Medical careers

The Medical Careers Service provides career development services to medical students at the University of Southampton School of Medicine| and doctors in training at UHSFT.

Career development is a process that offers you the opportunity to define or redefine (either alone or with someone else) your own career pathway. It is usually done with consideration of your personal or non work life. Reappraisal of your life and ambitions may be undertaken at various stages of life but an ongoing process regularly reviewed is likely to give greatest rewards and job satisfaction without sacrificing the life work balance.

Who is the service for?

This service has been set up to provide careers development services to medical students at the Southampton University School of Medicine and doctors in training at UHSFT. Dr Antonia Calogeras is clinical tutor for medical careers based in the Education department at Southampton General Hospital (SGH).

Aims

• To encourage early consideration of career and life aspirations.
• To integrate the concept of career development as a process from the start of medical school onwards.
• To facilitate information gathering about specialties and training.
• To enable integration of relevant factors for careers choices.
• To promote ongoing career development through working life.
• To incorporate consideration of life/work balance.

What is available?

In order to help you in this process there are various ways in which you have opportunity to consider your future career choice.

The careers tutor is available for one to one discussions and careers counselling. The Careers Office is in the Education department at SGH, and she is available every Tuesday morning from 8.30-12 noon. Appointments can be booked via Donna Parrish on 023 8079 4795, or email medicalcareers@uhs.nhs.uk|

Career Impact sessions are available throughout the year. At each session a different specialty will be represented and the session will be an interactive discussion so you can ask all the questions you may have.

Sci 59 is a computerised specialty inventory tool available for use in the Medical Library at Southampton General Hospital. There is a comprehensive section of relevant career development books available for loan and several copies of "So you want to be a brain surgeon" which is an informative and practical guide to medical careers.

The Student Careers Advisory Group was established to allow student contribution to the development of the Career Service to ensure it remains student focused. If you are interested in being part of this please contact Dr Antonia Calogeras|.

A Career Development module is being considered for the 5th year SSU that will allow brief experience in several specialties and you are encouraged to use your appraisals and personal tutors to discuss and consider your career.

The University Careers Service| can advise on non-medical careers and has some useful generic resources.