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Find out how MedStar can help in finding the best clinical attachment for you

 

A good Clinical Attchment can be beginning of a successful career. A clinical attachment is defined as a period of time when a doctor is attached to a named supervisor in a clinical unit, with the broad aims of observing clinical practice in the UK and the role of doctors and other healthcare professionals in the National Health Service (NHS). Most attachments last between two and four months. The BMA has set out clinical attachment guidelines for international medical graduates: http://bma.org.uk/practical-support-at-work/immigration/doctors-new-to-the-uk/finding-a-post

 

Impressing on your attachment

Many of these points may seem obvious, but when you are going through an asylum process, trying to survive on a low income and dealing with one hundred and one other issues, they sometimes get forgotten.

*  Dress the part. Aim to look like a smart British doctor. Look at how the specialist registrars and consultants dress, and copy them.

*  Always, always, always be punctual. This is a very British obsession! Even if your consultant is late you should not be. The British will think that you are not serious if you do not arrive on time. So check the times of public transport and take a train or bus earlier than you think necessary for the first few days.

*  Introduce yourself and make friends with the nursing staff and secretaries you come into contact with. These colleagues can make all the difference to your life when you start working, and if they like you they will influence the consultants’ views too. You only have to say something like:
’Hi, Can I introduce myself? I am .. I am an overseas trained doctor. I am here to learn about the NHS – I know the medicine but the NHS is new to me. So if I make any mistakes please could you let me know? I have to learn how things are done here.’

*  Remember that there are many different activities in the hospital. You should not always be following the consultant. Tryshadowing and helping the Foundation Year 1 doctor, or ask to spend a morning with the physiotherapist, or specialist nurse. What about the ECG technician if you need to brush up on ECGs?

*  Spend time shadowing the Foundation doctors and the SHO. Remember that you need to learn how to do their job for when you start work. They are likely to be very busy, but if you offer to help out by filling in forms, for a start, or chasing up results when they go missing, then they are likely to allow you to do more interesting tasks too, like clerking patients and presenting them on the ward round for example.

*  Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You are there to learn. And if you sit in the corner and say nothing, you may spend the whole attachment without anyone noticing you at all – then how will you get a good reference?

* Thank the doctors who allow you to sit in clinic with them.

*  When a doctor says to you, ‘Would you like to see this patient?’ ,this is an order not a question! Go and talk to that patient. You are being asked to take a history from the patient, and should be prepared to present your findings.

*  If you are on a long attachment, ask the consultant if they have an audit that you could help with. You will need to know about audits when you go for job interviews. If you can say that you have done an audit it will impress the interview panel, and your consultant will also be glad of the help.

*  When you finish the attachment, be sure to say thank you. Big gifts are not expected in the UK, but a thank you card is always nice to receive. It might be a nice gesture on your last day on the ward to buy all the staff a box of chocolates to share (including the nurses and secretaries).

*  After the attachment, be sure to ask your consultant if they will be your referee when you are applying for jobs. Ask their advice on planning your future career, but be prepared that they will only be able to advise you about their own specialty. Ask if you can show them your CV and let them know what type of jobs you are looking for.

*  If you get a job interview, let your consultant know and send them a copy of the application form or up to date CV, which you used to apply for the post.