Transcript Slide 1

Application to specialty Workshop
Overview
- Talk on the recruitment process
- Review of the 4 stage career planning model
- Help with decision-making
- Preparing a medical CV
- How forms are scored & what the panel looks for
- How to make a strong application
- Dos and don’ts in the application process
- Looking at person specifications
The Four Stage Career Planning model
•Introduction to the 4 stage planning model
•Make sure you have done an adequate and robust self-assessment and
career exploration (this will help in the application and in the interview).
•ROADs and www.medicalcareers.nhs.uk
Help with decision-making
•Decision making in the 4 stage planning model
•You must take responsibility for your own decisions. Good
decisions come from examining the reasons that underpin them
•Different ways of making a decision. These include: logical,
talking, intuitive, hesitant, testing ideas
•Take note of the competition ratios in the specialties you are
considering
•Important to also have a plan B, and even a plan C!
Different types of Decision-making
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Strong
A sense of proportion &
pragmatism
2. Anticipating potential outcomes
3. Making decisions under
pressure/ in appropriate time
frame
4. Based on sound logic
5. Consulting with others at a
relevant level
6. Reviewing all relevant info
7. Taking responsibility for own
decision
1.
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Weak
Not discriminating, discerning
or prioritising
2. Not considering consequences
3. Taking too long / being too
hasty/ dithering when making a
decision
4. Skewed emotional biased thinking
5. Not taking others views into
account or “over consulting”
6. Ignoring / discarding info
7. Unwilling to make decision in case
it is wrong / asking others to decide
1.
Based on work done by The Careers Group, University of London
Help with decision-making
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Timeline Exercise
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Swot analysis
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Pros and Cons analysis
Preparing a medical CV
Something you can look to do now to help with your application
- CV = Life Story
- CV is a VERY important document
- CVs will change over time
- CVs can be tailored for specific purposes
- CV is a MARKETING tool
Preparing a medical CV
This is one suggested format:
- Personal details
- Career Plan
- Personal information
- Professional Qualifications
- Education
- Professional Expertise
- Practical Skills
- Additional Courses
- Research
- Teaching and Audit
- Other relevant skills
- Interests
- References
From ROADs to Success, Elton and Reid
Preparing a medical CV
DO:
- Remember that there’s no limit on page length but good layout is
important; get the most relevant information on page 1
- Use quality white paper if possible
- Use bullet points/headings. Use bold to make it easier to read
- Get a “fresh” pair of eyes to look over CV
- ENSURE there are NO spelling/grammatical errors
Preparing a medical CV
DON’T:
- Tell untruths or anything you cannot back up at interview
- Use an email address that you can’t easily access
- Use underlining – it looks old-fashioned
- Leave any gaps in your CV. Make sure each year is accounted
for
Organise your learning portfolio
Your portfolio should include:
• A front page entitled ‘Commitment to Specialty’
• A contents page
• Your medical CV
• A list of competences required to successfully
complete the foundation programme
• Example forms to record meetings with your
educational supervisor, reflective practice and
self-appraisal
• Educational agreement
• Assessment forms
• A Personal Development Plan (PDP)
Organise your learning portfolio
Your portfolio should be:
• Neat, handwriting legible
• Easy to follow (e.g. contents page etc)
• Not missing anything
• Well structured and organised.
Preparing a medical CV
Questions?
Further Help –
Books:
How to get a job in medicine: Adam Poole. Elsevier Health Services. 2005
Writing the Medical CV: Effective Professional Communication: Sam
McErin. Edukom 2004
www.medicalcareers.nhs.uk
ROADs to success has an appendix on medical CVs
Specialty Application Forms
Key points about application forms:
•They take longer than you think to complete
•Competency questions are key to shortlisting decisions
•Accuracy and attention to detail are essential
•On-line applications should be completed in more than one
sitting; and checked before you send.
Specialty Application Forms
How forms are scored:
- Forms are scored against nationally agreed person specification
- Scoring varies from deanery to deanery, but most forms are scored
vertically
What the panel looks for:
You will score poorly if:
- You do not meet the essential criteria
- You do not follow the instructions provided
- You do not answer the questions, waffle or leave blank spaces
- Your spelling or grammar is poor
- Those short-listing will be looking for evidence that you can do
the job and have motivation for and understanding of your desired
specialty.
Specialty Application Forms
Use STAR
S – Situation (what was happening)
T – Task (the goal you set yourself)
A - Action (what you did)
R – Result (the outcome of your action)
Presenting your evidence:
•Read the question and get an understanding of what is being
asked, NOT what you think is being asked.
•Where there are defined sections for you to present information,
check for word counts; draft first.
•If a general ‘supporting statement’ is requested, don’t ramble; list
your evidence against specific competences.
•Think about specific examples to showcase personal skills e.g.
teamwork, communication, ethics etc
• Vary your examples to match specialty
•Describe not just an experience, but what you learnt from it
Specialty Application Forms
Skills
Skills need to be EVIDENCED – How did you get the skills?
Exercise- discuss in pairs for 5-6 minutes how you would
evidence these skills:
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Problem Solving
Specialty Application Forms
DO:
•Do complete a CV – now!
•Do organise your learning portfolio
•Do start considering likely questions, and thinking of clinical
scenarios that are applicable
•Do read the questions very carefully when the forms come
out
•Do think about your non-medical interests/experiences
•Do keep it simple – pick examples that clearly answer the
question (e.g. audit)
Specialty Application Forms
DON’T:
•book a holiday for when the applications come out (if you
have already, make sure you take extra time to prepare
before you go)
•be tempted to do anything other than answer the
question
•leave submitting your form till the last minute
•go over the word count
•lie or mislead the markers of your form
•plagiarise your answers – people have been caught out by
anti-plagiarism software
Person Specifications
IMPORTANT: You should have the person
specification beside you when you fill in your
application
Exercise in Groups:
•Divide into groups
•Looking at the person specifications provided,
take turns to discuss what evidence you can
provide for each of the selection criteria
Specialty Application Forms
Moving towards interviews. Remember:
•The preparation that you do for your form will help
•Keep up-to-date with current affairs in medicine
•Have a good understanding of the basics – research, audit,
clinical governance
•Approach people for help – tips or interview practice
Action Plan
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Organise ‘hard evidence‘
Organise ‘soft evidence’ – stories/experiences
Get portfolio in shape
Update CV
Rehearse / anticipate difficult questions
Talk to those who have been through the process
(candidates/panel members)
Some useful resources
Book:
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Ward, Christopher and Eccles, Simon; Edited by Stephan Sandler
(2008) ‘ So you want to be a brain surgeon?: A medical careers guide
’ Oxford University Press
DVD
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South West Peninsula Deanery/AGCAS ’Selection centres for speciality
training’ - available through your Trust library or foundation school.
Alternatively, contact http://www.agcas.org.uk/agcas_resources/.
Websites:
www.medicalcareers.nhs.uk
www.mmc.nhs.uk
www.gprecruitment.org.uk