Should i continue on the become a consultant

Ok so im only in year 10 but I've always been so motivated and driven to become a doctor. I really want to go further and become a consultant BUT its at least 5 years extra training after becoming a doctor. The wage consultants get is GREATLY higher than doctors. Do you think its worth it to try to become a consultant?
p.s. i have no problem with just being a doctor but 5 years more training could mean a lifetime of me being happier at my workplace and financially!
What do u think?

Reply 1

Democracy

20

Original post by nicolesm1

Ok so im only in year 10 but I've always been so motivated and driven to become a doctor. I really want to go further and become a consultant BUT its at least 5 years extra training after becoming a doctor. The wage consultants get is GREATLY higher than doctors. Do you think its worth it to try to become a consultant?
p.s. i have no problem with just being a doctor but 5 years more training could mean a lifetime of me being happier at my workplace and financially!
What do u think?

For UK graduates, picking a specialty and completing it to become either a consultant or a GP principal is pretty much a given.

I mean, what's the alternative? You'd finish FY1 and FY2 and then what? Be an eternal FY2? No one would ever choose to do that - and not just because you'd be losing out on a consultant salary.

Whilst there are some doctors (stereotypically and historically: international graduates) who remain at SHO level forever, this is really not something that would practically ever be encouraged or seen as a viable choice, least of all for a UK graduate.

The way it works is that you finish FY1 and FY2 and then you can enter specialty training. Some specialties are more difficult to get into than others. Once you're in specialty training you have to complete various exams and other work place assessments and requirements. This is intertwined with your day job; it's not like you stop being paid or you need to go back to uni. You do this for a certain number of years until you've completed all the exams and other requirements and you gradually become more independent and autonomous in your work. You also take responsibility for training and supervising the more junior doctors under you. This carries on until you finish the training programme and gain your Certificate of Completion of Training, at which point you can apply for consultant jobs.

Reply 2

nexttime

22

Original post by nicolesm1

Ok so im only in year 10 but I've always been so motivated and driven to become a doctor. I really want to go further and become a consultant BUT its at least 5 years extra training after becoming a doctor. The wage consultants get is GREATLY higher than doctors. Do you think its worth it to try to become a consultant?
p.s. i have no problem with just being a doctor but 5 years more training could mean a lifetime of me being happier at my workplace and financially!
What do u think?

So what do you think the alternative is?

In the UK you do 5-6 years med school, and then on graduation you are a "doctor", and then you must at least do FY1 to get full GMC membership. The minimum time to be a consultant after than is 7 years (or 4 years to be a GP).

But no one just stops in the middle really as mentioned. Not for more than a year or 2 anyway. It is possible, and you can earn more than a consultant doing this (currently), but its all ad-hoc work, having to travel to lots of different places, lots of uncertainty about where the next work is coming from or whether the locum market or private job will just dry up next year. Loads of random hours, lots of it at night. You won't get an NHS pension so will have to pay for one yourself. You won't get sick leave or paid annual leave. Getting a mortgage will be really really hard. And perhaps most importantly: you'll remain bottom of the hierarchy forever. No matter how experienced you become (or how correct you know you are) the consultant or even junior reg's word will always be considered more accurate than yours. Not very good for job satisfaction.

No one really does that.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 3

nicolesm1

OP

10

Original post by Democracy

For UK graduates, picking a specialty and completing it to become either a consultant or a GP principal is pretty much a given.

I mean, what's the alternative? You'd finish FY1 and FY2 and then what? Be an eternal FY2? No one would ever choose to do that - and not just because you'd be losing out on a consultant salary.

Whilst there are some doctors (stereotypically and historically: international graduates) who remain at SHO level forever, this is really not something that would practically ever be encouraged or seen as a viable choice, least of all for a UK graduate.

The way it works is that you finish FY1 and FY2 and then you can enter specialty training. Some specialties are more difficult to get into than others. Once you're in specialty training you have to complete various exams and other work place assessments and requirements. This is intertwined with your day job; it's not like you stop being paid or you need to go back to uni. You do this for a certain number of years until you've completed all the exams and other requirements and you gradually become more independent and autonomous in your work. You also take responsibility for training and supervising the more junior doctors under you. This carries on until you finish the training programme and gain your Certificate of Completion of Training, at which point you can apply for consultant jobs.

ohhh thank you so much i was so confused! I thought at FY2 you could just be a general doctor and do extra training for GP and consultancy but your saying most doctors go on to becoming GP's. ty v much

Reply 4

Democracy

20

Lol, even with that kind of money I think most of them would go stir crazy eventually.

Original post by nicolesm1

ohhh thank you so much i was so confused! I thought at FY2 you could just be a general doctor and do extra training for GP and consultancy but your saying most doctors go on to becoming GP's. ty v much

Well not necessarily GPs, but my point is that nearly all doctors (especially UK graduates) will naturally progress through higher training after finishing medical school. This isn't something only an exceptional few do; it's very much the norm. For the reasons nexttime has pointed out, being an eternal SHO would be utterly miserable for most people.

Should i continue on the become a consultant

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you