V t the Royal College of General Practitioners’  Associates In Training newsletter										Vt
OCTOBER 2006
Reminders	Information				Experiences			Signposting
VOCATIONAL TRAINING
Events in October
8 October 2006		MRCGP Viva Preparation Course					London			Read more
12 October 2006		RCGP Faculty Open Meeting					Vale of Trent			Read more
21 October 2006		BMJ Careers Fair					Cardiff			Read more
26 October 2006		Dermatology					Durham			Read more
31 October 2006		Cardiovascular Medicine					Edinburgh			Read more
Thought for the day			Reminders
The following is taken from a past paper of the current College exam: Anthony, aged 40, has seen an advert about fungal infections. He requests treatment for his toe nails. What issues does this raise?			Certification – Please remember to log any VTR2 forms which have already been completed with the Certification Unit. The Certification Unit may be contacted by phone: 0207 930 7228 or email: certification@rcgp.org.uk
			Free Learning Guide – Get your free CD-Rom Learning Guide by e-mailing mailto:info@rcgplearning.org Visit the Learning Unit for more information.
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Blog Spot Your College needs you!						GPs with a Special Interest
Are you a medico-journalist in the making? Interested in contributing to our Associate in Training web log? If so, we want to hear from you. We would like to provide an opportunity for you to voice your opinions either regularly or as a one-off to share your experiences and observations of life as a trainee.    We'll use this spot to publish who's saying what and why. Contribute here						A lot of people are interested in going on to become a GP with a Special Interest. But what exactly do they do? A GPwSI is a GP with additional training and experience in a specific clinical area who takes referrals for the assessment/treatment of patients that may otherwise have been referred directly to a secondary care consultant or provides an enhanced service for particular conditions or patient groups. GPwSIs are generally appointed by their PCT or group of PCTs, and usually undertake two sessions per week in their specialty. Read more
Travelling Abroad: A quick guide
Travelling and working as a doctor can be an incredibly rewarding experience, both in terms of personal satisfaction and clinical experience.  It is likely that you will keep any travel until the end of your training (although breaks in training are possible through negotiation with your postgraduate deanery. Some training can even be counted towards certification in the UK.  The Certification Unit can be contacted for informal advice on equivalency but please also note that equivalency cannot be guaranteed or confirmed until the training has been completed.) If you are thinking of travelling abroad, these are the things you need to think about. In future months, we'll focus on working in specific countries.
Visa Application				Registration					Working environment
The method for visa application will differ markedly for each country. Contact the Consulate or Embassy of the country you plan to visit.				Medical registration for medical practitioners is a requirement all over the world and each country will have its General Medical Council counterpart to register with before you are able to practice.					Dependent on your chosen destination, you should also be ready for very different clinical conditions, support systems and available supervision than what you would expect in the UK.

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GP Profiles Profiles of College Members showing you the possibilities within general practice
General practice is the most varied and variable of medical specialties.  In this section of V t, we will be profiling various Members’ of the College careers in order to demonstrate the many possibilities open to you once you have qualified. This month we profile a GP Principal from Bangor, Northern Ireland.
Your name? Grainne Doran How long have you been in General Practice? 16 years. What three words would you use to describe general practice?   Unique, unpredictable, intensive.
If you could have any job in the world, what would it be? My own.  I did think once that I would have liked to pursue a career in music, but I love my work as a GP, and it provides a great balance with my home life, so I’ve time to be Mum!
What made you decide to become a GP? My medical student attachment experiences.  I had planned on cardiology.  The GP attachments were fun, it was insight into General Practice and the degree of continuity of care. Read more about Dr Doran’s career
Ask the College Burning questions? Ask us
Want to know more? The College has a number of departments which deal with specific areas of enquiry:
Careers	0131 260 6823	If you have questions on your current and future career path the College’s careers information service is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Information Services	0845 4564041