Career management

The Scotland Deanery works with the career advisers from the five medical schools to improve the provision of information for trainees to enable them to make a career decision that is right for them. Together the Associate Postgraduate Deans (Career Management) and the career advisors aim to offer both formal and informal career advice. Working collaboratively, our aim is to provide guidance at different points in the undergraduate and postgraduate training pathways. The national Career Management Group has devised a strategy [PDF] which provides more detail.

Figure 1. Sources of careers advice for trainees

Sources of careers advice

Local Advice is the First Stop

The variety of opportunities within medicine mean that for most trainees, there is a rewarding career available to them. There is a wealth of information available from careers websites, college and specialty publications and other sources. However, career decisions can seem bewildering at times and trainees can and do benefit from guidance.

Foundation trainees may approach you for specific advice about application processes and career pathways or for more general advice on career planning. Specialty trainees sometimes seek information about decisions relating to training opportunities, research or which special interest or subspecialty field to pursue. Frequently they will approach fellow trainees, clinical or educational supervisors and sometimes programme directors. Your experience as a trainer means that you are well placed to offer career advice.

If you are interested in learning more about tools and techniques for career coaching, there is a STAR module on career coaching that gives some helpful pointers. Most techniques focus on 4 phases of decision making – one frequently used tool which can be used in discussions is the DOTS model.

Dots model

Figure 2. The DOTS model (Law and Watts 1977/1996)

More Specialised Advice

Should you feel that trainees require more specialised career discussions - especially those considering leaving the specialty or medicine, our associate postgraduate deans will be happy to meet with individual trainees (and possibly refer the trainees to university career advisers or other specialists if appropriate). You can contact your local deanery office to find out how to arrange a meeting with the career management team.

Associate Postgraduate Deans (Career Management)
Dr Liz Murphy	West Region
	South-East Region
Dr Shilpi Pal	East Region
Dr Surinder Panpher	North Region

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