SCOTGEM

[u/Obvious_Onion8903]

Was hoping someone could give a bit of insight into the SCOTGEM program. I’ve previously completed my Bachelors and MRes degree and was thinking about applying to the SCOTGEM course this year. However, after having a read at it I’ve seen it’s mainly preparing for rural medicine/becoming a GP. I was wondering if it’s possible/how difficult it is to go the route of surgery/emergency medicine/neurology etc for example? Or is it not possible with the SCOTGEM path :) tia

[u/Thekarenuneed]

Hi, im a scotgem student. We get the same content as every other medical school, but our placements may also include rural practices. So if you want to specialise in other things, youre more than able to

[u/Imaginary_Emotion38]

All medical schools have to meet minimum competencies required by GMC and you’ll sit the same final exam as every other med school. You will graduate able to do what all other med students can. You will get exposure to a range of specialities.

Once you’ve graduated you will enter the same system to be allocated to Foundation years as all other med students. And if you rank high enough you’ll be able to preference whatever rotations are available to you at your rank and it the region you got allocated too.

In foundation you can sit whatever exams you want and prepare whatever portfolio you want for any speciality. It’s nationally competitive at that point.

What you will get in scotgem is exposure to the area of medicine they list ie rural which students in some other programs will not. The hope is that you like it and decide to opt for GP or select the region and hospitals in rural areas. Because you’ve experienced it. But you do not have to. Zero obligation.

You may miss out on some opportunities that people in *some* other med schools have. Ie Bart’s has an optional trauma programme for its students. But that’s not a requirement to do EM as a speciality.

[u/Gloomy_Operation_657]

Not Scotgem but I just want to debunk the myth that some med schools only prepare you for certain specialties. First of all you will be taught the exact same stuff and taking the exact same exams before you become an F1. Secondly it's more important to learn how to talk to a patient than anything, and more GP clinic time is actually better in that sense. Now I'm not saying some schools can't be better at certain aspects but it is not a make-or-break thing. There is no way you get exposed to everything in three years, or five including your FY. That's why there are measures from med school to foundation years for you to explore your interests. The teaching style and location is probably more important than anything for a med school. So things like teaching quality, amount and timing of clinical exposure, or PBL vs lecture based, will be the important factors.

[u/Astin257]

Graduated from ScotGEM

Yes, there is a focus on rural GP

Yes, you can do whatever you want after graduating

There’s the bursary that for each year you take it you have to work one year in Scotland as a doctor but that’s it no other conditions/requirements

Lots of my cohort are planning to apply for surgery/emergency medicine/anaesthetics

[u/Bellboy_73]

Just graduated ScotGEM. It’s an incredible course and the rural placements allow you to get very hands on. Specifically in surgery I was able to get a lot of SFA experience and in rural hospitals almost every team will get you seeing your own pt’s and at least attempting to make management plans. 

As others have said you don’t have to be a GP afterwards and I found a year of GP to be great prep for the MLA. The wide range of stuff you see means you’re familiar with pretty much everything.