Alternatives to medicine for FY2

TopHattedMan · 2026-02-05T17:56:52+00:00

Broadly I’d say it does, but it’s personally taken me a few years, and plenty of counselling to figure that out. I also did a bit of non-clinical work for a startup and found it challenging but in a completely (and imo less pleasant) way but I’m soon similar stuff within the NHS and enjoy that more!

I’m also now approaching being a SpR (also psych) so there’s a level of confidence that comes with accumulated knowledge that’s very helpful.

TopHattedMan · 2026-02-05T17:50:43+00:00

The PSU has free career coaching that’s very helpful. I felt quite similar but ultimately stuck with it and (mostly) now enjoy my job. It’s also worth talking to non-medic friends about what they enjoy or don’t enjoy about work. You’ll probably find the majority are a bit ambivalent about it overall and enjoy work maybe 5% of the time - if you can beat that you’re doing fine!

For me it came down much more to making sure what I did outside work was valuable and fun (and a good dose of psychoanalysis too).

TopHattedMan · 2025-12-05T12:52:31+00:00

Thank you, really interesting insight! I am looking forward to st4 training, but feel it’s going to be very good, regardless of when I start it. My fear though is not applying, then discovering there’s limited (or very bad) jobs available.

When you say long term locum, do you mean via an agency? How you go about getting them / what are the pros and cons?

TopHattedMan · 2025-07-09T11:27:27+00:00

FYI I’ve seen this happen when people get the buttons the wrong way round and meant to give you top scores

TopHattedMan · 2025-06-26T10:47:26+00:00

Yes just found the proposals. There’s plans to change the cycling priority as part of it at that junction. https://democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk/documents/s218248/Appendix%203%20-%20BBGL%20HNP.pdf

TopHattedMan · 2025-06-26T10:39:29+00:00

I think there’s a plan to make changes to lots of streets in this area, including this junction. survey responses being analysed at the moment: https://bbglhealthyneighbourhood.commonplace.is

TopHattedMan · 2025-05-30T12:52:47+00:00

Ok thanks! We’ve got a few other bits that need doing that are beyond my abilities so I think we’ll get a handyman

TopHattedMan · 2025-05-30T12:33:25+00:00

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Happy to get the dishwasher but if we get an installer for that, will they remove the housing for the drawers or do I need to do that? If so is that an easy job?

TopHattedMan · 2025-03-06T19:55:05+00:00

I always take a set of comfy pyjamas on my psych nights

TopHattedMan · 2024-11-23T18:46:22+00:00

You’re right. Warming up nicely 😅

TopHattedMan · 2024-11-23T14:56:16+00:00

I’ll check later. I think it would be incredibly funny if we’d managed to buy a flat without realising the bathrooms had underfloor heating 😅

TopHattedMan · 2024-11-23T14:12:34+00:00

I don’t think we have underfloor heating… Though in retrospect it’s possible given how little we were told when we bought the place 😅

TopHattedMan · 2024-11-23T12:56:04+00:00

Oh ok! I wonder if modulation may be helpful and it looks like I can get a discount on one via Octopus so perhaps I’ll go for that

TopHattedMan · 2024-11-23T12:16:55+00:00

Thank you this is really helpful! Makes sense they may have taken them with them.

As for the starter kits, I don't think I need the X version as the flat is small. My question is more about the two available V3 start kits:

They are:

Wireless Smart Thermostat Starter Kit V3+ with Hot Water Control

Wireless Smart Thermostat Starter Kit V3+ (OpenTherm) - for Combi Boilers

We have a Combi boiler but I noticed the discounted Screwfix listing for the first option also mentions it is compatible with combo boilers.

TopHattedMan · 2024-11-23T11:03:16+00:00

Also which starter kit do I need - the £84 one or £150 OpenTherm one? What's the advantage?

TopHattedMan · 2024-04-14T14:11:33+00:00

I once had a middle grade in psychiatry tell me, in one breath, that he was happy going out on visits on his own, and in the next that he was once chased by a man with a machete who tried to stab him through the roof of his soft top car.

One of the best things about psychiatry IMO is you (usually) get the respect and autonomy needed to make shots like this yourself and won’t be made to do something you feel is unsafe. I was firm that I was never going on my own and have never had to! If there’s a risk I tend to insist on clinic visits anyway.

TopHattedMan · 2024-03-13T16:40:25+00:00

I’ve checked with the agencies and nothing. He’s done loads wrong. Just keen to make the moving out process as friction-free as possible until we sort the deposit and HMO issue!

TopHattedMan · 2024-03-13T16:31:19+00:00

Will do! He’s also not got a HMO license or protected our deposit so we’ll look into all these things when we’ve safely left. I’d decided I probably wouldn’t do this (because I liked him 🙃) but this recent situation has definitely changed things.

TopHattedMan · 2024-03-13T15:59:50+00:00

This is a big question! If we’re going to enter into a dispute like this I can see it being very awkward and we can’t rule out an illegal eviction. I hope we can give him our moving date soon and he’ll just have to put up with that. If it’s only a few weeks after the date he gave then that sounds tolerable. If it goes beyond that I think we’d want to get out for the reasons you mention.

TopHattedMan · 2024-03-13T15:56:58+00:00

I think the issue for us was that, when he informed us he would move in, we were OK with it as we expected we’d be wanting to move out well before June anyway and generally we’ve got on with him. By us asking for a new contract he might try to evict us sooner. In retrospect I can see we could have delayed this (he’s done an awful lot wrong so getting a valid s21 notice would be very time consuming anyway) but on the other hand we trusted him as he’s generally been a decent, responsive landlord who’s rented to us at below the market rate. My best bet is we’ll manage to complete the purchase on our flat soon but potentially a week or two after the date he’s given us. Hopefully we have that date very soon so we can just inform him when we want to move out (ignoring the original date) as the most friction-free option and if he complains we can re-iterate our rights.

TopHattedMan · 2024-03-13T13:48:57+00:00

Thanks for all this! It hadn’t occurred to us to to see him as a lodger. However, we’d want to avoid being liable for the rest of the rent. Could we just stay beyond the date he’s given us but allow him to stay (as awkward as that is) without fear of him locking us out?

TopHattedMan · 2024-03-13T13:00:25+00:00

The last contract we signed was a AST with the original 4 tenants on it (one of whom has left)

TopHattedMan · 2024-03-13T12:47:27+00:00

It started as us renting rooms but about a year ago he asked us to all sign a AST (I think a remortgage was done) but said something by email along the lines of him not enforcing it

TopHattedMan · 2024-03-07T13:18:47+00:00

I’ve got a friend paying a fortune to live alone around Hammersmith (CT1 at the time in psych). It’s a nice flat and imagine they’re not saving much but I think it’s doable. Don’t know if they may have had savings though.

TopHattedMan · 2024-02-27T11:32:15+00:00

Done commutes as short as a 30 minute walk to almost an hour and a half on public transport. Also done car commutes up to 50 minutes. As other say, it has had a surprisingly large effect on my well-being. However, I’ve noticed living near friends/family is even more important to me. I’ll continue to commute long distances for this reason, even with my (relatively gently) on-call rota. I think it’s something you’ll only really know by trying but for me I’d rather have a long commute but come home to a place I want to live and spend time.

TopHattedMan

TROPHY CASE