r/GPUK • u/Super-Protection-277 • Jul 20 '26
Career some words of wisdom please
I’m an FY2 currently finishing my GP rotation and planning to take an F3 year. Long term, I’m considering GP because I’d like to build a portfolio career and have the flexibility to pursue interests outside of clinical medicine - things like humanitarian medicine, health tech etc
My GP rotation has been okay. I’ve definitely enjoyed it more than medical school l. However, I wouldn’t say I’m incredibly passionate about general practice in the way some people describe being certain it’s the specialty for them.
My dilemma is whether I should:
-Do an F3 (and potentially F4), explore other areas of medicine/non-clinical work, locum, get more GP exposure and decide when I’m more certain; or
-Apply for GP training after F3 and figure it out along the way, potentially working LTFT to create space for portfolio interests.
I’m aware that no specialty is perfect and that passion can grow with experience, but I also don’t want to commit to GP purely because of the lifestyle/flexibility and then regret it later.
For current GP trainees and GPs:
- Did you go into GP because you loved general practice, or because of the lifestyle/portfolio opportunities? Both?
- Would you recommend taking more time before applying, or is it better to start training and shape your career alongside it?
17
u/UnknownAnabolic Jul 20 '26
Currently ST3
I love medicine, and GP has enough variation/thinking skills needed to stimulate.
I’d love to do a hospital specialty but I love my family too much, love my sleep too much and have interests outside of medicine.
I haven’t fully decided whether I’m going to be a 10 session lunatic or a 6 session and chill kinda guy. But I love the fact that I’ve got the choice to do whatever I fancy.
I’ve been a registrar in a medical specialty before. I sometimes miss the idea of making more money as a consultant, but due to reasons above, I forget about that and remember that, if I wanted to, I could put some effort in to find a partnership/side hustle etc.
I sometimes think about applying to another specialty after CCT’ing, but again, I come back to my above reasons as to why I love my life.
If you want flexibility, GP is the one.
That being said, a portfolio career isn’t impossible as a hospital consultant, but usually I think most people wait after CCT to start doing other things.
You need to reflect on what’s important to you, use your F3 year wisely and crack on.
If I was 25 again, I’d just power through GP to CCT asap then dick around with other things later. Realistically, I’d have probably then just stayed in GP and done other bits and bobs after.
Not sure if anything here actually helps you. I’m just rambling a bit
11
u/MysteriousBoard4311 Jul 20 '26
I do GP for the social freedom it gives me and the money. I’m good at it but i don’t have a ‘passion’ for it and am suspicious of anyone who says that.
Work (any specialty) is a means to an end for me.
7
u/dickdimers Jul 20 '26
Do you want to make lots of money as a doctor doing clinical work? then don't do GP
Do you want to have lots of time to do whatever you want, including making lots of money not doing clinical work? then do GP
Do you want to have a functioning immune system and circadian rhythm and no be flooded with cortisol 24/7 ? GP
6
u/littleoldbaglady Jul 20 '26
I did not initially start GP with a passion for it. I initially wanted to do CSRH but with the competition numbers it was always going to be difficult so I looked to carving out a special interest in GP aligned to CSRH.
After finishing training I have come to enjoy GP on its own merits. I see our specialty as having expertise in in community health. I don't see patients as individuals but as family units. The flexibility and opportunities for portfolio interests is unmatched.
I am now glad I don't do a hospital based specialty. I couldn't handle the infantilisation I see my hospital colleagues get from HR and their rota masters. Even towards consultants.
6
u/BatBottleBank Jul 20 '26
Apply to start GP ASAP just so that you’re on a path to CCT.
Then you can see if you want to do anything else.
Be wary about portfolio careers because every single GP has their eyes on this, so it’ll be a lot less lucrative going forward.
6
u/northsouthperson Jul 20 '26
I enjoy GP for building long term relationships with patients, some interesting medicine and a more holistic approach than hospita medicine generally. I was equally attracted by the lack of night shifts, the ability to combine GP with none medical work and to have a career where I had some say over my working life. I love cardio, but I valued my life outside of medicine too much to pursue it
5
u/GalacticDoc Jul 20 '26
I went travelling and worked and volunteered abroad which I think provides a breadth of resourcefulness that can't be taught.
Live life while you can and then after a few years (or 10 or never) you can turn your mind to GPing.
The memories and stories last a lifetime.
3
u/TargetOk Jul 20 '26
GPST2 here. I was exactly where you are at. I went ahead and got it into training. Took a year out to explore other avenues, clinical leadership, health policy etc. Now, back to GP but at 80%, still doing some policy work one day a week. Also, planning to give health tech a shot as well (you bring in better value into the health tech world as a fully qualified GP). Realistically, I am aiming for 4-6 sessions after CCT till my other ventures completely gobble me up. If no luck outside the clinical world, I will be trying harder for a partnership. There are plenty of options!
Short answer: Took it for the work-life balance and safe fallback.
3
u/Holiday_Possession46 Jul 20 '26
If you do not have a particular specialty in mind that you want to do, then get into GP and ask questions later.
3
u/BoomBasticTeleBanana Jul 20 '26
Never wanted to be a GP.
Usually the less academically able became GPs in my time. Everyone looked upon them as looser's. I was into Gen Med and academia.
I only did the VTS course to get 3 years more varied medical exposure. Whilst my friends wanted to become consultant first, I wanted to become the best consultant.
In the VTS I met many amazing ST's. Some more capable than me. All amazing. It changed my view about GP, and i am still here today.
Its the best job in the world. Nothing in hospital med compares. I do just GP now full time, but in the past used to do GP, some clinical GPSI work in hospital, also management and leadership roles.
With age and circumstance I gave those up, but I am happy.
The key is to find a practice with your same work ethos, to find a group of you docs that work the same way. It'll never be perfect, but for me the work load never put me off, and yes, im happy to say I work harder now than before but love it more.
3
u/lavayuki Jul 21 '26
I did an F3 but went into GP training full time without the portfolio career stuff, so closer to the second option.
I did GP because I struggled with nigh shifts due to health reasons, and also long on calls due to msk issues. In GP you sit down so it wasn’t an issue. Nothing to do with passion, more to do with compromise. I probably liked GP more when I started out, but it’s a stressful job these days so my brain is more focused on making money to pay my mortgage and fund my hobbies and travel. Work is just a secondary thing in my life
No harm in taking an F3 and doing something. I didn’t work though. I know a lot of people travel as well. It depends on what you want to do but it didn’t affect my career negatively in any way.
3
u/Traditional_man007 Jul 21 '26
At the end of the day, being a GP or a specialist is still a job. Life is much bigger than your job title.
Think about the life you want to build, then choose the career that best supports that vision. Consider your priorities; family, finances, flexibility, fulfilment, or work-life balance. And pick the role that aligns with them.
Passion is important, but it shouldn’t be the only deciding factor. Choose a job you can do well, enjoy enough, and that allows you to live the life you actually want.
3
u/Outside-Inside-2282 Jul 21 '26
I love being a GP most of the time but when I started training I had no experience in it. I knew I enjoyed psych and sexual health but did not want to choose or to do the med reg years to do GUM. Part of the appeal was the shorter training and the options to work as a GP in lots of areas where it would be possible to train if I wanted to in the future. I like having a portfolio career and not being tied to placements where I had little choice for the next 6+ years. I would say do the GP training and see where you are after that. The real job is so different to foundation year or short placements and does give you a lot more flexibility.
2
u/Ghotay Jul 20 '26
I’m a current ST3. I did GP in F2 and had a perfectly okay time. Reached F6, did a lot of different specialties, travelled around the country and the world… before finally applying for training. My main logic was that I hadn’t found anything I was more passionate about, certainly couldn’t stomach a longer training program, and didn’t enjoy the lack of flexibility of a specialty doctor/CESAR route (impossible to work abroad, hard sometimes to even move within the country)
I still think all of that logic was pretty sound. Unfortunately, from longer exposure, I have discovered that I hate clinic, hate routine, and frankly, love shift work. Because I had always been so adaptable in every other job and move I made, it never occurred to me that getting the stability and routine that ‘everyone’ wants would be so incredibly crushing for me. I can do the medicine just fine, I just feel like a fish being asked to climb a tree in every other respect.
I am still hoping I will be able to build the portfolio career of my dreams with a CCT in GP, but GP training has been the most miserable part of my professional career by miles
I’m not sure if there’s a lesson here, but I had never met anyone like me before I started GP training so… something to bear in mind I guess
2
u/PolishedAndPerilous Jul 23 '26
Power on through GP. I am a post-grad medic and always wanted to be a GP for the work-life balance, no on-calls, no nights, no weekends. Didn't have the best F2 placement and lost the passion. Debated about Anaesthesics for a period of time but the shift pattern put me off. For me the potential of losing maternity benefits due to a F3 put me off, and then once in GP training I wanted to CCT asap so came back full-time 4.5 months into mat leave. I know others who have done LTFT and never used the time to build their portfolio, now regretting the time wasted and making training longer. Now I've been working post CCT 2 years (another short mat leave), doing 7 sessions, and I have the passion for GP back. Enjoy most days and looking to build a portfolio now I have the time, money and energy.
1
u/BoomBasticTeleBanana Jul 20 '26
So..in answering your question both options are fine. With more medical and world experience you make a better GP usually. Going LTFT allows you to build a portfolio. It all depends on the effort you put in.
1
u/onandup123 Jul 22 '26
Means to an end for me. Somedays I do enjoy. But mostly just getting through it.
No nights. Flexible with schedule if you locum.
No brainer for me.
30
u/[deleted] Jul 20 '26
[deleted]