Navigating the Path to a Consultant Job: Insights and Strategies
Discover the detailed process of securing a consultant job, from initial contact to receiving a job offer. Learn about the importance of keeping your CV updated, engaging in visits, interacting with panel members, and understanding member priorities. Gain valuable tips on overcoming challenges and maximizing your chances of success in the field.
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Presentation Transcript
Getting a Consultant Job
Process CV Visits Overview Panel members Presentation Anecdotes
Process Initial contact (12 months prior) Emails and phone calls, CV. Pre-application visits to department Application Short listing Due Diligence: (Trust reports, board papers, CQC, STP, NHS plans, individuals) Post application visits Interview (presentation, standard questions, score ? to person specification) +/-Job offer
Overcoming the weirdness. The respiratory network is quite small. Out of region was easy to make contacts. Heads of department in good hospitals are approachable. The transactional aspect is reality. People wanted to help. People all remember the strangeness!
CV Keep it up to date. Specifics. A forensic record that can be refined. Actively pursue roles in advance. There is disproportionate value in certain things. Teaching, training/supervision, research, peer reviewed things, management, leadership, clinical governance, QI/service, initiative.
Visits The value is meeting the people you don t know. Speaking to the nurses/allied health professionals/junior doctors. Managers, CD, MD, board members. Opportunity to understand organisational priorities.
Panel Members Chair of trust board Chief executive Medical director Clinical director Head of department Head of service External RCP representative Senior manager University representative
Member Member Priorities Priorities Chair of trust board Organisational fit, organisational risk, can I appoint and forget, future headlines? Chief executive Medical director Resilience, safe, wide team player Clinical director Local: Research, leadership, STP Head of department Immediate team fit, clinical skills, flexible, what can I dump on you? Head of service Senior manager Money and governance RCP representative Appointable or not appointable? University representative Research or teaching credentials
Interview Take me through your CV? How would you utilise IT to maximise the output of this service? Difficult patient is refusing to leave? Why do you want to come to xxx? What could you do to contribute to improved flow in the hospital? How are you going to maintain your enthusiasm in 10-20 years time? Tell me about a mistake and what you did? Could you explain to me what QIP is and how have you been involved? What risks to you pose to the organisation? How would your colleagues describe you using 3 words?
Question Question Meaning/Themes Meaning/Themes Take me through your CV? Opportunity to sell your achievements. How would you utilise IT to maximise the output of this service? Have you thought about service development and specifically the service you will be embedded within. Modern ways of working, NHS plan/STP. What can you bring? Difficult patient is refusing to leave? Level headed, holistic, information gathers, uses whole team and shares difficult problems, risk management. Why do you want to come to Bath? Do you understand the organisation you are applying to for the rest of your career. Show why you fit in with that. What can you bring? What could you do to contribute to improved flow in the hospital? Due diligence, flexibility, adaptability, opportunity to describe core traits. Novel thinking, efficiency, ambulatory care.
Question Question Meaning Meaning How are you going to maintain your enthusiasm in 10-20 years time? Resilience, enjoying work, career plan, ambitions. Opportunity to talk about ideas: research, leadership roles, supervision. Tell me about a mistake and what you did? Self awareness, learning from mistake, active avoidance, governance, systematic problem? Could you explain to me what QIP is and how have you been involved? Improvement methodology, governance, recognise vitality of objective, forensic assessment. What risks do you pose to the organisation? Clinical, financial, understanding of risk governance. Revalidation process and risk mitigation CPD.
Further Breakdown There are few keys themes. Identify the themes. Have examples for each theme. Allocate any question to one of these themes. Manipulate the answer to fit the question. Think about this early, allows you spot CV gaps and allocate time effectively.
Themes Reflection, self evaluation, revalidation Governance and risk management Being safe, good medical practice Being a good colleague, team fit, personal attributes Teaching/ training/ supervision Resilience Organisational priorities (+wider context) Leadership and management (service and clinical) Scenarios
Anecdotes The process is little to do with clinical ability the trust is not appointing a surgeon! The process is non-confrontational. Being a good colleague is vital. The non-clinical aspects of CVs are the most valuable. Chances are the whole panel will not have been through your CV/ application in detail. Understand the process and work backwards from the endgame. Think about who is interviewing you . They want to see a consultant in waiting not a registrar. Do not under any circumstances think that leaving your SCE exam until Do not under any circumstances think that leaving your SCE exam until the 11 the 11th thhour is a good idea! hour is a good idea!
What I tried to do throughout the process. Team work, reliable, good enthusiastic colleague. Reference the job plan/person specification. Understanding of governance, hospital management, service development. Expectation that transition will be difficult but that I am both clinically and strategically ready for it. Give examples for everything that show initiative and carrying things to completion. Ideas, appetite to embrace change and transition.
