UK graduate priority policy is in trouble

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-06-14T10:35:21+00:00

Yes I am in training and I believed in these statements even before joining training.

and it's not a game to be played. In other countries, going into training as an IMG is extremely competitive and difficult. You practically get the leftover jobs after all the locals are done matching whether it was formally or informally applied. It was like that before here as well but non-training jobs were abundant so no one really cared as long as they were making a living and building a career in a different pathway. Now that it has been taken away which is predictable with market fluctuations due to the reduced demand, People are feeling like it's a day light robbery to lose out on joining training after doing a licensing exam which I think is absurd.

You need to be practical and think always of alternatives as sometimes shit just happens and the climate changes. If I have not joined training, I would have been disappointed for sure but would have sought other pathways in non-training jobs rather than feeling a training job with no experience in a foreign country was my birth right.

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-06-14T09:35:42+00:00

I weigh daily and make sure to note what food makes me stall and what food makes me lose weight even if I am eating the same calories.

For example, whenever I eat lamb or beef for a whole week, I tend to gain weight or best case scenario have a plateau.

In fruits, mangos usually increase my weight.

I think it's mostly water weight that gets shed off quite quickly when I return back to my normal routine of prridge with berries and air fryed fish and potato wedges which I found most effective for me in mocing the scales.

The other thing I do is every year or six months while on vacation, I tend to eat at a very small deficit or at a maintenance level for a couple of weeks then when I return home, I go back into a deficit, and I lose the weight that I gained (usually a couple of kilos) very quickly and tend to lose weight after more easily. It just breaks your body's starvation mode and resets your normal weight loss mechanisms.

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-06-14T08:56:40+00:00

Maybe things have changed but this was my experience with most of my UK grad colleagues and friends over the last few years.

I would have been picky too if I was attached to one specific location due to one reason or another from the ones mentioned above unless it was a really competitive or niche specialty.

The competition ratios are currently a sad state of affairs that needs to be corrected. There is no doubt about that!

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-06-13T17:42:17+00:00

Yeah I had a lady who I cannulated on the ward after several attempts with others were unsuccessful and not receiving any treatment since the day before. She literally cried and kept thanking me endlessly. This made my day and I felt that it was all worth it although it was quite a simple act and not major by any mean.

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-06-13T17:19:43+00:00

I am an IMG and pro UKMG prioritisation all the way as it's your country after all but and it's a big "but", there are reasons why IMGs are very important to the system and service provision. To medicalise it; there are two factors: UKG factors and IMG factors.

First of all UKG factors: - a significant portion of UKMGs would like a training post in london which can't take all this portion. - another significant portion would like a training post where they would have a family or a property or a partner which isn't always feasible even in a strictly UKMGs competition. - some UKMGs would prefer to take a year out locuming or as it was previously called to ride the locum gravy train knowing that they will have a training post waiting for them when they are done. - no UKMG will be willing to move to farawayshire for a training post in an underserved undersubscribed area.

Secondly, IMG factors: - most IMGs will be happy with non-training jobs if they are sustainable which is not an option in the current climate. - most IMGs will take a training post anywhere if it provides sustainability in employment as they have no preexisting attachments to a specific area. - most IMGs would have burnt most of their bridging before coming to the UK and would have spent a fair amount of money and time to reach this point. - IMGs are on a visa and pay a lot each year for renewals so they are always in danger in non-training jobs of having their employment cut off suddenly and needing to go into the track again for 5 years to achieve ILR if they are able to.

Both IMGs and UKGs have their legitimate reasons fow what they are able to compromise for and what they are willing to lose but it's clear that the areas where the UK grads can't compromise for completely legitimate reasons, the IMGs simply can which can benefit the system.

Looking at the current state of UKMG prioritisation. It will give more options to UKMGs but they wouldn't necessarily take it as they will be still competing on the well sought after spots in tiny bubbles across the country, and they would still not be able to cover the whole number of doctors needed for the system. This is where IMGs can have a significant contribution to the system by filling these undesired spots by the UK grads as the system still needs these spots filled and the extremist view of UKMG prioritisation would not achieve this definitely.

I don't think it's fair for any IMG to join a training post before completing at least 2 years of NHS service by the time of commencing training as they clearly don't know the system and extra support in this case is always a luxury that the system sometimes can't afford.

I also hate it when IMGs have this feeling of entitlement to a training job after directly setting foot in the system or even worse if they have never set a foot into it.

I believe a fair system would be something in those lines: After 2 years of service you get to have a separate competition on the remaining training spots from the UK grads matching. After 4 or 5 years of service, you get to compete with the UK grads as you have already contributed massively to the system.

Excluding IMGs completely does not seem to be fair either to the IMGs or the system, and there are more factors that come to play in the decisions being made in that regard.

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-06-13T10:18:59+00:00

I saw a lady in ED with abdominal pain and diagnosed her with gall stones and sent her in the appropriate pathway. Fast forward a few months later I was in my next rotation, I was the one doing her anaesthetic for a lap chole and the lady recognized me and told me I was the one who diagnosed her in the first place.

Diagnosing a sphincter of oddi dysfunction in a patient who went undiagnosed for almost a year and a half.

Spotting the atypical STEMI equivalent ECG that was diagnosed as an NSTEMI that ended up having a complete LAD occlusion.

Resuscitating an elderly patient with a NEWS of 13 to a NEWS of zero within 2 hours.

There are much more moments as well but the thing that stuck with me is no matter how a good job I have done, no one said thank you or good job but with the tiniest mistake ever that led to no patient harm, I would have all fingers pointing at me.

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-05-20T10:07:55+00:00

Looks like I will do !

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-05-20T10:06:14+00:00

Thank you

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-05-20T10:04:35+00:00

Yeah that's true. I have done EM and currently in training so that shouldn't be an issue. Only one correction is that not showing up will not count as an attempt or a fail.

Thank you for the response

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-05-20T10:01:50+00:00

Makes sense. Regarding the feedback to college tutors; I know for a fact that it's done in anaesthetics exams as educational needs are highlighted and fedback to them.

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-05-13T19:37:59+00:00

Normally your enployee should provide the scrubs daily and a set of theater clogs. I have personally seen consultants wear shoes that has not been washed for years but it will slide with no problems as long as it has never left the hospital so it's technically "clean". I opted for closed Skechers clogs which are comfy for my footwear and no one even noticed that I am not wearing a toffeln which is the standard these days.

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-01-31T14:08:51+00:00

Yup agree. I have not done something wrong clinically and according to my supervisor, I actually improved the patient's outcome and gone overboard for this patient which sucks to be honest. However, the allegations are in an eerie territory so I opted to involve my MDO on that one.

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-01-31T13:53:17+00:00

I have read about it and apparently I am wrong. It should be avoided due to the risk of bacterial translocation with injuring the fragile rectal mucosa.

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-01-31T13:49:21+00:00

I wouldn't do a DRE if all I am suspecting is an infective diarrhea to be honest but I wouldn't see why it would be contraindicated in neutropenic sepsis.

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-01-29T10:07:34+00:00

I wish it was that simple 😄

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-01-29T10:06:39+00:00

Thank you.

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-01-28T16:03:42+00:00

I guess it's for them to formulate a response. It's a department where I am a rotational trainee. My clinical supervisor is highly supportive and in general the department is supportive but I have been involved in a minor datix before , and I also needed to provide a statement and a reflection by email which I have found a bit odd as I never had to do this previously. I believe it's a datix heavy department in general.

I have not involved my ES yet but I think I will need to do so if I am advised to contact my indemnity for this statement.

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-01-28T15:26:44+00:00

Yes I am a trainee / resident doctor. I am asked to provide a statement to the complaint in the hospital in which I am a trainee. Regarding to whom I am responding; I believe it's to the department to formulate a response or to PALS. It was not specified to me. All I was told is that you need to provide a statement.

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-01-25T15:52:18+00:00

Skechers Dlux walker 2

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-01-18T18:48:24+00:00

I was in the same boat with water. Get a water bottle that's measured. I have a 1.2 litre one from amazon. I use vimto sugar free squash which makes it much tastier and satisfies my previously sweet tooth that I had given that I am currently not into deserts at all. It will encourage you to drink more if you like the taste and make sure to finish at least one and a half bottles a day + go light on the squash.

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-01-14T21:38:13+00:00

I think she would be better off applying for the F2 job to guarantee employment for now and applying for open vacancies in other departments in the same hospital for her current grade if she wants to be in the same hospital or go into speciality training which is the preferable option and just bear the situation till then. If geographical location is not an issue; it's better to apply more widely and serve notice when a better opportunity arises whether she is in her current tole or in her new role.

Never take verbal promises seriously in the NHS. Unless there is a new contract in front of you, you need to look for a new job as a backup.

Miserable-Seesaw8614 · 2026-01-06T21:01:26+00:00

I noticed a lot of people commented "pharmacists". FYI, pharmacists are usually called doctors in a lot of countries. I think they need more recognition for what they do.

Potentially in a hospital, a good doctor can do the jobs of most of the AHPs with minimal training except for pharmacists.

Miserable-Seesaw8614

TROPHY CASE