alnernative paths

[shussain83]

HI,

Can someone please advise me on the options that i have upon graduation if i choose not to enter the MTAS training scheme?

Will i be able to undertake any locum work as a graduate with no hospital experience?

What is the competition like for posts remaining after the first round of allocations?? jus incase i change my mind :S and as a British Citizen would i be favoured over other EU graduates for these posts?

Apologise if any of these questions have been answered in previous posts.

Thankyou

[TimC-B]

If you choose not the enter the Foundation programme you cannot practice as a doctor. After medical school you are provisionally registered with the GMC, which is converted into full registration after FY1. Theoretically you can leave the system and Locum once you are fully registered. If you leave the medical pathway before becoming fully registered you cannot practice as a doctor.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean about "the first round of applications". Currently 100% of graduates from UK medical schools get 2 year foundation programme places, with 90% of these receiving foundation posts in their first choice school. Competition rates fro some schools are higher than others (notable London schools) and can be found on the UKFPO website.

Under EU law all citizens of the European Union must be treated equally for employment, and it applies in this case as well. Although the eligibility criteria are very strict for the Foundation programme and only about 400 eligible students make it through the system each year.

Hope that helps,

Tim

[Leo2004]

Agree totally with Tim.

Registration i.e. after minimum F1 year is needed to be able to use your med degree in the Uk, as a doctor, whether in practise in as a locum in the nhs or as a health advisor in dh or in some private business; usually 2 years is required for pharma jobs and sometimes a postgrad qualification.

There are quite a few ways to use a med degree outside medical practice in the uk, with registration and 1-2 years experience.

There are some conferences about this by private firms - maybe if you google your question or something about alternative jobs for doctors outside medicine, you'll find the cached pages.

You can probably use a medical degree as an entry undergraduate degree for some city financial jobs or a city legal training contract, if you fancy it, and these jobs may not care whether you have worked as a doctor...

Hope this is of some use...

At the end of the day having a medical degree will do you favours, whatever kind of work you choose to do....