What order of FY1 Jobs is best?

The subdeanery that I've been allocated to offers general medical, general surgical (neurosurgery or plastics), paeds, and T&O jobs in various combinations.

I was just wondering if there is any particular order that would be best, as recommended by current F1's/F2's?

For example, I've read through other posts on here that it's better to have a gen med job first since it's so busy

Some programmes also have 2 gen med jobs with 1 surgical and vice versa - are these best avoided or a good chance to get experience?

Thank you :smile:

Reply 1

dances_with_lamposts

I'd start in medicine first.... Into the fire! Then you can progressively chill out as the year goes on. :smile:

Reply 2

Helenia

Original post by MHMQ786

Either way will work out ok in the end. Going straight into gen med/surgery will be really really tough, straight in at the deep end, might be overwhelming initially. But you will get to grips with things and then it will be nice to relax in slightly less strenuous jobs.

On the other hand, starting on something like paeds gives you a chance to get used to the whole "being a doctor" thing and work out how lots of things in your hospital work like ordering bloods, scans etc. You definitely have to step up the pace when you move to medicine, which can be quite tough after being in such a protected environment, but again you get used to it within a few weeks.

I started on paeds and then went into gen med - it was really hard in the first few weeks but I survived!

What specialties you choose depends to an extent on what you're interested in. Whatever you do will be good experience!

Reply 3

MHMQ786

Original post by dances_with_lamposts

I'd start in medicine first.... Into the fire! Then you can progressively chill out as the year goes on. :smile:

Original post by Helenia

Thanks very much to you both - that's really very useful advice, I appreciate it :smile:

Reply 4

twmffat_twp

Personally, I'd try and start on something a busy like gen med or gen surg as people tend to expect you to be a bit crappy in August but to be up to speed and functional by December, so its best to go all in. It also takes the fear factor out, as you will come out of the job knowing that you can survive a busy take, with a few crash calls under your belt, difficult venflons etc. Then, I would do a cushier job like paeds to give you a bit of a break. I would try and do T&O last, as legend has it that orthopods tend to be the most disinterested seniors in the non-bony bits of their (decrepit) patients so you end up often looking after the medical side of your patients care (who often have extensive co-morbidities) with little support from your direct seniors and taking decisions that would be made way higher up the food chain on medical firms. People who start on this find this incredibly stressful, wheras others who move on to ortho later in FY with some gen med under their belts can find it a really satisfying job where they get to think a bit for themselves.

Reply 5

MHMQ786

Original post by twmffat_twp

Yeah, my experiences as a med student observing the juniors definitely agrees with what you've said wrt T&O. Thanks very much - I've ranked the jobs preliminarily and ended up doing what you suggested :smile:

Reply 6

hoonosewot

Yeh, i'd recommend starting on medical, then going into surgery then the more specialised stuff if possible for the reasons above, though it doesn't matter hugely.

The only big boobytrap in terms of rotation orders is getting psych first as a lot of those guys are way behind when they start their next job.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 7

MHMQ786

Original post by hoonosewot

Thanks

Reply 8

GdotL

Original post by Helenia

Ooh, would you be able to give any advice about having paeds as the first F1 rotation before the more general posts? Any pointers would be greatly appreciated!!

Reply 9

Helenia

Original post by GdotL

Ooh, would you be able to give any advice about having paeds as the first F1 rotation before the more general posts? Any pointers would be greatly appreciated!!

Don't worry too much about the paeds job itself - it's highly likely you'll be pretty supernumary and paeds is generally a more protected, consultant-delivered specialty anyway so you will have seniors around and lots of supervision. They know that you have probably only done a couple of months of paeds at med school, compared with a couple of years cumulative medicine/surgery experience, so won't expect loads, but read the paeds section of OHCS or similar if you want to refresh your memory.

With regard to preparing for your more general posts, try to use your first few months to get to grips with how your hospital works - how to order scans, tests, make referrals etc. Get to know the other F1s in the jobs you'll be rotating into, and try to get tips from them. It will still be tough when you're plunged in, but don't stress out or think you'll be loads worse than people who've been in the job a couple of months - that's a self-fulfilling prophecy!

Reply 10

seaholme

One thing I got suggested to me and which I have optimistically lined up in my F1/F2 job choices is that if you're feeling ambitious it's common to try to get your MRCP done during foundation years. The way it works out is that you want your 4th rotation (1st of FY2) to be the most 'chill' of all your jobs because it gives you time to work on revising, if you decide to go for it.

I also think you should do a medical job before a surgical job if it's between those. That's just my opinion from having been a student doing a surgical firm before a medical firm... you get so much more teaching, support and general knowledge on a medical firm. Then when you're left to be more 'independent' on a surgical firm, at least you're able to deal with things! I feel like surgery taught me bad ways, and you want to learn the best ways first.