What are the Mersey Hospitals like???

[Tom2501]

Hi everyone,

I'm from Newcastle and thinking of applying to the Mersey Deanery for F1 but could really do with some help from you guys and gals working within the deanery please.

Basically, I was hoping to get some first hand accounts of what the hospitals are like in the deanery? From reading around the old posts, it seems that the Royal Liverpool, Countess of Chester and the Wirral hospitals are rated highly but I'd be interested to hear about Aintree and the others too ....

In particular though, I'd be interested to know about hospital size, organisation, aesthetics, senior support and, if anyone feels they can comment, 'sense of community'. What are the things you've liked and disliked about the hospitals you've worked in? And how stressful is the working environment? I've heard from some people that the Royal Liverpool will work you to the bone :S Is this true?

Thanks for your help everyone, I appreciate it!

Tom

[anti_starlet]

Bump... Interested to know before I commit to leaving London!

[ruby968]

Hey,

I am currently an F2 at Arrowe Park on the Wirral, and I couldn't recommend it enough!

Wirral is a relatively new teaching hospital. Large enough to gain enough clinical experience but also not too impersonal. Very well supported by medical and administrative staff. All F1s do an acute medical block during their medicine rotation, where you spend 5 weeks on MAU. Extremely useful and you learn a lot! You also do a set of nights every four months. Lots of senior support around though.

You settle in very quickly and the liverpool and non liverpool graduates mix very well. Lots of socials organised. Most people go to the mess for lunch. Teaching is good too, you get four hours a week.

The only drawback is that if you want to live in liverpool then there will be a small commute, and you have to pay tunnel fare. So I guess it depends if you'd rather be nearer the city or not. Wirral is nice place though, lots of lovely areas to live.

Any further questions ask


x

[anti_starlet]

Thanks, that's really useful!

Any info on the other DGHs? I'd like to go to a DGH to get more hands on experience (from what F1 and F2 friends tell me, that's the best way to go about it).

Also you say that if you want to live in Liverpool, it's a bit of a commute to the hospitals, do you mean to drive there? I'm yet to pass my driving test but hoping to rectify this prior to/during F1 so might have to rely on public transport. Can you shed any light on this?

Thanks so much!

[Dr.C]

I've been allocated Mersey deanery for 2012 so just been having a looking at the trusts. I quite like the sound of some of the rotations in St Helens, Warrington and Southport. Do you have any information about what these hospitals are like and there areas? Anything would be great! Thanks

[NV05]

I've been a student at Leighton and Macclesfield and the FY1s and FY2s whilst being a bit put off by being far away from Liverpool, and these hospitals being their last choice, are still having quite a good time there.

[Dr.C]

Thanks for your reply!
Leighton is in my bottom few, only because it's so close to stoke, where I am now, it would seem silly to go to a hospital only half an hour up the road and wouldn't be a change at all, I might as well have stayed here! lol
I don't mind Macclesfield though! Would be nice to be closer to the city but macclesfield is pretty close to manchester by train.

[NV05]

Yep, loads of patients get shipped over to North Staffs for stuff as well from Leighton and it's just a stone's throw away down the A50.

[Aarnaout]

Hey everyone,

I've just been assigned to Warrington hospital for my F1, does anyone know first hand what's the hospital like?

Is it better to live in Warrington or live in Liverpool/Manchester and commute?

Anyone else doing there fy1 there ??

Thanks,
Ali