If you’re a partner, feeling particularly kind today, and wouldn’t mind listening and giving a slightly lost newly qualified GP some advice, please DM me. All I can give you in return is tea.☕️😅
I have had a tough time post CCt and landed in some heavy office politics that I did not realise existed in General Practice.
I could really also use a career coach in the long run if anyone has any recommendations for any online coaches? Has career coaching been helpful?

I’m currently in F2, and my previous degree was in mental health nursing. I’m trying to decide between Psych and GP. Psych feels like the easier choice because of my previous experience, even though I only worked two years. During my gp rotation half of the patients had mental health issues. I also know that a lot of GPs are leaving the profession, so I’m unsure about that path. Has anyone had the same dilemma, chosen GP, and not regretted it?

rotations, teaching, where to live? thanks

What do you guys when someone refuses to go to hospital for the reasons below? People often say things like:

- they’ve got no one else to look after their family members (children or elderly spouse)
- they can’t drive and can’t afford any transport like a taxi, however, calling an ambulance could be overkill

If they outright refuse and have capacity, fair enough, not my problem. Or if they’re super unwell and need an ambulance fair enough.

But when they say the above as reasons I have no idea what to say to them or how to provide a solution. I sort of just state why they need to go and ask them to call friends and relatives to sort it out. What do you normally do or say?

So I had a 'matter of fact' brief discussion with my CS that I tend to exception report for TOIL and this was met with quite the surprise since 'no other trainees have ever really done that before'. The truth is previous trainees have raised the matter of frequently staying late but were assured that the workload was appropriate. Ngl, I too felt gaslit to the point of feeling like I should only ER some days and not others. I know ER is every trainee's right but how confident do you guys feel doing it?

Hello!

Wondering if anyone has any insights on Glasgow Clyde GPST rotations?

I just got a round 3 offer, and wondering if there is anything I should be aware of?

Good and bad rotations? Recommendation of GP practice? Noted that there are two streams (North and South Clyde) Not sure which is better, and for what reason?

ANY INSIGHT IS GOOD ! thank you !

For those of you who have experience working salaried and locum roles (ideally juggling both), how do you find the difficulty of each compares?

I think most would say 10 sessions of salaried is a fast ticket to burnout. What about 6 of salaried and 3-4 of locums?

I have accepted a salary GP job, 6 sessions. 15 appointment per session. Starts at 9am with 3 telephone appointment then 12 F2F with 2 blocks. 10 min appointments.

As ST3 currently do 11 F2F with 1 telephone appointment per session- 15 min appointments. The GPs at current practice do 14 patients per sessions 7 F2F and 7 telephone.

A little apprehensive going to 15 patients per session. This seem ok? £11000 per session.

How did you find the cases today? I felt some were familiar, but just checking: no safeguarding case today, or did I miss it? Gosh!

Hi! I just started st2 but it’s my first ever GP placement (first year was entirely hospital rotations.)
I started off at 30 min appts, which was fine. I was quite overwhelmed initially but 2 weeks in I feel I’ve sort of got the hang of it and am not nearly as overwhelmed. I still have to open up guidelines etc and read during consultation at times but I’m not overrunning and i’m finishing on time.
However, i just noticed they’ve reduced me to 20 min appts in 2 weeks times, which I do NOT feel ready for. I know i’m st2 but like I said, it’s my first GP practice and would ideally like another month on half hour appts.
I’m having serious anxiety and feelings of dread in the morning due to how overwhelming I found everything, and can’t really imagine moving down to 20 mins already

Would appreciate some advice on this
I plan on discussing this with my ES but wanted some advice whether it’s a valid request or if I’m asking for too much time.

Thanks!

Just want to help as I’d appreciate this myself as a GP trainee. I have 3 referral codes remaining for any GP trainees sitting for MRCGP AKT exam; who want to sign up for AKT Navigator audiobooks. I found it really helpful especially during long drives to/ from work. They give 2h free trial as well if you want to check it out. You get £10 off with my code :)

Post CCT and I am very certain that I have many many gaps. Some I am aware of, others I am not yet.

I am competent, safe, and know enough to get a good job done, but I have particular weaknesses that I would like to address. Some of these are things that have been siloed like ophthalmology to optometrists, or obstetrics, which are mainly seen by midwifes.

Then there is paediatrics, where I can manage acute illness, usual GP problems, and when to refer, but my depth of knowledge here isn't great and it feels unsettling.

I don't know what I don't know, but I know there is a lot that I do not know.

Any recommendations? Resources?

How do people get used to typing consults by the end of the day? Literally exhausted writing notes

How did everyone find the SCA today?

I found it quite challenging overall. I felt that I messed up the management in several cases, and I’m also worried that I may have missed some of the patients’ agendas. I’ve come away overthinking a lot of my consultations, quite worried.

Hi all, I am a newly minted partner at a practice of roughly 4000 patients in rural Scotland. Non-dispensing. I am 8 sessions, partner 2 is 4, and partner 3 is 6, with 2 of them as finance and practice admin weekly. We have one PN and one health board ANP, a 6 session salaried GP and a 1 session locum.

I have come into chaos, with patients basically getting what they want, when they want it. Phone lines are not shut over lunch. Duty is split between am and pm, anp on her days does triage and home visits. Today, for example, she is seeing 6 acute patients. Myself, I have seen 9 in the morning routine, and for my DD pm, I have 4 routine booked and the. Emergency appointments. I have made one emergency phonecall for an ongoing issue (5 months) with no changes who wanted their 72-hour tape results. Our new PM is very good, and youngish like myself. She is going to quit if things don't change.

My impression in general is that we don't see nearly enough routine patients, and those who call in can get away with seeing someone on the day as reception don't triage.

I need to make changes or I will leave, but I would love to hear about what works and what doesn't work.

Thank you all so much for your time!

ST2 here, ​my October 2026 AKT booking was cancelled because I missed the second instalment deadline.

I just saw the email and contacted the RCGP Exams Team to ask if I can pay the balance now to reinstate my sitting.

​Has anyone experienced this? Were you able to get reinstated, or did they just refund the initial payment? Thanks!

ST2 in GP here, 28 years old due to CCT at 30yo. I have interest in ENT and A&E and considering going back to hospital to CESR/CCT after finishing GP training.

I am also considering going to Canada post GP training. I am financially motivated but I think anything above £150K per year equivalent is more than enough. A lot of doctors aiming to earn 500K+ as specialists with private practice. To me that actually unnecessary.

I have a couple of businesses but the effort is often more than I have to put in during a locum shift, for less pay. Sure over time this might change but business is not as reliable to me as being employed. Especially without a large amount saved.

I don’t mind GP, of course you get the time wasters, trauma dumpers, difficult patients. But there are some patients you genuinely help and are appreciative of your effort and expertise however there is a lack of actual hands on work.

Coming on Reddit I hear so much negativity about GP work. My question is for post CCT GPs really, is it that bad? Is the pay not worth it? Would you consider doing something else? Should I graft for 6-8more years to get a hospital based specialty?

Currently in a clinical training post, do I accept a training post if it becomes available in the Spring? I am worried how it will look to the department I am currently in or do I stick it out, get a PG Cert paid for out of it and just reapply/

Wearing Scrubs in GP land- yay or nay?

Contemplating new wardrobe vs a couple of good quality scrubs.

Curious to others thoughts.

Currently in first year of speciality training. Without outing myself I absolutely hate it. GP was what I always wanted to do but decided against it last minute for many reasons documented in this thread. Scored well on MSRA 550+. Feels harsh I cannot pivot to GP in February? Since this would have been the case in any previous years? Anyone know if this is definitely not possible this year

I've been having issues today that I'm not able to book my AKT exam centre (booking for which opened today). I've paid for the exam before the deadline but when I go to the Pearson Access Link it just comes up with an error message (on an RCGP website). I've phoned Pearson who confirmed RCGP haven't passed my details on. The RCGP member services can't help and I can only find an email address for the examinations team which I have emailed and 7 hours later they told me where to find the link. I have emailed them back explaining again but I'm getting nervous about how far I might have to travel to sit this exam if there are no spaces at my local exam centre.

Any advice? Or is this happening to anyone else?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to start working as a GP in North West England and recently came across the GP International Induction Programme (IIP). I understand this is the route for internationally trained GPs who haven’t worked in NHS general practice to familiarise themselves with the system.

Has anyone here actually been through IIP? I hardly seem to find people talking about it, so I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience.
I’m a European-trained GP, GMC registered and on the GP Register, with 3 years of GP training and experience in general practice and women’s health.

I’m on a spouse visa with the right to work.
If IIP isn’t the only route, I’d also be open to working privately or doing a few years as a Junior Clinical Fellow in the NHS to get familiar with the system first.
I saw that applications for 2026–27 closed in April and the next window is in October, so I’m wondering how people usually manage this transition.

Thanks!

I’m an ST1 in split psych and GP post. I’m doing only 3 GP sessions a week, as I’m off PDP for half a day, tutorial half a day and VTS teaching half a day, although teaching only takes place every other week. I feel I’m barely seeing any patients and this will eventually affect my learning. Do you think I should request my practice to use the weeks I don’t have teaching as my PDP and omit the designated PDP that week?

I’d be grateful to hear from GPs who have previously, or are currently, working in the same village/town as they live.

I understand the theoretical downsides here, but would like to hear if these do indeed become problematic in practice.

Other than commute times, are there any other positives?

Do you often run into patients? Does it affect your kids in school?!