In this episode we are again joined by Dr Shalabh Srivastava, a Senior Clinical Lecturer at Newcastle University and Renal consultant at Sunderland hospital to explore the mysterious world of academic medicine... We explore the process of getting involved in research, including how to find a good supervisor, how to overcome set-backs and where to look for funding and opportunities.  Shalabh is a goldmine of good advice, with significant experience across lab-based and clinical research, so if you are considering looking into academic medicine, you won't be disappointed!

We are joined today by Dr Shalabh Srivastava, a renal consultant at Sunderland Hospital and Senior Clinical Lecturer at Newcastle University. In this episode we ask Shalabh about how he came into renal medicine (after working with a medical-world celebrity!) and why he still loves it! Stay tuned for the future of renal medicine and some opportunities you probably didn't know existed.

In the last of our mini-series on careers, we ask the question: what do I do if I think medicine might not be for me? As we discovered recording this, most medics ask themselves this question at least once in their careers, so if you have thought this, you aren't alone. We chat about how to approach this question, what other (more unusual) career paths there are in medicine that you may not have heard of yet, and why its ok if you decide this really isn't for you. If you are seriously asking yourself this question, make sure you chat to family, friends and trusted supervisors or seniors to help you along the way. You can find further resources here:  https://www.bmj.com/specialties/leaving-medicine https://madeinheene.hee.nhs.uk/careers/Access-your-career-support

Should I take an F3 year? What options are even out there? How can I choose?  If you've asked any of these questions, this episode may be for you! In this 4th episode of our mini series we take a look at what we all did for our F3 (and F4) years, taking an honest and open look at the highlights and drawbacks in all aspects of life.

Today we continue with our series on life after med school by sharing the things we wish we had known about applications for specialty and surviving interviews! Similarly to the previous episode, this will focus on the following applications & interviews: Core surgery training Internal medicine training General Practice specialty training O&G specialty training Paediatrics specialty training Academic career paths Stay tuned for some really practical advice on how to navigate this tricky and often mysterious part of medical training ____________________________________________________________________________ We have also produced a ppt with visual aids to this podcast, and a reflective decision questionnaire on how to work out what is important to you when asking yourself what you want to do. These are available at: http://www.mediafire.com/folder/2w5eqke9s56s3/Contingency_FM Further useful resources can be found at: https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/career-progression/training/specialty-explorer https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/doctors/roles-doctors

In part 2 of our mini-series on life after med school, we look at what options are out there for different specialty training pathways, and discuss our own experience in deciding to pursue: Core surgery training Internal medicine training General Practice specialty training O&G specialty training Paediatrics specialty training Academic career paths We have also produced a ppt with visual aids to this podcast, and a reflective decision questionnaire on how to work out what is important to you when asking yourself what you want to do. These are available at: http://www.mediafire.com/folder/2w5eqke9s56s3/Contingency_FM Further useful resources can be found at:  https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/career-progression/training/specialty-explorer https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/doctors/roles-doctors

Matthew and Phil have a chat with Dr Naomi Chamberlin (Respiratory Consultant, Sunderland Hospital) to find out what the best and most challenging bits are about this specialty. Stay tuned to hear why respiratory is such a varied and friendly place to work, musings on time travel and how Naomi helped Phil to change his life as a medical student.

Abi and Phil are joined by Mrs Cathy Emerson (Obstetrician, Sunderland Hospital), to chat about why O&G is such a diverse and rewarding specialty. Stay tuned for some great advice on reflection and avoiding despair when the worst happens, and how to learn from our successes too!

We are joined today by Dr Alison Heggie, a Diabetes & Endocrine consultant (South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust) to find out more about life in this specialty. Stay tuned for some helpful tips on how to manage diabetes on call, how to make the most of your time on an endocrine ward and why endocrinology is a fascinating place in which to work. Further resources can be found at: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/ https://www.endocrinology.org/clinical-practice/clinical-guidance/society-for-endocrinology-guidance/ https://www.diabetes.org.uk/professionals/resources/shared-practice/inpatient-and-hospital-care/joint-british-diabetes-society-for-inpatient-care

In the next few episodes we chat about all the things we wish we had been told before starting F1. In this episode, we focus on succeeding in F1. Stay tuned for advice on how to pass ARCP and how to learn efficiently & effectively on a busy job.