1. Careers support Dr Ian Barton, Medical Careers Lead
A guide for educational supervisors
Dr Ian Barton, Medical Careers Lead
NHS East of England Multi-Professional Deanery
Meeting name : date

2. Modernising Medical Careers -The Next Steps 2004
“…rigorous counselling and career advice should be available throughout training”
The Quote is from the original “Modernising Medical Careers – the Next Steps” published by the UK Strategy Group in April 2004
Figure 1 is 2009 data from the London Deanery which has invested huge amounts in its Careers Unit – only 14% satisfied

3. The role of educational supervisors
Again London Deanery data - illustrating that overseas doctors tend to use family and friends more for careers advice

4. Putting your trainees in charge of their careers
Self determination and locus of control
Encourage your trainees to attend a generic careers talk, e.g. in their local Foundation Programme teaching
Encourage all of them to use the Deanery Careers Support form as a self-assessment of their career plans
Offer careers support during appraisal meetings – a “careers interview” – make completion of the form a requirement for the “careers interview”
This is really important.
It’s about encouraging them to take charge of all aspects of their lives.
The only person with a 100% vested interest in their career is them.

5. The Careers Interview Ground rules:
Trainee to complete the form before the meeting
Facilitative
Encourage Self Awareness
Encourage Self Determination
Locus of control within the trainee
Make the trainee prepare
Be clear about what is expected
You can’t be expected to know everything!
Read the fact sheet on the Deanery website
Your role in a careers interview is as a facilitator not to sort out their problems for them

6. This is what the latest version (it took over 25 attempts to get here
This is what the latest version (it took over 25 attempts to get here!) of the Careers Support form looks like. It can be downloaded from the Deanery website and contains hyperlinks to all the important resources. There is a scoring system to assess the trainees’ current satisfaction with their career plans

7. Why and how to use the form
Consistent and comprehensive approach
Acts as an agenda
Empowers trainee
Only offer a meeting if he/she has completed the form
Get trainee to complete the “Notes” section during the meeting
Try to get the trainee to complete the form even if they are not having a meeting
Justifies the use of the form
Even trainees who are happy with their careers choice will benefit from completing the form to check they’ve taken a comprehensive approach

8. Getting the Most out of Careers Support Interviews 1
What are the trainee’s present priorities?
What do they/don’t they want to do
What are they good/bad at
Have they taken a 360° Approach
Have they the required qualifications, competences, life skills
The form will act as an agenda for these questions.
Why do they want an interview and what do they want to get out of it.
What are there favourite and least favourite options and what is it about these that makes them feel that way
Have they taken everything into consideration
Have they looked at the person specs to ensure they fulfil the criteria

9. Getting the Most out of Careers Support Interviews 2
Have they used the available resources
Own experience
Family?
Local specialists/trainees
Aptitude / psychometric tests?
National website (
Medical Speciality Training website (
Deaneries, Schools, College
BMJ Careers
Books etc
This is to stress that they should research properly. Remind them that there is a question on this on most application forms.
Local trainees are probably the best people to tell them how the recruitment process works and what to expect.
Sci59 is an aptitude test; Most Trust libraries have it and BMA members have access to it. It has never been validated and it doesn’t point enough trainees at general practice; the best way to use it is to analyse the answers to the individual questions rather than the final outcomes.
Psychometric tests, Belbin or Myers Briggs are best done properly with a face-to-face meeting with someone trained to interpret them. On-line versions are less useful. There is no evidence that particular personality types are more suited to particular specialities.
It is worth you as educational supervisors familiarising yourselves with the national and MST websites

10. Getting the Most out of Careers Support Interviews 3
Encourage them to develop and have ownership of their own action plan
Immediate and long term SMART targets
Specific
Measurable
Agreed (Achievable)
Realistic
Time-based
Encourage them to set their own goals using SMART targets

11. Tips for CV enhancement
Career Focussed
Relevant experience
Attachments, tasters
Relevant WPBAs, Audits, Publications
Courses
Exams
Once they have made a careers choice they should try to develop their CVs in a career-relevant way. E.g. if they want to be a chest physician, do chest related WPBAs, audits etc.
The best way to get published is to reply to an article in a peer-reviewed journal. Think up a “snappy” title and keep it short. (advice from a sub-editor of the BMJ)
The Dean has agreed that Foundation trainees can take the day of College exams as study leave but cannot have study leave to prepare

12. Tips for applying successfully
Ensure application form meets person specification
Find out about Machine Marked Test if relevant and practice (a little!)
Find out about “interview” process
Ensure portfolio up to date
“Interview” practice
Medical Speciality Training website has most of the relevant info so encourage your trainees to visit it.

13. Other useful resources for trainers
Chapter VI – guidelines for educational supervisors
Appendices – suggested workshop outlines
Developed by KSS and London Deaneries. Available in EoE Trust Libraries; we used to give it to all Foundation trainees but only one of the 87 FTs in Basildon had opened it in 2008 so we stopped. It’s very good but its major weakness is its length
It has a specific section for educational supervisors

14. Medical careers website Trainers Section
Hosted by KSS. It’s very good and all your trainees should visit it. It has a trainers section which educational supervisors may find useful

15. Escalation Pathway for careers support
Level 1
Trainees themselves
Level 2
Educational Supervisors
Level 3
Trust Careers Leads
Level 4
Deanery Advisors/Groups
Stress that levels 1 and 2 are most important. Very few trainees need to access Level 3 and only those with exceptional needs e.g. the need for careers counselling should be accessing Level 4

16. Questions

17. Thank you