With so many things to consider, making a final decision about your medical specialty can be tough. Where you want to be in your professional and personal life in the future should influence the decision you make about your medical specialty. How you make the decision will depend on your personality and skills, how much responsibility and commitment you want to take on and what you can imagine yourself doing in years to come.
Tips :
Research your options carefully and use all sources of career advice available
• speak to a practitioner in the field
• consult postgraduate deaneries for advice
• contact the appropriate royal college
read up on the various specialties
Think about options that will suit your lifestyle
• use flexible training and working options
• consider the on-call commitment for different specialties
• Think about life experiences and ambitions and where these might lead
Does the job provide the balance you want between home and work life?
• Think about your future and how the specialty will change over time
• Will you gain sufficient job satisfaction and be interested in the work?
• Are you sufficiently motivated to work effectively in the post, during training and beyond?
• How might this specialty change over the next 30 years and will it suit you?
If rank, money, and pressure were not an issue, which specialty would you choose and why?
MBH/PS