Now I’m glad I left
Posted on Sunday 29th April 2007
Based on the current shambolic situation junior doctors seem to be finding themselves in I am extremely grateful not to be embroiled. Last year the NHS announced they were going to undertake a radical reshake of the junior doctor training system. Most of us encouraged them to leave things alone as the existing system, while not perfect, worked. The advice fell on deaf ears and, presumably hoping to make a name for herself, Patsy pushed ahead with the now notorious Modernising Medical Careers system.
Since then the new proposal has been beset by delays, indecisiveness and flaws. To start with the actual structure of the system was not released until only a few months before the recruitment was due to start. This meant that many hospitals didn’t know how many posts they would have to allocate to the new scheme, so understandably froze employment. This contributed to my inability to find a job last year.
Then when the details were released they had allocated far fewer training posts than there were junior doctors, so inevitably many will have to accept dead-end posts. Not wishing to accept such a depressing option, many of my colleagues have either left the UK or medicine entirely.
When the new jobs were finally announced the only application method was on the NHS jobs website. The Microsoft Server crashed almost immediately (oh there’s a surprise!) from the sheer number of applicants desperate to get something before all the good jobs went. In typical performance to all government IT projects the whole system fell over and many applications were lost. This meant re-application was required by some unfortunate doctors.
The application form itself is flawed and puts too much emphasis on irrelevant information like your activites out-of-work. It should worry the public that experience and competence came fairly low on the desirable characteristic scoring system.
The loss of some applications and general cock-up of the online system has forced the DoH to accept a fallback position that doctors will be allowed to interview for all the jobs they originally applied for. This sounds great in theory until you realise that almost all the interviews were scheduled for the same day! Quite apart from the logistical nightmare of trying to get to multiple interviews on the same day, but hang on – who’s going to be left in the hospitals to do the work if all the junior doctors are all away at interviews on the same day!
The final nail in the coffin is the recent revelation by Channel 4 who found that it was possible to access sensitive information about applicants. Firstly they shouldn’t have been able to do so for confidentiality reasons, but secondly why is the DoH collecting information on people’s religious beliefs or sexual orientation. Surely it’s none of their business, and in this age of equality has no relevance to one’s ability to do the job. They will claim it is to provide equal opportunites, but is actually heading us towards a culture of reverse discrimination in which employers will be obliged to take any black, disabled, single-parent lesbians who apply regardless of suitability for the position.
All I can say is “Good Luck” to those left behind, especially Ellie, Zoe and Mansoor. Just remember, there are alternatives – like here!
any one want to shoot a certian leicester west mp.sun sounding like a good prospect at the moment, waiting for them to put back the new deadline of june 8th. in the middle if it took 4 monthd for round one , when did they think they can do round 2 in 6 weeks. as for now interviewing everyone, why did i both filling in an application for, they have’t added naymore jobs just made the initial short listing redundant, and increased the work of those consultants interviewing. not to mention how they are all going to get us security checked in 6 weeks, whilst we all upset our lives by moving around england at the drop of a hat.
Rick
I agree with you. I’m glad as well that I left
good to see you’re keeping an eye on things here rick. the system is in meltdown as i’m sure you can tell from elle’s mail. i’m going to attend the garunteed interview (along with the rest of the country – how the hell are they gonna interview us all?!) but to be honest with you i’m inwardly hoping to be unsuccessful and move on. Ravin and your suggestion of Oz sounds attractive, but for now it’s Belgium as plan number 1.
PS Good to hear from you Ravin!
mansoor
Hi Ric well at least your in a better place where there maybe more jobs out there than the uk