Download - Preparation for Becoming a Consultant
Dr Imran WaheedConsultant Psychiatr istwww.imranwaheed.comSeptember 2012
PREPARATION FOR BECOMING A CONSULTANT
Setting the contextApplication forms and CVsInterviews
PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
THE NHS FINANCES
DoH – requires 4% effi ciency savings per year
Monitor – figure nearer to 6-7%Never been done in history of NHS£20 billion of savings by 20154500 fewer nurses compared with 2 years
ago9% less management44% of nurses thinking of leaving the NHS? End of NHS terms and conditions
THE NHS FINANCES
Payment by ResultsCRES, budgets, service redesignFoundation TrustsEquity and Excellence: Liberating the NHSCommissioning and CCGsNew Ways of WorkingQIPP, CQUIN, Darzi, PROMsRevalidation/ShipmanModernising Medical Careers
HOT TOPICS
CV AND APPLICATION FORMS
BASIC CV AND APPLICATION TIPS
Spell check your CVProof-reading
You cannot proof-read your own writingFind someone with English as their first language
Ideally someone who proof-reads a lot of CVs
Check grammar and tenses
SPELLCHECKERS STRUGGLE WITH…
Incorrect homonymsWhere, were, we’re
Accidental pluralsMissing wordsMedical terminologyIncorrectly placed words, spelt correctlyE.g.Should I have a coma in the middle of
this sentence?I spent a great deal of time doing
revision after sex years I passed the MRCPsych
THE PROBLEM IS?
I was involved in the collection of data from 200 patients who attended the out-patient clinics over the previous 12 months, including BP, Renal function, HbA1c, Medications, their eye conditions and foot complications. I then analysed the data compared with the 'Diabetic Task Force' recommendations. Our aim was to detect problems in management related to Diabetic complications and we suggested improvements in the area of investigations and follow-up. We proposed to close Audit cycle after 6 months by re-auditing after suggestions had been implemented.
CAPITALISATION OVERUSE
Common mistake after poor spell checking and poor grammar
Only capitalise proper nouns, first word of new sentences and titles when used with a nameso ‘Dr. Smith’ is capitalised ‘…the doctor will see you now’ is not
In title (publications) you can capitalise all words exceptarticles (a, an, the)prepositions under five letters (in, of, to)co-ordinating conjunctions (and, but)
CV WRITING
Be wary of non-medical website and organisation advice on CV writing
They do not always apply to medical CVs
Medical CVsAre often long than two pagesContain more free textHave significant additional subheadings such as audit and research
INTERVIEWS
INTERVIEW PREPARATION
Be prepared to do about 10-20 hours reading
Most can be done onlineNHS white papers and recent reforms (NHS website)
Good Medical Practice (GMC)Royal College papers e.g. NWoWNational Service FrameworkAOMRC – NHS financeBMJ CareersRecent journals, newspapers & news websites
“COME AND HAVE A LOOK AROUND”
Aim: To display interest and glean the issues that are important to the Trust
Chief executiveMedical directorClinical directorService managerPersonnel departmentOthers on the interview panel
EXERCISES
You are the Trust Chief Executive. Why would you want to employ a Consultant?
What are you going to want for your money?
What do you want the Consultant to do?What questions will you ask at the
interview?
THE INTERVIEW
Expect a panel of 10-12 membersWill include a lay chairpersonUniversity representativeCollege representative
Know your own CVExpect one or two questions from each
memberAddress response to the questioner
mostly
INTERVIEW PRESENTATION
Keep to time if invited to presentAdvisable not to have a talk written out
‘word for word’PowerPoint is your prompt not whole
talkBe prepared to answer questionsRemember a significant proportion of
the panel may not be doctors
STANDARD QUESTIONS
Why should we give you this job?What qualities make a good psychiatrist? How would you take a good service to
greatness?What do you know of clinical
governance?How would you deal with a colleague
who turned up for work drunk?How is research relevant to psychiatry?What would you bring to this unit?
MORE TAXING OPEN QUESTIONS
Tell us of a recent triumph/disappointment?
Do you think the increased spending on the NHS has been put to good use?
What is your management style?What’s wrong with undergraduate
education?Tell us about a mistake you have made
and what you learnt from itHow will you improve the interface with
GPs?
MORE ESOTERIC QUESTIONS
How would your appointment raise the profile of this Trust?
What is your main weakness?What makes you angry?If you were in a play, what part would
you act?If you got hit by a bus on leaving the
interview, how would you wish to be remembered?
Sell yourself – the message and your positive points
Organise and structure: Clinical, Academic, Management, Personal
Be personal – your personal story not just a list of bullet points
Don’t simply concentrate on facts – talk about what you observed, what you liked, how it influenced you, etc.
‘TAKE US THROUGH YOUR CV’
ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS
Don’t prepare an answer for every question you might get asked It is obvious if you are reciting a scriptYou can’t prepare every possible question
Have an idea what you are going to sayBe prepared to improvisePractice speaking fluently about the
topics you have read
ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS
Not too short, not too longStrong structure e.g. ‘I feel I have three
main strengths’Announce your message and then
expandSubstantiate your answersBe personal – use ‘I’ instead of ‘we’Give examples
Opportunity to ask questions of the panel
You can use this time to clarify something that you have said
Do not use it to negotiate salary, leave or conditions!
It is fine to say “I have no questions”Exit via the exit and not into a broom
cupboard
END OF THE INTERVIEW
CONCLUSIONS
Essential to know the hot topics, buzzwords, current trends, etc.
For a professional and effective CV, layout can almost be as important as content
Get someone else to look at your CVPrepare for your interview
Meet the right peopleRead the right information
Prepare answers to a range of questionDon’t just try to memorise answersStructure