Brought to you by the RCGP, the GP+ Careers podcast, hosted by Dr Sophie Lumley aims to showcase the breadth and diversity of careers you can develop as a GP.
Dr Lumley interviews GPs who do their GP work alongside an extended role, special interest or extra responsibility. Each podcast is focused on a specific interest or role even if the GP has multiple.
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In this episode of the GP+ Careers series, host Sophie explores the medical examiner role with Bristol based GP partner Dr Justine De Mink. Now a statutory requirement in England and Wales, this position involves scrutinizing deaths to improve certification accuracy and provide an independent voice for families. Justine explains how the role offers vital clinical governance while impacting public health data and service funding. Discover the entry pathway, including 26 mandatory e-learning modules and specialised training for this "intellectually satisfying" addition to a portfolio career.
Top Tips
Complete mandatory training: You must complete 26 e-learning modules on the e-Learning for Health platform before applying for a post. These modules are legislation heavy and do not have an exit exam, but they are prerequisites for most posts. Additionally, you will need to attend a one-day virtual training event delivered by the Royal College of Pathologists
Reach out locally: Before committing to hours of study, email ahead and arrange to have an informal meeting with the lead medical examiner for your area or ICB. You can demonstrate your interest in the role, and they can advise on upcoming vacancies, as turnover in these roles can be low due to their popularity.
Get a feel for the office: Consider spending an hour or two in a medical examiner’s office to understand the workflow and the specific IT systems used in your region.
Assess your career priorities: This role is focused on clinical governance rather than direct patient care or clinical decision-making. If your main professional satisfaction comes from direct patient interaction, this role may not be the right fit.
Prepare for a shift in focus: This role is entirely about clinical governance and does not involve direct patient care unlike the 'typical' GP role. It focuses on improving the accuracy of death certification, providing a voice for bereaved families, and identifying safety concerns for the coroner. If your primary professional satisfaction comes from clinical decision making or patient interaction, this may not be the right fit.
Embrace the virtual MDT: While the work can be solitary, you are part of a broader team including medical examiner officers and doctors from various specialties like ITU, oncology, and palliative care. Justine highlights the value of this "collegiate way of working" and the ability to learn from specialists outside of general practice.
Expect seasonal fluctuations: Recognise that while the work can be repetitive during peak winter months due to higher death rates caused by respiratory illness, it often provides a "relative calm" compared to the high-pressure environment of daily general practice.
Dr Justine de Mink is a GP partner and Medical Examiner in Bristol. She graduated from the University of Cape Town in 1998. She has been working in the NHS since 2002. She qualified as a GP in 2009 and has been a partner in an urban area of Bristol since 2011. She has been a Medical Examiner since 2022.
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25: GP+ Gastroenterology with Dr Charlie Andrews
Episode 25
Friday, May 22, 2026 • Duration 35:07
This episode of the podcast features Dr Charlie Andrews, a GP Partner in North Somerset who has developed a diverse career as a GP with an extended role (GPwER) in gastroenterology. His journey began after a personal experience with inflammatory bowel disease as a history student, which inspired him to enter medicine via the graduate entry route. Charlie highlights a new, fully funded national training programme he developed with NHS England, offering GPs a structured two-year pathway into the specialty. By combining clinical sessions in secondary care with a 12-month educational curriculum, the programme aims to provide career variety and improve patient access by bridging the gap between primary and secondary care.
Top Tips
Explore the National Training Programme: Charlie developed a fully funded, two-year national training programme with NHS England. This structured pathway provides a "one-stop shop" that includes one session per week in secondary care under a supervisor, paired with a 12-month intensive distance learning curriculum
Engage with the Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology (PCSG): This society is a key hub for primary care-focused education, offering annual meetings and webinars. Charlie also recommends their educational podcast, Ingest, which provides specialist knowledge specifically for the primary care setting
Consult the National Competency Framework: To understand the formal requirements of the role, review the national framework co-authored by the PCSG and the British Society of Gastroenterology. This document formalizes the pathway by outlining the curriculum and specific competencies needed to thrive as a GP with an extended role
Prioritize relationship building: Developing these roles often depends on personal relationships and "cross-pollination" with secondary care colleagues. Charlie suggests starting conversations with local gastroenterologists, as these links are essential for clinical support and discovering local opportunities
Leverage your GP skill set: GPs possess fantastic skills honed through GP training (and beyond), including the ability to take a holistic approach to patient care, strong communication skills, and a deep understanding of how the community fits into the wider healthcare system. By leveraging these skills and uniting them with enhanced gastro knowledge, GPwERs can enhance the care of patients within the speciality. For example, GPs are uniquely positioned to manage functional diseases, celiac disease, and specific inflammatory bowel diseases while keeping care closer to the patient's home
24: GP+ Medical Journalism with Dr Rammya Mathew
Episode 24
Friday, April 24, 2026 • Duration 24:22
In this episode of the GP+ Careers podcast, host Sophie is joined by Dr Rammya Mathew, a GP in Northwest London and a borough medical director in Brent. Alongside these leadership roles, Rammya is a regular columnist for the BMJ and a GP appraiser. The episode explores her journey into medical journalism, from her early days being active on social media to being headhunted for one of the most prestigious journals in medicine. Rammya shares her tips on overcoming imposter syndrome, finding your voice, and the practicalities of balancing a varied portfolio career.
Top Tips
Just give it a go and practice - Rammya's primary advice is to simply start writing, as she believesmedical journalism is an iterative process where skills naturally improve through practice. Instead of waiting for a formal role, you can build your skills by writing informally for blogs or smaller platforms. Over time, the process becomes easier as you learn to identify which daily observations are most valuable to share with others
Build a professional profile on social media - Being active and vocal on platforms like X can help you engage with senior leaders and other medical writers. A visible profile ensures that your work reaches an audience, as having the networks and the connections is often how you get noticed or even headhunted by major journals.
Be bold and authentic in your writing - To truly engage readers, you must put yourself out there and be "unapologetically you" and willing to share brave, honest opinions. People engage most when you avoid being "dry and boring" and instead bring your personal self and clinical experience into your pieces. To maintain professional standards, ensure your tone remains constructive and present both sides of an argument before clearly weighing in with your own perspective.
Study the work of others - Read established columnists to understand how they structure their arguments and manage tight constraints, such as a 450-word limit. This helps you learn how to make it flow better and include multiple points efficiently.
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23: GP+ Urgent Care with Dr Maisun Elftise
Episode 23
Friday, March 20, 2026 • Duration 34:06
Join us this month as Sophie speaks with Dr Maisun Elftise, a GP and Consultant in Integrated and Community Care working in an urgent care setting in Coventry. She highlights the improved work-life balance she gained in a shift-based model that eliminates traditional administrative burdens like practice lists and blood result follow-ups. Maisun also discusses her passion for tackling health inequalities and provides practical advice for GPs looking to explore this career path.
Top Tips
Try the role before committing by doing locum shifts or shadowing at an urgent care centre to see if the fast-paced environment and variety of "walk-in" cases suit your style of practice.
Leverage your existing GP training as you do not necessarily need a specific diploma or advanced training to begin working in urgent care; however, you can build further confidence through resources like the RCGP One Day Essentials in Urgent Care or the Diploma in Urgent Care from the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh.
Focus on the work-life balance benefits, such as the "shift work" model that allows you toleave on time and the absence of a practice list, which means you have no accumulated admin like blood results or letters to follow up.
Utilize professional networks by joining theRCGP Urgent Care Special Interest Group (SIG) to find mentoring and support, and to connect with a community of GPs working in diverse settings, from urban centres focused on health inequalities to rural areas.
Appreciate the clinical safety net of working in a setting attached to a hospital, which can provide an added layer of security because specialist workforce and emergency equipment are readily available if a patient's condition becomes more high risk.
Protect your well-being by remembering that "No is a full sentence". It is important to ensure your roles fit your current stage of life and not to feel pressured to take on every interest or opportunity at once.
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22: GP+ Dermatology with Dr John Diamond
Episode 22
Friday, February 20, 2026 • Duration 29:36
In this episode of the GP+ Careers podcast, Sophie interviewsDr John Diamond, a GP based in Northern Ireland as he shares his journey of developing an extended role in dermatology to tackle Northern Ireland’s multi-year secondary care waiting lists. Drawing on his experience with the Cardiff diploma and the GPECs elective service, he provides practical advice on finding a clinical "spark," collaborating with colleagues, and starting small within your own practice.
Top Tips
Establish your foundation first - Spend your first four or five years in general practice settling into the business of partnership and getting to know your patient population before pursuing a specialised niche.
Invest in formal, high-quality qualifications - Pursue specialised education, such as the Cardiff diploma in practical dermatology, but be prepared for the time commitment; a rigorous academic diploma can require approximately 10 hours of study per week for a full year.
Observe secondary care clinics voluntarily - Before investing heavily, reach out to local consultants and ask to sit in on their clinics. As dermatology is highly visual, this firsthand exposure helps you determine if the discipline, which offers a "clean" break from complex social or mental health issues, truly suits you.
Collaborate to build services - Avoid working in isolation; instead, gather a group of like-minded colleagues. Pair with those who have complementary strengths, particularly those skilled at lobbying for funding and navigating administrative hurdles, as their persistence is often what gets a service off the ground.
Start small and focus on patient impact. You don't need a regional service to be effective; simply enhancing skills for your own practice list is invaluable. Addressing inflammatory conditions locally provides immediate relief to patients who might otherwise face secondary care waiting lists as long as six or seven years.
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21: GP+ Child Health with Dr Amina Al-Yassin
Episode 21
Friday, January 16, 2026 • Duration 30:44
This episode of the GP+ Careers podcast features Dr Amina Al-Yassin, a First5 GP who has built a dynamic portfolio focused on child health. Dr Al-Yassin details her experience balancing clinical sessions with strategic leadership roles at Barnardo’s and as a Clinical Lead for local children’s services. Listeners will discover how to navigate spin fellowships, engage with community Child Health Hubs, and leverage their unique GP skills in specialist settings like CAMHS.
Top Tips
Leverage spin Fellowships for protected time - If you are early in your career, look into spin fellowships. These schemes are designed to improve GP retention by providing protected time (usually one or two sessions a week) to develop a special interest or an extended role. Dr Al-Yassin used this to work within a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), gaining frontline experience in neurodevelopmental assessments and medication management. This protected headspace is helpful when first developing a new area of expertise.
Prioritise practical experience over formal certificates - While additional qualifications like the Diploma in Child Health or the Diploma in Child and Adolescent Mental Health are available, they are not always prerequisites for extended roles. Dr Al-Yassin emphasizes that the skills you already possess as a GP i.e. being well-versed in both physical and mental health across all ages, are unique and highly valuable. Learning on the job, showing enthusiasm, and maintaining a holistic perspective often count for more than a certificate.
Engage with local Child Health hubs - Investigate whether your local area or Integrated Care Board (ICB) has established child health hubs. These are community-based clinics where paediatricians and GPs work together in the same room to provide specialist input for families. If you cannot work in one immediately, ask to sit in on clinics or participate in their virtual Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings, which often include health visitors, school nurses, and therapists.
Connect through Special Interest Groups (SIGs) - Networking is essential for discovering opportunities that may not be widely advertised. Joining RCGPSpecial Interest Groups, such as the Adolescent Health SIG, connects you with like-minded colleagues who share insights on vacancies, projects, and educational opportunities. Other helpful networks include groups focused on health inequalities or neurodiversity.
20: GP+ NHSE Clinical Advisor with Dr Maria Mastrantonio
Episode 20
Friday, December 19, 2025 • Duration 24:40
In this episode of the GP+ Careers podcast, host Dr Sophie Lumley is joined by Dr Maria Mastrantonio, a Clinical Advisor to NHS England's regional team in the south west. Maria explains her specific role overseeing a team of GP reviewers who handle patient complaints made directly to NHS England about primary care services. The episode also covers Maria's career path to this leadership role, the flexible nature of the reviewing work for other GPs, and advice for those interested in similar portfolio careers and leadership positions within NHS England.
Top Tips
Just say yes to opportunities: Maria strongly recommends adopting the mindset to "just say yes" when an opportunity arises, even if you doubt your ability to do it. Saying yes allows you to build up a body of experience that will help you move into new roles. Her own role as Clinical Reviewer began with a chance email that was sent to GP appraisers, and she thought "why not" go for the opportunity.
Actively hunt for opportunities: Be aware of your emails and bulletins because job opportunities frequently appear in them. For formal NHS England roles, Maria advises checking NHS jobs. You can also use word of mouth to find people working for NHS England or the Integrated Care Board (ICB).
Gain practical experience in leadership and complaints: Acquire relevant experience under your belt first. For those interested in review roles, Maria suggests a great starting point is getting involved in complaints within your own practice to learn how medical defence organisations suggest responding. Additionally, seeking out any leadership roles (within or outside the practice) or becoming an appraiser can provide helpful supportive skills.
Leverage existing skills and education: Recognise that you bring all your prior experiences into new roles. For example, having an educational background can help frame clinical reviews around learning needs rather than just right or wrong answers. Even if a new venture (like a medical school role) doesn't work out, the failures become your best learning experiences and are great to discuss in an interview.
19: GP+ Health Inequalities with Dr Rachel Steen
Episode 19
Friday, November 21, 2025 • Duration 29:47
This month, podcast host Dr Sophie Lumley interviews Dr Rachel Steen, a GP focused on health inequalities. Dr Steen discusses her work running the National Trailblazer scheme, a post-certification fellowship offering professional development and project time for GPs working in areas of deprivation. The episode covers Dr Steen's career journey, the value of leadership fellowships and professional coaching in developing her interest, and practical advice for other GPs interested in tackling health inequalities, emphasising peer support, local project involvement, and networking.
Top Tips
Seek opportunities that offer protected development time
Fellowships and funded programmes can create the space needed to explore new interests, build skills and step into leadership roles. Rachel highlights the Trailblazer fellowship as one example and encourages interested GPs to look at what is available locally through training hubs, academic units of primary care, Primary Care Network (PCNs) or Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), as well as national programmes.
Make use of coaching to clarify your direction
Coaching provided a space for Rachel to reflect, challenge unhelpful assumptions and explore her personal values that guide her work e.g. fairness, integrity and inclusivity. Understanding what matters most to you can guide career decisions and help you recognise when something feels aligned or not.
Build and maintain supportive networks
Post-CCT, the support networks of training often fall away. Rachel recommends actively rebuilding this through joining peer groups and leadership programmes e.g. Next Generation GP leadership programme. Staying connected with colleagues can spark new ideas, provide motivation and create a sense of belonging, especially for those exploring emerging or less traditional roles.
Reach out to people who inspire you
Rachel emphasises that many opportunities start with a simple conversation or reaching out via email. Contacting clinicians or leaders whose work interests you can open doors to new ideas, collaborations or mentoring relationships. Don't be afraid to ask, as most people are happy to share their experiences and give you advice.
18: GP+ Career Coaching with Dr Sarah Goulding
Episode 18
Friday, October 24, 2025 • Duration 31:35
In this episode of the GP+ Careers podcast, host Dr Sophie Lumley is joined by Dr Sarah Goulding, a portfolio GP and career coach for medical professionals. Sarah shares her journey to becoming a coach, which was fuelled by her own experience with burnout and a desire to support others, and details how her coaching work fits into her flexible portfolio GP career. Furthermore, the episode addresses practical considerations for aspiring coaches, such as the value of obtaining a coaching diploma, the importance of supervision for self-care and professional development, and the entrepreneurial challenges of setting up a private coaching business.
Top Tips
Experience coaching yourself first If you are considering becoming a coach, the single most important initial tip is to have some coaching yourself so that you understand what it actually is. It is important to know what you are getting yourself in for, as there is a very diverse range of coaching available.
Training and Development
A qualification is not mandatory, but learning the basic coaching techniques is highly recommended. Coaching is not a regulated industry, which can be uncomfortable for medics who often like a piece of paper to validate their skills.
Personally, Sarah recommends training, noting that it provides a wider range of tools, a more academic approach, and helps with disciplines like knowing how to ask useful questions and how to leave space.
When choosing a course, look for one that "speaks to you" and fits how you learn best, such as an experiential course in Sarah's case.
Coaching training at the diploma level often costs between £2,000 and £6,000 or more, so it is a significant investment.
Explore funding options, potentially through a limited company as a form of CPD (Continuing Professional Development). You might also access funds through local resilience funding if you can pitch how using coaching skills will benefit your local workplace.
Find your niche and community
Find your "tribe" - either an aligned organisation or group where you can ask questions, get advice, and speak to experienced people.
Consider working out who you are really passionate about working with; this passion often dictates how you form your business.
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17: GP+ Palliative Care with Dr Tarana Hafiz
Episode 17
Friday, September 26, 2025 • Duration 21:38
In this episode of the GP+ Careers podcast, Sophie interviews Dr Tarana Hafiz, a GP with an extended role in Palliative Care. The interview explores the practicalities of her split week between general practice and specialty work, the benefits of pursuing a special interest, and advice for other GPs on how to develop a similar career, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and hands-on experience over formal qualifications like diplomas.
Top tips
Prioritize finding mentors and building your network:
Finding mentors is considered essential. Look for someone who is willing to invest in you, take the time to train you, and be part of your career journey, informing you of opportunities.
Engage with Consultants: Tarana states that Palliative care consultants are notoriously friendly andvery approachable. Don’t hesitate to reach out to them, especially during your GP training, to spend some time with them and build relationships.
Gain direct clinical experience before investing in qualifications:
Tarana emphasises that gaining experience is key. Instead of immediately investing time and money in expensive diplomas or courses, focus on practical exposure first.
Shadowing and short contracts: Tarana suggests speaking to your local team, having shadowing days, or taking on a short-term contract with the local hospice to determine if the specialty is truly for you.
Attend clinics: Ask local community or hospital teams if you can go to clinics to see if this is an area where you want to invest more time.
Start locally with enthusiasm and Quality Improvement:
The most important requirement is having enthusiasm and interest to be part of the specialty. You can begin developing your interest right within your current general practice setting.
Utilize Daffodil Standards: A great place to start is by looking at the Daffodil Standards. This is a framework/toolkit that GPs can use for a quality improvement project within their own practice, focusing on areas like early identification, bereavement, and care after death for patients with advanced serious illness and end-of-life care.
There are a variety of ways to build your knowledge in the area such as:
When looking for paid roles, remember that opportunities may not always be advertised specifically as "GP with a special interest".
Take an incremental "Building Block" approach: Building an extended role requires motivation and time, and often includes small 'steps' towards your goal - developing your interest, gaining 'in-clinic' experience, seeking opportunities to deepen your experience and understanding (eg. RCGP Clinical Champion roles) and building your knowledge through educational activities. The GPwER in gastroenterology programme is unique in that it brings together the educational and in-clinic training to support the development of this role.
Dr Charlie Andrews is a GP in Clevedon, near Bristol. He qualified from Nottingham University Medical School in 2012 after taking an unorthodox route into medicine via a history degree at Durham University and a job as a personal trainer.
His interest in gastroenterology stems from his own experience of ulcerative colitis, as well as a hospital post in this area during his training. He feels fortunate in being able to pursue this interest in his role as Regional Clinical Champion for Inflammatory Bowel Disease for the RCGP and Crohn’s & Colitis UK, as well as being a committee member of the PCSG.
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Keep a notebook for daily inspiration - Use your clinical practice as a primary source of material by continuously observing what you see around you. Keeping a dedicated notebook helps capture ideas immediately so you have a bank of topics when it is time to sit down for your scheduled writing days.
Seek out informal opportunities - Look out for 'taster weeks'at medical journals to see how they are put together and how editors decide which topics are currently topical. Alternatively, offer to summarize discussions from medical events or online forums to get your foot in the door.
Dr Rammya Mathew has been involved in medical journalism since her time as a GP registrar. Since 2019, she has written a regular column for The BMJ, using this platform to highlight and advocate for issues close to her heart: supporting women in medicine, tackling systemic barriers and inequalities affecting communities, and championing the unique and invaluable role of the general practitioner. Her thought leadership is a central part of her contribution to medicine, complementing her roles as Borough Medical Director for Brent, practising GP and medical appraiser.
Dr. Maisun Elftise is a GP and Consultant in Integrated and Community Care at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. She practices in an inner-city Urgent Care Centre, focusing on respiratory medicine and health equity.
In addition to her clinical work, Dr Elftise is a Training Programme Director at Worcestershire GP Training Programme. She is an advocate for tackling health inequalities and is involved with the Primary Care Respiratory Society and Primary Care International.
Dr Elftise is also the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Lead for the Coventry and Warwickshire Training Hub, demonstrating her commitment to fostering an inclusive healthcare environment. She also serves as a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, promoting a culture where staff feel safe to raise concerns without fear of retaliation. She is also nationally elected RCGP council member 2024-2027.
Dr John Diamond is a full-time GP partner at Garden Street Surgery and its branch practice, Bellaghy Medical Centre, in County Derry, Northern Ireland. He has worked in the practices for over 25 years and now serves the community in which he grew up, with many of his patients having known him since childhood.
Dr Diamond was recently elected a Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), an achievement of which he is very proud. He holds the Cardiff Diploma in Practical Dermatology and a Diploma in Dermoscopy.
He is the regional GP lead for an award-winning photo-triage project that has supported thousands of patients, and he helped establish the region’s primary care elective dermatology service, where he has worked since its inception.
Dr Diamond is deeply connected to the community where he has lived and worked all his life.
Blend strategic leadership with Clinical Practice - A portfolio career allows you to balance "big picture" strategic work with direct patient care. Roles in organisations like Barnardo’s or as a Clinical Lead for a borough involve looking at population health needs and designing systemic solutions, such as asthma care pathways. Maintaining some clinical GP sessions is beneficial because it keeps you connected to the realities and hardships of patients, which in turn informs and improves your leadership decisions.
Establish firm professional boundaries - One of the challenges of a portfolio career is "overspill," where work from one role leaks into another or into your personal time. Strategic and leadership roles often require more time than the paid sessions suggest. To avoid burnout, it is important to be self-aware and block out time for downtime and family, ensuring that your varied interests do not encroach on your personal life.
Dr Amina Al-Yassin is a GP working in the NHS and with Barnardo’s, and the Clinical Lead for Children’s Services in the London Borough of Brent. She trained in paediatrics (MRCPCH) and general practice (MRCGP), with a post-CCT fellowship in child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS) and is the RCGP Children and Young People’s Mental Health Representative and a member of the RCGP Special Interest Group on Adolescent Health.
As Strategic Clinical Lead, she supports improved outcomes across CAMHS, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), safeguarding, childhood obesity, oral health, and long-term conditions. With Barnardo’s, she develops family support models in primary care. She holds an MSc in Medical Education, is a WHO FIDES Health Influencer, and an accredited trainer.
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Network regionally and seek mentorship: Find out who the Clinical Advisors are in your region because processes and roles differ regionally and ask them for mentorship or for details on how they entered their positions. If finding clinicians proves difficult on websites, look for programme managers within the regional offices, as they are excellent contacts who can signpost you or provide clinician contact details.
Be flexible and try new things: Nothing in career diversification is "set in stone". If a new role isn't what you expected, you can step down and try something else. Start by trying roles like medical school teaching or offering a session at VTS (Vocational Training Scheme), as these can be stepping stones to leadership roles.
Maria Mastrantonio is a GP of over 20 years experience, practicing in Devon with a strong coaching and educational background. She has a MSc in Clinical Education. She has previously also been a Training Programme Director and Trainer. She is currently also GP appraiser and is Clinical Advisor for NHSE South West. In addition, she is an ILM 7 level qualified coach, a LMC Devon coach and a GP Fellowship mentor.
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Start with local projects and apply a health-equity lens
Inclusion health doesn’t require formal accreditation. Rachel recommends beginning with what's happening in your own practice or PCN and considering how interventions can better reach the people who are most in need. Small, thoughtful changes can be the foundation of a meaningful and sustainable interest.
Dr Rachel Steen is a GP working in Sheffield. She is National Director of the Trailblazer scheme supporting GPs working in areas of deprivation across the England. Rachel has an interest in inclusive leadership and how we support our primary care workforce working in areas of deprivation and with inclusion health groups. Rachel sits on the Health Equity Special Interest Group at the RCGP.
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Look into the three main accredited organisations, such as the International Coaching Federation (ICF), which offers links to various training providers.
Listen to podcasts and immerse yourself in the coaching space to see if it is something you would enjoy.
Prepare for the business and entrepreneurial side
If you plan to work independently rather than for an organisation, you must be prepared to set yourself up as a business entirely from scratch.
This involves learning new entrepreneurial skills, such as: - Creating your own website and developing branding. - Being very organised (e.g. using tools like Calendarly) - Working out how much to charge and how to send an invoice. - Getting comfortable with charging people money, which is often difficult for those used to the NHS model.
Prioritize self-care through supervision
Engaging in supervision is strongly recommended once you begin coaching.
Supervision is a safe space (unlike appraisal) to address issues concerning your skills, worries you may have about clients, or techniques you want to practice. It is a necessary practice because coaching involves working very intimately with people, and you need to look after yourself as part of it.
Dr Sarah Goulding is a GP TPD in Coventry and Warwickshire and a Portfolio GP, with 7 roles in total currently. She is a Career coach for doctors, passionate about living in a way that fits your values and helps you find joy, both in and out of work. She is a doctor wellbeing specialist, and Head of Development for The Joyful Doctor.
Join projects: Reach out to local teams and ask them to be part of quality improvement projects.
Engage in diverse learning opportunities:
E-learning: Spend time doing e-learning to understand what palliative care is about. Resources include e-learning available through the RCGP website.
Workshops and courses: Attend local training and courses available from organisations like the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) or Royal College of Physicians (RCP) on topics such as symptom control, advanced communication skills, and advanced care planning. Also, some local hospices nationwide sometimes run affordable communication workshops.
Reading: Spend time reading around the subject, including insightful books from authors like Kathryn Mannix, who writes about terminal illness from a patient's perspective.
Be open to varied job titles and focus on the opportunity:
Look broadly: The role Tarana obtained was not a GP with a special interest position initially; she took it on as a Clinical Fellow, which later developed into a speciality doctor role.
Satisfy your cravings: Focus on finding an opportunity that allows you to manage more complexities and satisfy the craving for a more varied work week.
Job titles are secondary: Tarana stressed that the job title was not the primary concern; the opportunity to embark on a different venture and manage medical complexities is more important.
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