ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Joanne Curran


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JOBS SHORTAGE CONFIRMED THE foundation training programme is oversubscribed by almost 300 places, the UKFPO has confirmed. There are currently 293 more eligible applicants than places available


for the programme which starts in August. That is only slightly lower than last year’s record-high oversubscription of 295. This is the fourth year in a row there has been a shortfall in places. Despite the high number, the UK Foundation Programme Office has


moved to reassure trainees. They predict a number of applicants will drop out of the programme between now and March when the primary list allocations will be announced. Over the coming weeks, all eligible applicants will be ranked in score


order and the top 7,589 will be allocated to a foundation school on March 10. Those left over will be put on a reserve list and given jobs in batches over the following months. UKFPO national director Professor Derek Gallen said: “Despite the


programme being oversubscribed again, I would like to reassure applicants that we are in a better position at this stage in the process than last year. “I am confident that as has been the case since the programme was


first oversubscribed, all eligible applicants will be placed in jobs by the start of the programme in August.” For more information visit www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk


Meanwhile, our regular careers feature looks at the opportunities for working in oncology on page 8. How many times have you


used your smartphone at work to photograph patients or check an app? An increasing number of trainees are using their devices for clinical reasons – but are you aware of the risks? Find out on page 7. Dr Jekyll famously tried it and countless comic book villains have dabbled. But is it ever ethical to experiment on yourself? Allan Gaw investigates on page 5. Foundation trainees are now


expected to master 15 core procedures. On page 6, F2 doctor Anli Zhou offers some tips for tackling the first three on the list. Our case study on page 14, meanwhile, looks at the case of retained surgical patties in a patient with a slipped disc.


• Dr Anne Parfitt-Rogers Editor


fell. Just over 7,000 doctors finished foundation training in August 2013 and, of those, 64 per cent found a UK specialty post compared to 67 per cent in 2012 and 71 per cent in 2011. The figures were published by the UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) which surveyed all 7,299 F2 doctors who successfully completed the programme in August. Of those, 6,961 (95.4 per cent) responded. Half of the doctors who couldn’t find a specialty training job said


they were still looking for employment in the UK. Of the doctors who did achieve a specialty training post, almost 30 per cent were appointed to a run-through programme with the same amount heading to a core training programme. The report also showed 9.4 per cent of F2s took a career break –


more than double the 2011 total of 4.6 per cent – and five per cent were appointed to positions outside the UK. A further 0.3 per cent left the medical profession permanently.


PHOTO: RON CATHRO


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