The Basics

The following key points involved in making career choices are relevant at all stages of your medical career (from school to retirement). However, the approaches, useful resources, sources of help and your needs and desires will change.

• Reflect on yourself – how well do you know you? To find out about yourself complete the following resources: Reflection for beginners, Reflection for everybody, Deciding on the carer for you; Don’t forget the life in your life; Windmills online
• At what stage of your career are you at? Go to the pages with information relevant to your stage/grade/position: Considering a career in medicine, Medical Students, Foundation trainees, Specialty Trainees, Vocational Trainees, Consultants, General Practitioners, Providers of career support
• Where do you want to go? What do you want to do? Find out more about the options that are available to you at Careers in medicine, Deciding on the career for you, Career options, Doctors wanting or needing a change, Doctors wanting diveristy and enrichment in their career, Working and Studying abroad
• What is stopping you from progressing further? Visit the following pages if the issues apply to you Discrimination and bullying, Health and Disabilities
• How will you get from where you are to where you want to be? Do you still have to overcome any of the following hurdles? Perhaps you need help to overcome issues preventing your career from progressing. Click on the appropriate section to find out more Medical School Admissions Tests, Junior job applications, Mentoring, Coaching and Counselling
• Appraisals, Medical Forum, Flexible training, What your portfolio should include, Making yourself stand out

A fantastic introduction to career decision-making, particularly for trainees, is set out in Houghton A. No such thing as a wrong career. BMJ Careers. 2007; 334: 208-9.

Advice, Information & Guidence

When seeking career advice, guidance and/or information, be aware of which you actually need and are looking for in order to find the correct resource. Advice is essentially about responding to enquiries and needs that are fairly straightforward requests for information with some interpretation. 

Guidance is personal and directive to help you to explore your range of options, relate information to your personal needs and circumstances and facilitate your decision making. Its job is to provide direction through questioning, clarifying and sometimes challenging. Guidance is usually delivered by qualified practitioners, counsellors, coaches or mentors.

Information purely provides you with the facts of “how it is” or what your options are. Career advice, guidance and information are available in many shapes and sizes. Your career advice and information should suit your needs and match your current situation.

Books see the Career Library

• Websites
  • NHS Careers
  • NHS Medical Careers for medical students and junior doctors
  • BMA Careers Services for BMA members only
• Reflection
• Mentors, life coaches and career counselling
• Colleagues
• Appraisers/appraisals
• Educational supervisors, tutors
• Individuals who are where you want to be
• Career fairs