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EDITORIALS: Rhona MacDonald and Graham Easton Impartial careers advice for doctors and medical students BMJ 2003; 326: 1225-1226 [Full text]

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Flexible training for the right career

Francesco Carelli   (11 June 2003)

Flexible training for the right career 11 June 2003
Francesco Carelli, EURACT Council, National Representative - GMC - RCGP - Italian College of GP 20123 - Milan - Italy Send response to journal: Re: Flexible training for the right career	I agree with you about the urgent need for a flexible training and a career development. Of course, it's better to get people into the right job than have them dissatisfied and underperforming. I'd like to see a much bolder attempt to endorse a mixed portfolio in which patient care is combined with other non clinical activities notably research and teaching. Also, I'd like to introduce a " wedge - shaped "commitment with substantial work in the early years, tapering to a considerably reduced commitment for more senior doctors. I agree with you that the growing number of female doctors need part - time and different styles of work. Really, this would be a chance to find the right job with the right and progressive career structure. Feedback on how we are doing could, really, be a way for good choices. At WONCA Congress in London, I managed a Symposium (2) entitled "Towards a flexible career development for General Practitioners, with colleagues coming from various Countries: Christos Lionis ( Greece ), Erwin Rebhandl ( Austria ), Sorayya Mahmood ( Malaysia ) and Geoff Martin ( Australia ). Career development and prevention of burn-out in General Practice/Family Medicine are dependent on a variety of factors, but the two issues which are pre-eminent are: A) Professional satisfaction in the primary role This is largely determined by: 1) Recognised training and qualification which largely excludes poorly trained and/or incompetent practitioners; 2)Recognition of General Practice/Family Medicine as a Specialist discipline; 3)Availability of professional peer-driven continuing education; 4)Adequate remuneration and lifestyle, at least comparable to specialist colleagues B) Availability of alternative career options within the discipline There are unlikely to be many alternative career options at all for GPs/Family Physicians until the first three of the above criteria have been met. Recognised training and qualification generates an academic body of General Practice/Family Medicine. The academic body must then attain recognition and parity with other disciplines, for example in the appointment of full Professors, etc. Only then will career options become available. The unique contribution that the Primary Care Physician can make to other multi-disciplinary settings will not be recognised until the discipline itself is recognised and achieves appropriate status. I'm managing a second part for this Symposium, in Ljubljana, for WONCA 2003, on Saturday 21st June, supported by Christos Lionis ( Greece ), Erwin Rebhandl ( Austria ), Egle Zebiene ( Lithuania ) and Paul Wallace ( United Kingdom ). References 1. Jones R. The new contract worth voting for ? ( Viewpoint ) Br J Gen Pract 2002; 52, 602 ¡V 603. 2. Carelli F. Towards a flexible career development for GPs - London WONCA - 10th June 2002. 3. Carelli F. New Contract and Career Development - Br. J. Gen. Pract. 2002;52, 765. Competing interests:   None declared