Qualifications of Doctors

[tigwig]

Hi, my husband and I have been having a discussion about how you become a Consultant/Surgeon etc. i thought that all people trained in the medical profession had to originally become GP's but my hubby says that in medical school they decide if they want to become a GP and if not then specialise into doing something else. Who is right?

[MrXLA]

Firstly you are both wrong
Secondly 'General Practice' is a Speciality
Medical students may or may not have a career pathway in mind before graduation, but its not that simple, especially now!!
Medical students train as undergraduates for 5-6 years after which they qualify with an MB BS (or similar)
Currently they all enter hospital posts as FY1 doctors (Foundation Year 1, previously known as house officers)
Then they do FY2 (previously known as senior house officers)
During the FY2 year the doctors apply for a number of ST programmes (Specialist Training), General Practice being one of many.
If successful in getting onto an ST GP programme (which is now very competitive) they would then do a further minimum 3 years training in both hospital and general practice in order to become GPs
If they were on an ST programme for instance in general surgery then after FY2 it would typically be a minimum of 5 years further training in hospital before completion of specialist training and appointment as consultant (usually longer though!!)

[sqad617]

MXLA has given an authoritative and comprehensive view of medical training, BUT, to precis......those who want to become surgeons will concentrate on surgical training immediately after qualifying and "choice" appointments with that in mind, and hence can become surgeons without going into General Practice. Occasionally however, a Dr, in General Practice may realise it is not for him and go back to the bottom of the surgical ladder to retrain as a surgeon. General Practice a speciality?? matter of semantics.

[GeordiePengy]

MrXLA has given an excellent overview, presumably because he's within the trade, so to speak.

In order to complete their training and progress up from ST1 to ST3 and beyond, there is a series of exams and competancies which they have to complete. Demand tends to exceed supply of the number of positions available working under a consultant. At times there tends to be a bit of an 'old boys club', i.e., the junior who the consultant(s) favoured tends to get the job ahead of other candidates. However, this is because the consultant has usually taken them under their wing and they become a bit of a prodigy for the consultant. Also people who tend to specialise in say surgery have to move around during their ST years gaining experience in different areas of surgery, i.e., vascular, breast, colorectal, upper GI. To become a consultant surgeon they have to become a member of the FRCS (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons), likewise for other specialities.

Personally I dread August as some of the new FY1 come out of uni with an arrogance and attitude that defies belief. The adage don't get ill in August is so true.
Also the same applies to October when the new ST's comea round wanting to demonstrate their new found skills (or not as the case maybe).

Oh the joys og the NHS!