Top Tips

ST3 top tips

  • Network
    1. Your fellow ST3s are important to you
    2. Make friends with each other, support each other, celebrate and commiserate together
  • SCA
    1. Plan a significant treat or holiday when finished
  • Study leave
    1. Plan early and use
    2. Exam time, special interests, GP updates,
  • e-Portfolio
    1. Keep up to date
    2. On top of mandatory training BLS, safeguarding etc
    3. Start QIP early before busy
    4. Remember 2 MSFs
    5. Leadership is much more interesting that you think – be creative, recognise when you are leading (no matter how small this may feel) and reflect and learn from it
  • Out of hours
    1. Little and regular
  • Claim travel expenses
  • Learn to be a GP
    1. Consulting
    2. Letters, results, tasks
    3. Professional development
    4. Work life balance
  • Career planning
    1. Careers fayre is really helpful for getting head around topics like locuming, portfolio career, contracts
    2. CV and interviews
    3. Look out for job adverts
    4. Make a plan about what work you want to do and where
    5. Contract negotiation is normal, be bold.
    6. Special interests eg contraception, minor surgery, joint injections, education – develop them now!
  • Last opportunity to be supernumerary. Watch other people consult, sit in on special clinics eg physio, dermatology, attend PCN/LMC/CCG meetings
  • It’s a busy year with a lot to achieve, if you are struggling, please seek help, everyone wants you to achieve and thrive and be a happy GP at the end of this, it’s available if people know you need it.