SteffaneMilburn508

For all those young doctors who have successfully made a GP application and have finished their training there are numerous paths that they may then decide to take as a qualified GP. After going right on through the extensive stages of national GP recruitment and finding themselves in the position of being qualified for General Practice they could then make some choices regarding their profession.

Firstly, they might choose to become a freelance GP - - this can give them plenty of independence and enable them to work in lots of different practices as a locum. This is especially attractive to those doctors with young families who might want to take time off during school holidays without needing to have permission from anyone. Being truly a locum effectively means you are your own boss and will set you own rate -- Locums regularly get more than their salaried contemporaries.

The negative to be a locum is that there is a lot of doubt. You cannot be certain that there will be work for you tomorrow or next week. In certain areas there are a high number of qualified GPs fighting within exactly the same roles so there might not be the job readily available for a locum doctor.

One other option once successfully making it through the GP program and recruitment process would be to become a salaried GP at a local practice. Sometimes you may need to travel a way to find a suitable practice with vacancies but it is likely to be worth it to have more job security and the advantages of holding down a role such as for instance other contractual benefits and sick pay. Working as a GP within a practice might also give you the opportunity to become involved in continued professional development (CPD). Taking part in weekly clinical meetings or audit cycles are another perk of working as a salaried GP as this choice just would not be ready to accept a locum.

It could be a tough choice to make but it is one that will normally be influenced by the person's conditions, where they are based geographically and the present positions that are open to them. Examining The Options After Successful GP Application « TPO Forum