Why I Left Hospital Medicine to Become a GP | 7 Reasons to Choose GP
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- čas přidán 11. 06. 2024
- In August this year, I gave up my plans of become a hospitalist and joined training/residency in General Practice (aka Family Medicine) in Cambrigde. Here are the 7 reasons behind my decision.
1. The Great Specialty Dilemma
So, here's the deal. After med school, a lot of folks seem to have their whole career mapped out, right? Not me. I was into pretty much everything and couldn't decide. Total confusion city. This indecision actually led me to choose the UK over the US for my further training.
I even made a list of all the specialties I was considering. There was Emergency Medicine, Surgery, General Medicine (like Cardiology and Gastroenterology), and Urology. Quite the mix, huh?
My first stop was Emergency Medicine. But man, what a mess. The system was falling apart, and the shift work? Absolutely hated it.
Next up, surgery. I got offers in Urology, Paediatric Neurosurgery, and later Colorectal surgery. But guess what? Didn't enjoy that either.
Eventually, I had this big realization. Hospital specialty training? Not worth it. It's a long, winding road with constant moving around, and consultant jobs aren't just sitting around waiting for you.
But then, there's General Practice (GP). Only three years of training and the job prospects? Chef's kiss.
2. Jack of All Trades in General Practice
The cool thing about being a GP? No need to stick to one specialty.
Back in India, after your MBBS, you're pretty much thrown into the deep end, handling basic stuff like coughs and colds. The UK is different. Pharmacists handle the simple cases, and I get the complex stuff like asthma flare-ups, mental health issues, and even treating sex offenders. It's intense but fascinating.
The best part? I can treat babies and then their entire families. It's all about being the first point of contact before referring patients to specialists. So, I get to see all sorts of cases.
3. Work Hours - It's All About That Routine
Routine is my jam. And being a GP? It's a 9-5 gig with weekends off. Plus, I get Wednesdays off for teaching and a half-day on Tuesdays. It's technically a 3.5-day work week, but with extra portfolio work and studying, it's not exactly a walk in the park.
4. Flexibility is Key
As a GP, the world is your oyster. You can branch out into sports medicine, occupational health, even endoscopies. Once you're signed off by a consultant, you're good to go solo.
5. Work Wherever You Want
GPs are in demand, pretty much everywhere. I could work anywhere in the world, though it's a bit tricky in India. But hey, there's always the MRCP route.
6. Show Me the Money 💸
Let's talk cash. Most doctors do alright, but GPs? They're on another level. Basic salary starts at £90k, and it only goes up from there. Partners make between £150k and £200k, and locums rake in £120k to £160k. This means more travel and time off. A friend of a friend even has a unique GP practice.
7. The Joy of Flow State
Now, I'm all about that flow state, a term I proudly coined as 'flowtime'. What's that, you ask? It's when you're so immersed in what you're doing that everything else fades away. Hospitals are jam-packed with distractions, but in GP? I get my own office, relax, and focus on seeing patients.
To wrap it all up, being a GP isn't all rainbows and butterflies. It's tough, but let me tell you, it's a world apart from the hustle and bustle of hospital jobs.
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⚡️Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:17 Realising hospital medicine (especially in the UK) was not worth the effort
04:46 Why choose one when I can have it all?
07:11 Sane work hours
08:53 Flexibility
11:35 Let’s talk money.
13:27 To work in flow
📱Be my friend
📸 Instagram: / doctor.doctor_a
🐦 Twitter: / drajayramesh
WHO AM I?👨🏻⚕️
Hi,👋🏼 My name is Ajay. I'm a GP trainee in Cambridge, UK.I post videos on most Wednesdays at 4pm IST/11:30am BST/5:30am ET about productivity, studying and some medical entertainment peppered in-between.
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Realised that I'm speaking super slow in this video lol. Shot this after a busy day at work, must have been tired. Please watch at 1.5x to keep your sanity intact x
Doesn't feel like that though 😅 it's okay for me.
2x speed is gud too , since ur accent remains the same it's easier to understand even at 2x
Welcome back Doc😃 Hope you won't vanish again🌝😭
So thank God now u realise your decision of settling in uk hospital 😅😅
Not keep gorment upsc mbbs not mad😊😊😊
Hi, great to see that you have chosen general practice. The variety of the work keeps things interesting. It is a challenging career but very rewarding.
Yours is the best decision congratulations Dr. I also started GP, i love this aspect of practice in medicine . Thank you Dr !
Hi - I’m a jr doctor and just wanted to say loved the video. Struggling at the moment with career choices and the changing face of the NHS and was very demotivated. This video has really helped pick me up and I appreciate it
Sounds amazing, Doc!! Loved hearing about it, quite fascinating to know as well...Really happy for you that you're finding what works best for you! More power to you x
I trained as a nurse in the 60s at a London hospital. I am amazed that doctors no longer receive instruction on the ward from the consultant as they used to. I can understand your frustration..
Working as GP is much easier as well, you will have your own time, no critical cases to handle, fewer critical stressful situations, no night shifts, I understand you but we have to give credit as well to our fellow surgeons, ED physicians, cardiologists, hematologists, GI drs. That work day and night near extremely sick patients. Goodluck Dr. A
Not brode mbbs upsc king👑👑👑👑👑 phone📱📱📱📱🇮🇳🇮🇳
Even I was literally confusion betwn which branch I want to specialized
First I really like peads nd derma or radio bt considering my heath issues I HV opted for radio bt am still practicing if I am nt getting thn I should go for dip lomaor certificate courses In diabetes... So yaa sau diploma in public health 😮
Should I really go for general physician practice, with no call because I HV a heart condition nd lung condition ❤❤
Not easier ! you should work in my practice!
Very nice Ajay.Nice to see you like this. May God bless you dear.
Thanks for such kind words! I totally agree that getting a job in a competitive specialty in London is extremely tough and you have to wait a few years sometimes but in my case I didn’t actually want to stay in London for work nor living, lockdown etc really made me want to flee for a quiet country life. But in effect that reinforces your point, that a hospital medical career in London can be very hard and dog-eat-dog. You talked about going home, interestingly my F1 is from Switzerland and British GP training is not recognised there, so she’s thinking of doing hospital medicine simply in case she goes back home. I often wish I’d found GP enjoyable as it does offer so much more flexibility, but it just wasn’t for me. Best of luck!
I did my specialist training in Germany, even got into the GMC specialist register last year, but then got to hear about the struggles i would have to go through to work as an Ortho surgeon in the UK. So put the plan on ice for now.
@@docdeemishra Have you done MRCS to get specialist registration in the UK?
@@traveldoc8602 the german specialist training is considered as an equivalent european qualification. Just had to take the OET exam.
The 2 big guys who I looked upon at certain point of my life are in the comments of a budding CZcamsr!! It’s time to put more content in my channel too from now on 😅
Good luck in your training!
Completely agree with you on the lack of bedside teaching in the UK. I think it's one of the main reasons that hospital work is not appealing to me... not stimulating for me coming from Nigeria where the ward-round teaching is very engaging. In the NHS, you're basically a glorified errand boy as a junior doctor
It is very usually a very fun time here in India (if you know what you're doing), as a Physiotherapy student here in India we too are posted in all wards and to made prepare all types of diagnosis and the teachers on round in wards are very knowledgeable and give you the insight into how an experienced clinician thinks what diseases he excludes first for certain constitutional symptoms since it appears that a lot of other diseases can present with similar symptoms and you don't generally notice cardinal signs that often.
Chief, please what advice will you give a junior college who wants to follow this path.
It's great that you've talked about this in such a concise and open manner! Really love that you stressed on the importance of the issue of GP shortage globally. I just wanted to ask, why didn't you talk about the negatives? There is a reason why almost every graduate in the UK goes for specialization, and very few opt for GP. I've heard (not confirmed) that the security and the high-ish income could fall out fast, given the NHS strikes now and that the role could be replaced by PAs, if the current situation continues. Also, won't the cases you see be very repetitive after some point? It would have been great if you could have addressed some of these issues and told us what makes you stick to your decision nevertheless.
Anyway, this is just what I have heard on twitter (so, not sure if this is indeed the truth). Maybe the situation isn't as bad as it's depicted on social media. Whatever the case is, all the best with the future, and have a great year ahead!
Hi DoctorAMedecine !
I love your work and the way how you share to us your past, your cursus and information about the practice and health system in UK !
Do you know how can know the different way to practice (any speciality I guess) and the salary+responsabilites associated in UK (site, newletters, blog, ...) ?
Thank you and good continuation along you GP career 💪😁
Thank you for this very insightful video. It would be very helpful if you could please elaborate on the scope of GP in India, considering they cleared MRCP as you’ve mentioned in your video.
Thanks in advance :)
Got the grind. Absolutely love it to listen how general medicine is so much fun.
Please make a video on how to work as a doctor in UK after MD medicine in India.
MD TO GP - It is like moving from a post graduate to a junior high school. Naturally the job will be easy. But then what a fall.
Great joining the primary care team. It is really a rewarding career.
@DoctorAmedicine Great Video sir , I'm from Chennai and I had worked in different workplace and I felt ER is a great place to learn medicine and it's quite interesting if we have good people to guide us , if there are people bullying us in the tiresome hard work we do it's not going to be a good place to stay , I had to run for my life , hence eventhough the tough decision of quitting Er after paying Lakhs was not a great decision I had to save my life and harmony hence I quit Er and now I'm in a place with a quite relaxed environment. So it's up to each individual and each perspective of choice . Once again thanks for the great video sir 🙏🏻
Hey Dr. Ajay,
What exactly is MRCP route?? Is it like General Medicine?? Also really curious, Which is the best hospital in the UK, that you mentioned in the end?
Great video and good choice of General Practice. Challenging but rewarding.
I would hate that style of teaching in India. I can’t think of anything worser then being put on the spot and being belittled and humiliated for not knowing the answer. People learn in different ways at different rates and that style is very old school and toxic.
You learn though, it’s better than just being ignored where you can tell the consultant doesn’t care about your training.
I totally agree with you. As a foreigner i came to india in 2016 to study medicine and i was so shocked with the style of teaching over there. Its pathetic and i regretted my decision to pursue my studies there in India. The learning method is so yesterday and the teaching method is so ancient. Apart from the education there, I enjoyed my time in India. The food was amazing and I did met some good people too.
Believe me ... they learnt fast!
True
Your video is so relaxing. You are making me want to pay Cambridge a visit. I’m a GP in Lincolnshire.
Very insightful 😊
Very good video doctor. Well done
GP trainee here-similar story, wanted to do medicine , but could not quite deal with the hospital environment, hours, intensity. Cannot agree more with you! Omg how much I love the routine hours, having my own space and not being distracted and force to multitask all the time. Also really enjoy getting to know my patients and getting them involved in their health decisions rather than classic rushed hospital ‘doctor pt x has got high sugars- and you rush to prescribe treatment and don’t have time to have a chat to them at all’
Great Video Doc!
Do you edit them yourself?
Welcome back doc 🤩 !!
Please do reaction videos on Mumbai diaries pleasee.. Loved your vdos on operation mbbs .. and that’s how started watching your channel … 🥹
Dear doctor, could you kindly do videos on different conditions based on nice guidelines… that would really help lots of students, specially diagnosis, first line meds, and when to refer to secondary..
This video is so helpful! Interested in joining but still I’m a MBBS degree holder
Nice video , was having the same thoughts but was concerned about the 7-10 min that is given to see a patient ?
Hi sir I have one doubt, in one of ur old video u mentioned that u wanna be visiting consultants in manipal and miot chennai as a ctvs surgeon. What made you to choose gp over ctvs is there any specific reason or scope ctvs is not that good
Hey sir im a 1st year mbbs student at your alma mater Bangalore medical college
Absolutely love your videos!
After your PLAB completion how many years you worked in a hospital as a jr doctor? Like before you decided to become a GP which is now. And which hospital did you work in? And what exams and things you had to do for going in GP from the doctor in the hospital?
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I loved it!
Congratulations to our namma Bangalore boy Ajay.
Wow…very positive perspective on GP
What would the most significant differences be between GP Trainee life and being a GP consultant?
I think it depends on the consultant, in Wales the consultants seem to train juniors more.... May depend on how filled the posts are in the different countries.
Very nice video ❤
Brilliant. What are the cons of being a GP in the UK?Do they make less money?
Brother can you kindly make a video about 'Pathway to become a GP in UK' and also roughly outline how much can one expect to make as GP there ? I am a post MBBS here in India. Love your videos. :)
I’m planning an A-Z series on PLAB, stay tuned😄
@@DoctorAmedicine Thank you so much 😊🤗
My best wishes sir ......💐💐🤝🏻
Regards
Med Representative
Bangalore
As a hospital medic, I couldnt have been happier to practice in a hospital setup . Yes , it's long , yes it requires dedication and a lot of self learning and procative involvement in teaching , yes it comes with night shifts but hey you're a specialist after that and life is beautiful . I personally find doing a GP job , sat down in an office quite boring but I suppose it's personal preference . In terms of training, I don't agree that specialty training is disastrous in the UK as you make it sound . No one spoon feeds you and sometimes you have to make opportunities for yourself and if you can't then I think maybe hospital medicine isn't for that person . I have immense respect for GPs and they do a fantastic job but when beyond their hands they do have to refer the patient on to a hospital for specialist input which I and many others feel privileged to offer :) And once you're a medical consultant work-life balance isn't all that bad . You probably do 1 in 8 off site oncalls depending on where you work etc . Overall I think it all boils down to personal choice . Wish you all the best in GP land
Hi Dr A , how is training in cambridge, how is internal medicine training can you talk about it?
Hey, thanks for this video. It was super helpful. I am currently an SHO in a surgical department and considering GP training next year. I don’t know which hospitals I should go for, I don’t have a preference with area, I’d rather have a good training. How should I go about this? Is there a difference in the UK with which hospitals you end up choosing?
My preference list was:
1. Guys and St Thomas
2. Imperial
3. UCLH
4. Cambridge
5. Oxford
6. Bristol
@@DoctorAmedicine I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for replying!! ♥️
Hey mate !! Can a gp get into radio residency in UK and do FRCR . What’s your take on it ?
Hi, good to c u there.
Hi Doc. !!! Could u please tell me about the scope of Gp consultant outside of Uk , esp in gulf countries ...... Is the GP training degree valid there? or invalid like in india . And wht about the competition post gp training since there are a lot of gp trainees passing out each yr ??
From perspective of Qatar and UAE - it is fully valid as listed in their respective health authority websites. Qatar requires no licensing exam from GP's with CCT from UK and same goes for UAE. As for whether we will find jobs in these countries - that's a separate issue to be honest. Even in India, the CCT is recognised it's just that there is no longer the concept of a GP in India and that is sad to be frank.
I heard that gp is not needed any more in uk is that true ?
Please respond to my question because i want to become a gp.
Where do we get the ranking of hospitals in UK?
Your thinking just resonates with me so much. I am an Indian doctor.I also could never develop any clear cut interest in any particular speciality, just had a slight inclination towards paediatrics but then I choose family medicine for post graduation. And in that I began to love seeing all sorts of patients. Now I am on a road to become a doctor in UK and just going through videos about how General Practice is in UK it really fascinates me so much that I have made up my mind before hand to go for GP training in future. Thanks for this video as it really helped me give the right direction to my thoughts.
All the best to you too in your journey 👍
Doctor have heard about GPs not finding jobs recently in the UK. How true is that? Locums being replaced by ANPs and PAs??
Sir, can gp in uk can give immunotherapy or different types of therapy to the patients
Sir can you make a video on expenses and savings In UK?
Sir
I have done MRCP 2 & now working in India. I want to have short term NHS experience (1 or 2 week training / Fellowship / Observership)
How to pursue that? Pls guide me
Hi brother I follow you channel since I started my preparation of mrcpch can you plz make video on pediatric speciality starting from jr doctor to consultant level work duties responsibilities and working hours payment. I m not able to decide which path I need to go plab or mrcoch I have completed my pg here n had 3 years of experience in peds and nicu as consultant plz plz plz help
Can someone take the spouse with
in the time of residency in UK?
If yes, how?
Aren’t GPs can practice in a hospital? Do they have individual clinic?
i'm doing the course of dental sciences and surgery in one of government university in Sri Lanka. i like to work in abroad. can you say a job like GP which can give flexibility to rest of my life?
Sir I have a medical report of COPd, may you please decipher it for me. I will be too much thankful sir…….???
I think you made a good decision. Hospital medicine is best when practiced part time.
I'm not sure the GP pathway is financially as rewarding as you've mentioned, especially with the recent influx of ARRS/AHP. Nevertheless good to be optimistic!
What do you think about anesthesia?
what about emergency training, is it a good specialty?
Hi sir is it possible for some one to do imt training in uk , then go for GP route ?
are nurses in demand than doctors in the uk?
I really love GP as a specialty.
I have a sensitive question.Are GPs looked down upon in the UK?
Is GP seen as a speciality in the UK or just as an MBBS grad like in India?
How did you end up convincing your parents that you will be a GP rather than a specialist in one branch?
Because here in India people do judge based on your specialty.
Hey, good question.
I do know GP is not considered a specialty in India, that’s because it isn’t.
In the UK, it’s different. Once you finish your med school, you need to do 2 years of foundation training and then 3 years of GP training (residency) to become a GP. The level of medicine practiced is completely different to an Indian GP.
Both of my parents are in medicine, they understand what GP in UK is like and they’ve been very supportive😄
@@DoctorAmedicine Great to hear:)
There are handful of seats in MD Family Medicine in India too.. Christian Medical College Vellore, Calicut Medical College,Kerala , St.Johns Medical College Bangalore and few Deemed institutions. But in India , it's a challenge to be a trained GP/ Family Physician as they are not "specialist" in the eyes of many, including the medical fraternity. Or may be seen as a threat to lucrative OPD services of other subspecialties when the primary care ailments are considered.
You should choose your speciality because you like it not because it impresses your parents.
Subscribed❤
Can one get a seat for GP residency after FY2?
Hi,
Did you work at Newham hospital?
Hi Ajay, I am a doctor from India planning to relocate to the UK, I needed some advice regarding job opportunities and various pathways, so was wondering if you could help in this regard. Thankyou.
After completion of PLAB exam how to get a job . What are the procedures. Will it be beneficial to complete MRCP part 1 to get a job.. or can I a get a job just after PLAB exam?
I heard GPs are immensely overworked in the UK. Is that true Dr. A?
hello , dr ajay i need counselling regarding plab and usmle if you can give your time ,, i am willing to pay every bit of your time ,,pls let me know
So as a GP, you will be making 150,000£ per annum and take home pay will be around 7000£ per month.
May be you should do some research around PA's taking over a lot of GP jobs.
What I got from this is the high rate of mental illnesses in the UK which is very unfortunate
Like your fairness 😋
Thanks Ajay for your video. I am considering switching from a hospital job to GP (done with MSRA exam few days ago). My biggest concerns are 2 things:
1. The very short time to assess your patient (I find 10 min each is not enough to get listen, examine, diagnose and speak to him/her back)
2. The lack of investigations (basically, you are diagnosing based on history and examination which can be insufficient to get a diagnosis)
How do you deal with that?
This is why hospitals in uk are in such a state. GP’s working limited hours (9-5), meaning patients have nowhere to go except the hospitals, putting more pressure on those hospitals. Not fair to hospital staff at all.
What a load of nonsense, GP has always been 9-5 and the system was working well 15-20 years ago. The NHS is woefully understaffed and underfunded, we have one of the lowest doctors and hospital beds per capita in Europe.
Think about moving to America , they are accepting Uk trained physicians without need to a residency in Wisconsin for gp careers .
Nice video Love ❤️ from junagadh city gujarat
I am also interested in family medicine 👍😊
G9od luck🎉
Hi Ajay. Thanks for sharing your insights on GP and other speciality training. I am a junior doctor working in the UK as well immigrated from India. Just a couple of things that didn't resonate with me.
1. I am sorry you've not had the experience of being asked questions during ward rounds but this is pretty much a regular thing Ive had even as a non trainee and it has been very useful. Registrars are really interested to ask questions ( in a non intimidating and non toxic way unlike India ). Ive been in 3 trusts so far and ive seen this happen in all of these places.
2. Training of 8-10 years. Not true for all specialities. Group 2 specialties have a shorter duration and OBG is 7 years. Happy for you taking GP but i would be cautious while putting out information on social media about everything else.
What is your age?
yay pixel!
Can we practice in india after completion of GP in uk??
No. At least not yet.
He has an Indian MBBS.. he can practise if he wanfs.
You can practice, yes. Family medicine is now a recognised specialty in India. As I’ve said in the video, I could do my MRCP here and work as a general physician in India
Hey, I'm doing family medicine residency here in india. royal College offers MRCGP(INT) in india.
@@thesparkplug3561 Sure, but I will have MRCGP England once my training is done, that is also valid in India
I guess we are all in same boat
A lot of the points you make are excellent but don't assume the 3.5 days of "work" you do as a registrar are the hours you do as a salaried GP or Partner. Many GPs start at 8 am or earlier and don't finish till 8pm or later with no breaks and no support from all the little helpers you get in hospital. the buck stops with you unless you admit and contrary to hospital opinions we hardly admit anyone. 80-90% of all nhs contacts are in primary care. its busy. you also have to see the pts daily or more often none of this come back in 6m when ive moved on... it can be challenging and rewarding but thinking its easier (apart from shift work) just means you havent done it properly yet.
So pharmacists see coughs and colds in the UK? Thus, they diagnose?? Interesting.
This video is just made for me who is unclear about what to do
Let's be honest. As a GP it's a lot easier. When i go to my GP and i see him google ing on his tablet my symptoms i start to pull my hair out. But i guess it's common practice in UK, sometimes i wonder why can't i have this privilege to be a GP
Great video and love to see you passionate about your chosen specialty.
But points to highlight as well -
Gps are one of the specialties with high burn out rates. Fewer and fewer are doing full time GPs.
Locum work is increasingly drying up with PA & ACP scope. Just have a look into GP forums and see yourself.
High rate of litigation. GPs are often blamed (wrongly) for missed diagnosis.
The amount of admin work is comparatively more which is boring.
GP are generalists and MRCGP isn't recognised globally all over the world, for example, middle east (however this is changing). Family medicine is still yet to be recognised as a specialty of it's own globally.
AI is already taking over most generalist jobs and there is exponential growth as more advanced algorithms are being developed.
He is still in training. He doesnt yet know about the full responsibilty of a GP including medicolegal issues.
Good GP are a rare species in india. People will be more than happy to pay any fee for a good gp
If your CZcams channel grows exponentially and you dont need the Doctor's income anymore. Would you continue to work as a doctor in the UK ?
Hi Doc!
No, unfortunately I don’t enjoy YT enough to make it my primary job. Medicine will always be first priority 😄
@@DoctorAmedicine great to hear that. And good luck with your new route. GPs in Germany are super busy and burdened. Hope your work leaves you some time to keep creating for YT
lol that’s my dean @03:59
What is GP ?
General Practitioner. The doctor people generally see first. He then may refer to specialists.
exacerbation of copd, acute severe asthma
Hello. Hj
Video title after 2years "why I left medicine" 😂😂
Sitting behind a desk playing the guessing game and writying out a green bit of paper with some standard drugs on there ..dont blame you ..