If I take more than 12 months off from practising medicine what will I need to do before returning in terms of my General Medical Council registration, pension, and finding a new job (probably GP)?

Career breaks should be carefully planned because revalidation will probably have to be undertaken by the “independent route” unless you undergo some form of appraisal and keep in touch with clinical practice through the doctors' retainer scheme. Remember that it is extremely difficult to maintain clinical skills with a complete lay off of up to three years without formal refresher training, and virtually impossible after five.

I assume from the question that you are not already a general practitioner (GP). To achieve a certificate of prescribed or equivalent experience from the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice (JCPTGP) you will need to show experience in two of several list A specialties and further experience in two list B specialties. Even if your career has already included such experience, you will need to show “continuity” for that to be recognised on your return. You will also have to undertake a year as a GP registrar in an approved training practice. Further advice is available from www.jcptgp.org.uk or the director of postgraduate general practice education of your local deanery.

If, however, you are already an established GP, advice about maintaining the currency of your JCPTGP certificate is available from the same sources.

Many deaneries employ advisers specifically to assist women doctors, and the Department(s) of Health have also recently introduced returner schemes that recognise your skills that are in increasingly short supply.

Pensions are not my area of expertise, but the general rule is that you can preserve the benefits from what you have paid in but, of course, not from any contribution holiday.

The most important message is to get advice before you make any firm plans.