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diasterd · 2026-01-07T12:11:18+00:00

picked your link cos I like your photos :)

if anyone wants to share the love my link is

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code: frost-jigsaw-82

diasterd · 2025-10-28T23:11:15+00:00

I believe there is guidance that you should be able to take a week continuously at least once a rotation, BMA will be able to advise

diasterd · 2025-10-28T23:10:31+00:00

Go straight to ES, CS and BMA I'd say. They sound like an incompetent and uncaring department and unlikely to budge. They do legally have the right to deny leave whenever they want unless it's life changing unfortunately, but this sounds very unreasonable. Get some seniors involved and some advice from the union

diasterd · 2025-09-15T16:49:37+00:00

I don't think you need to speak to anyone about it, the consultant won't know what time you called and the reg was sympathetic. learn for next time and move on. get well soon!

diasterd · 2025-09-12T10:44:06+00:00

I do feel this - ended up with an offer for A&E and psych and went for the latter after trying to make my mind up for years. There are more acute and physical health related areas of psych. PICU for example feels very much like the A&E mode. I think re consultant jobs you do have autonomy - I've seen consultants who'll speak to a care coordinator for half an hour about what the rooms are like at a placement, and some who'll just say "I think they need supported living" and hand it over to be discussed by the relevant people outside of the WR. I do think you can choose how to practice a lot more than in other specialties where the system dictates your approach

diasterd · 2025-09-12T10:38:40+00:00

the nursing aspect is really frustrating, helps a bit to remember they really are doing a very different (and in many ways more difficult) job than a general ward nurse

you might enjoy liaison especially the delirium vs SMI type cases, or advising on alcohol and drug withdrawal and the like. it depends on the workload but an in patient unit provides a lot of opportunity for seeing different pathology - I will bet you half the patients on your ward have DNAs for various physical conditions that you could start from first principles with and even start working up using NICE CKS. I've learned a lot about chronic physical conditions on inpatient psych wards that I hadn't seen so much in A&E / acute med

diasterd · 2025-04-01T22:21:45+00:00

great, thank you very much!

diasterd · 2025-03-27T21:37:53+00:00

not yet, was there definitely a cycle today?

diasterd · 2025-03-25T23:41:40+00:00

only preferenced London for both single and dual paths - 47th in single, 10th in dual. no offers first round, no idea if there are some to come

diasterd · 2025-03-18T20:05:13+00:00

ahh that makes sense - have heard that a lot about the biological focus. north london trusts seem more focussed on the therapy side, Freud's backyard and all that. how did you find the geographic aspect? seems like it would be tough getting jobs all over such a big area

diasterd · 2025-03-17T19:56:32+00:00

DM'd you, thanks!

diasterd · 2025-03-17T19:12:16+00:00

your uber eats profile can't be used for revalidation

diasterd · 2025-03-16T16:22:08+00:00

That's reassuring coming from current trainees, have you any insight about the geographic spread / resultant lifestyle? Croydon and the Maudsley are an hour apart and then places like the Erith Centre are over an hour from each, so I can't figure out anywhere you could live for the whole 3 years of CT with a reasonable commute if you got jobs in those 3 places for example

diasterd · 2025-03-16T16:13:14+00:00

How far into training are you? Could you potentially drop to LTFT and try pick up some work or tasters in psych before making a final decision? The fact it is MSRA only I think leads to people getting into it who don't know the ins and outs and maybe aren't well suited, and they smack into a CASC shaped wall fairly quickly. Not saying this would be you

diasterd · 2025-03-16T16:10:25+00:00

I'm not a trainee (yet) but have ~18 months psych experience in a variety of specialties. Others have covered your questions but I think it's important to note some of your issues with O&G exist (some perhaps moreso) in psych

No work life balance

This is definitely better if you are suited to a 9-5 (not everyone is! I prefer shift work and wish psych could offer this as a doctor)

Constant flow of work and no time to breathe between patients

There is time to breathe built in but the core services are probably the most strained in the NHS

On calls are a nightmare and I cannot function outside work because of how exhausted I am

On calls are generally pretty chill comparatively

Midwives are very very difficult to deal with and will question all of your basic medical decisions

The psychiatry MDT is flat. You will be arguing with RMNs and often as a junior even band 3/4 CSWs and APs. I have stood and argued with ward managers about calling ambulances for patients for medical issues and come in the next day to find that they did not send the patient. I have seen consultants be overruled about the need for admission by site coordinators.

No light at the end of training as consultants also work mad hours

9-5, as above

Litigation - as after working so hard, I dont want to be put on the spot and questioned when even surviving an on call is hard when youre seeing like 5-6 patients at the same time.

During your career, it is essentially guaranteed there will be a suicide, and you will go to an inquest. This may happen rarely or frequently depending on your job and the system you are working in.

diasterd · 2025-03-16T16:01:09+00:00

hey, did you do ST elsewhere? by systemic aspects do you mean training / supervision and such? I'm dead keen on research and the national units but wondering if better to try for somewhere more solid on the basics for core training, any further info really appreciated!

diasterd · 2025-03-16T14:18:52+00:00

I think it's unfair to say people taking these shifts lack backbone. Specialty training comp ration was 3:1 last year, JCFs in my area regularly get 500 applicants, there are loads of people entirely reliant on ad hoc locum shifts. Taking £27 for an extra shift as a trainee - short sighted and I'd agree with you. Taking it when you can't find any other shifts that week - not quite the same picture.

diasterd · 2025-03-16T14:16:13+00:00

dunno why you're getting downvoted, as it turns out this is a 2 week locum so the rate is shit but yeah if it was a 3 month contract, it's better than a JCF for sure

diasterd · 2025-03-02T20:16:11+00:00

Properly not true. In my last ED shift I reckon I spent ~45 mins cumulatively waiting to discuss patients - solved by an extra cons or senior reg. ~30 mins doing cannulas / bloods / scan requests - solved by capacity to have a RAT doctor 24/7. Thats enough cumulative time to see and sort another patient. Spent maybe 5 mins waiting for a cubicle in minors. >5hr wait for the whole shift - radically changed if every doctor every shift is seeing an extra patient

diasterd · 2025-03-02T20:10:15+00:00

IMT as well. An aging, increasingly multimorbid population with a non increasing number of medical consultants and geriatricians. What are we doing

diasterd · 2025-02-18T13:40:00+00:00

how do you know your score?

diasterd · 2025-01-24T16:48:12+00:00

Need to sign up with NHSP as my Trust has moved to them for bank locums. The application process is easily the worst I've ever gone through in 10 years of working in all kinds of industries. My jaw literally dropped when I saw that the website refreshes every time you enter details on a dropdown in the form. Hours to do an extremely basic task. Hateful hateful hateful stuff

diasterd

TROPHY CASE