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Scottish Medical Careers Fair, Saturday 20th September, Glasgow

If you can, try and make it along to the Scottish Medical Training Careers Fair in Glasgow on Saturday 20th September!!! A good few of our Rural Track contingent will be there to chat to you about the programme. Look out for the NHS Education for Scotland stall, and you will be directed to the right people! Trainee Ambassadors will be there to assist - usually in very bright t-shirts!

http://www.scotmt.scot.nhs.uk/about-us/careers-fair.aspx

Back in Shetland!!!

Greetings everyone!!!

My goodness me - where does six months go?!! I am now back in Lerwick, and getting into exam mode: Applied Knowledge Test in October!

I must admit, it was difficult leaving East Otago Health, where I was working in New Zealand. In fact, it was difficult leaving New Zealand full stop!! I really came to know my patients, and really did learn of the importance of continuity of care in this regard. I am very excited for our colleagues Keri and Colm who are shortly heading out to the team in East Otago.

In spite of all I have said above, it really is good to be back here in Shetland. What a welcome I had back at the Practice (Lerwick Health Centre). Great to be back amongst familiar faces. And to see Dylan (my supervisor) to discuss exams and make a plan for the year ahead. The Rural Track training programme really is fantastic, and played a very large role in me ensuring I came back!! On that note, both NES (NHS Education for Scotland) and my training practice were very supportive throughout the whole OOPE experience: I had planned to do a hospital job in New Zealand initially, but they are becoming much more difficult to come by. And so I postponed my OOPE from August until January, which fitted in with taking over from Kate and Chris (Western Isles trainees) who were at East Otago Health before me. - Understanding and flexibility are just another two reasons why I think you should apply for the Rural Track programme.

I did my first mock AKT today on Pastest), which was helpful in targeting particular study areas. Now I need to get down to the study, which I am planning to do through a mixture of on-line modules, reading guidelines, journals and doing lots of questions.

I will leave you for now with a few photos. Good luck to those of you rotating next week!

Adventures in Aotearoa

Greetings from Aotearoa 'Land of the Long White Cloud' (Maori); otherwise known as New Zealand. All I can say is that this is yet another marvellous advert for why you should apply for the Rural Track GP Training Scheme in Scotland! - You are able to spend six months doing something of interest to you, anywhere in the world!

In my case, I have followed Kate (Dixon) and Chris Mulholland's footsteps and am working in a General Practice in northern Otago, South Island. The work experience has been first class, and I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by great colleagues. 

Besides the 'routine' (if there is such a thing!) aspects of daily general practice work, I have had the opportunity to see a lot of emergency presentations. These have ranged from chest pain and suspected strokes, to delivering a baby in the back of an ambulance, to suturing, to ABC management of a posterior tibial artery laceration. Variety is, indeed, the spice of life!

Outside of work, I have been enjoying exploring different parts of the South Island, taking part in a plethora of outdoor activities. I often head into Dunedin (40-minute drive) in the evenings for dancing and musical activities. 

So, this is just a little advert to say that the wonderful Rural Track programme gives you this opportunity to come and explore a different part of the world. 

Back in Paradise

My goodness! 

Wow - my year in Aberdeen just flew by. And, I will be honest, it wasn't as bad as I maybe thought it would be!! - I had had such a great first year of training here in Shetland that I really felt incredibly hesitant (in spite of my optimistic-self!) about the move south. However, I had two great jobs (psychiatry, A&E) which have taught me a lot for future work in General Practice. And there were a lot of extra-curricular activities on offer, both within and without of the city.  I had the added bonus of living with two good friends, which made the settling in process much easier.

I am now back in Shetland working as an ST2 in General Practice, based at Lerwick Health Centre. So far, so good! I have a super trainer, and very enthusiastic group of experienced GPs at the practice, making for what I feel is a great training experience. And as for the view out of my office window....I can't believe it is real: watching seabirds dive for fish, seals swim along and occasionally have a peerie sun-bathe outside on the rocks, looking out over Breiwick Bay and a wide expanse of water to the south....

We have had an incredible summer here: I have spent a lot of my free time swimming in the sea! We had a charity swim last weekend between two islands. It was great fun, and incredibly well supported by the community. We had a crowd of several hundred people waiting for us at the finish line! As always, the community abounds with endless quantities of activity. Google 'what's on Shetland' for more info, and check out The Shetland Times!

Looking forward to seeing

you at the Careers Fair in Glasgow on Saturday!

Life in Aberdeen

Hello everyone,

Sorry it's been rather a while since my last entry...Please take that as a good thing ie that there was so much going on with life in Shetland that I had little time to write!

My six months in general surgery at the Gilbert Bain passed in a flash: another six months of excellent learning opportunities, great experience and lots going on socially too! The beautiful long summer days (simmer dim) and great weather enabled for some excellent trips exploring Shetland's stunning scenery. It was wonderful having family and friends up to visit, who were pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable the journey to these northern isles was. And even more pleasantly surprised by Shetland's majestic landscapes...

To be honest, I was extremely hesitant about the move to Aberdeen for my second year of training. It seemed so wrong to leave a land and people that I had come to love so dearly. I didn't like the idea of splitting that continuity and moving to a big city where I knew very few people, to a big hospital where I didn't know anyone....And that is me speaking as a positive-thinking person!!

And so it was much to my delight that I have found myself enjoying my time here in the Granite City thus far! I am currently working in psychiatry. I work with two consultants who each cover a respective geographical area (Fraserburgh and Peterhead respectively; fishing communitites). Each of them have their own community team, comprising psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists and social workers. I go on weekly clinics to either of the towns, seeing my own patients, and following them up. In hospital, I look after the ward patients, working with the team's in-patient psychiatric nurses.

This environment (both in hospital and the community) provides an incredible opportunity to get to know patients and staff alike, and that wonderful ability to follow-up patients. I really do consider myself very lucky to be part of the team! My consultants are very supportive and are excellent teachers. In spite of the hospital's size, it has a friendly atmosphere, and I feel that I have got to know quite a few staff. What more could I ask for?

Outside of work, I have been enjoying running in Aberdeen's beautiful parks, river-swimming, going to ceilidhs and playing traditional music. We have even seen lots of shooting stars! I am very fortunate to be living with two friends who are paediatric trainees here: they have made settling in all the more straight-forward.

This weekend I am heading up to Shetland to join the Unst GP surgery's charity walk from Sumburgh to Skaw, raising money for The Sandpiper Trust and BASICS: two very worthy causes.

Hope you like the photos, which I will be adding very soon (once I have found my camera...)

The Move

Another busy few weeks! Crazy to think I have been here in Aberdeen heading on for two months...Continuing to enjoy being part of the team at Cornhill. And have just enjoyed a wonderful week of holiday catching up with friends

It was during this week of holiday that I had some time to think about.. well.. Shetland - of course! And with that in mind, started looking at property market...The quest begins. As a point of interest to those of you considering moving to Shetland, it is promising to note that the property market is very buoyant and not showing any sign of receding.

And finally, for your entertainment, here is the ultimate Shetland tourist advertisement:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su5weSQH1DY

Chat soon!

Catherine