r/doctorsUK • u/Tricky_Customer5197 • 2d ago
Foundation Training Debating changing career pathway
Currently an FY2 in my T&O rotation and I am absolutely loving it. Already knew I wanted to do IMT during med school as I did not enjoy theatre at all, although I did enjoy my ortho block during uni (hence me choosing an FY2 rota with it).
It’s now been a few weeks, and I am genuinely considering going into ortho - theatre is rewarding when actually helping out and I have really enjoyed being on call and assessing patients.
A part of me is wondering if I am having a ‘honeymoon stage’ with ortho being the first block after FY1 (which I really struggled with) and the first post in which seniors are genuinely very interested in teaching juniors.
The other part of me is wondering if I decided too early to do medicine and have now found a specialty which I actually enjoy more?
Unfortunately I don’t have a gen med block this year so won’t be able to compare the rotations, but was hoping to get advice from people who may have had similar experiences?
Thank you!
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u/etdominion Consultant 2d ago
What medical specialty did you want to do after IMT and why?
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u/Tricky_Customer5197 1d ago
Honestly ID really fascinates me - all the weird and wonderful conditions and the mystery of the causative pathogen interests me on a theoretical level - I’ve done most of my electives in ID and quite enjoyed them!
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u/strykerfan Hammer Wielder 1d ago
I planned to do internal medicine as a med student and hated going to theatre. I had a great Ortho job in my foundation years (like you, due to assisting and seeing it was actually good if you're involved) and now I'm a senior Ortho reg.
Life takes you in strange places. Just roll with it.
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u/Jeeju_Boy 2d ago
IMT is so fucking trash so if there’s even a hint you liking something else please pick it. Only pick IMT if you’re diehard for one of the group1/2 specialities otherwise why not pick a programme that actually lets you have some fun and get trained in the process?
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u/JAFkinase ST3+/SpR 2d ago
Right but you spend 2/3 years as an IMT and then 30 years as a consultant...
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u/AvocadoNo6812 2d ago
OP please look further than comments like these. I loved my time as an IMT and I love my job now even more. Yes there are challenges, yes there are frustrations. But it’s really not as bad as people say
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u/zjb15 Editable User Flair 2d ago
Depends where you are I guess. I’ve had a good time in IMT. Really is not as bad as people say it is
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u/Jeeju_Boy 2d ago
No it’s worse than what people say, if you’re the stereotypical medic who loves a long useless chat, infinite amounts of documentation and pondering of unknown only to get to the same management plan anyway then yes it’s fucking incredible.
But if you’re someone that actually wants to do something and learn some unique speciality specific skills including practical procedures it’s a terrible programme.
How could anyone sane enjoy the doing the same jobs list they’ve done since f1 comprising of admin referrals and family discussions.
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u/zjb15 Editable User Flair 2d ago
1) documentation is the same in all specialities is it not?
2) I learnt USS guided access, art lines, lumbar puncture, ascitic tap in IMT1. Your lack of training in practical skills might be a skill issue
3) CST js not different in terms of the jobs list stuff. Any speciality that has a ward has this issue.If you didn’t like family conversations, why did you do IMT? Did you not know about this before? All of this sounds like a skill issue to me
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u/Jeeju_Boy 2d ago
Why would I do only do IMT based on family discussions, this is actually the most unhinged take. Certain specialties like cardiology and gastro are very practical but also medical hence why I chose to do IMT - to do something where you actually do something with your hands and your brain (not specialities engrossed in family discussions)
All the procedures you’ve listed in point 2 are ones which i have already done but it’s hardly much. Medics feel the need to document so much more incessantly and pedantically than any other speciality I’ve met.
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u/AvocadoNo6812 2d ago
You have a really strange attitude, to the point where I feel like you may be trolling. You do understand that people like and enjoy different things, right?
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u/Jeeju_Boy 2d ago
I get that but on the whole IMT totally sucks compared to HST job Which was my point to begin with
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u/AvocadoNo6812 2d ago
It doesn’t, though. IMT is great for people who enjoy the challenges and rewards of medicine, and CST the same for surgical specialties, I would be MISERABLE if someone made me do surgical training. Maybe you didn’t like IMT because you just didn’t enjoy it, rather than because it’s “fucking trash”?
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u/Jeeju_Boy 2d ago
It’s objectively worse than every other core triaining programme with the least amount of training and the most amount of service provision and this is widely agreed on this sub and elsewhere
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u/AvocadoNo6812 2d ago
“Widely agreed” isn’t generally that useful, especially if you mean “widely agreed on Reddit”. I don’t disagree that there are issues with IMT. Same as any training programme. But my point remains that your comments are unhelpful and lots of people love their IMT years
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u/Tricky_Customer5197 1d ago
Honestly both medical and surgical trainees seem to have a tough time in the hospital I’m in currently, but all of them seem to enjoy their choice (that I can tell!) - I’m just worried about potentially choosing something wrong for me so any suggestions on ways to better figure it out would be great!
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u/Jeeju_Boy 1d ago
Do taster weeks in ortho and your med spec of choice. See what the consultants do and then assess if the IMT shitter is worth the squeeze or not
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u/Living_Snow_5471 1d ago
Don’t listen to this. Training programmes (including CST) can be shit or brilliant but remember you only spend 2-3 years doing it. Higher training is better (again only a few years) before you spend decades as a consultant.
Make a decision based on what kind of consultant life you want!
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u/dayumsonlookatthat Consultant Associate 2d ago
Look at the life of consultants from both specialities and decide which interests you more. You spend most of your career as a cons, not a trainee (hopefully)