MRCGP - the golden ticket? The GP life before, during and after

‘Looking after our patients from cradle to grave’ is the old cliche that is often brought up when discussing working as a GP. What about the lifespan of our own journeys in primary care?

A career in General Practice can span several decades and it looks different for every one of us. At the RCGP Advocates Summit 2026 we found sharing our experiences helped us think about how to plan ahead. A group of GPs ranging from registrars to retired members put our heads together and discussed how their careers had surprised them and their hopes for what the future of primary care might hold for us all.

Those of us in our early career may resonate with the journey of our outgoing first 5 chair, Dr Toyosi, an inspiration for those wishing to develop leadership skills early in our career.  

One of our retired members was also around the table with us at summit - Dr Jude Danby, who retired at the end of the pandemic. Her 10 minute consultation touches on the importance of peer support and mentoring at the end of your career, and how it can help to decide when is the right time to wind down or stop clinical medicine. 

Established or ‘mid career’ GPs can benefit from mentoring, peer support, particularly if feeling burnt out or cynical about the pressures of the ‘day job’. As one colleague pointed out in our discussion, our MRCGP can be like a ‘golden ticket’. With many new job opportunities looking for generalist clinicians to provide expert opinion and guidance, there are lots of routes to venture into if we wish. From constant developments in AI and health tech to research and academia, there are so many interesting opportunities that can present themselves to us thanks to our training and experience. 

The GP + careers podcast has lots of inspiring interviews of people with various extended or additional roles. 

No matter what stage of our career we are at, we all agreed that the true strength of the profession and indeed, the RCGP as our professional home, lies in our members. Making connections with colleagues both junior, senior and on a peer-to-peer basis, can be inspiring and help us consider the different options open to us once we achieve our MRCGP. Finding your ‘people’ within your professional sphere can make us feel more at home and confident that we are doing our best for our patients as well as reaching our true potential. Whether we have a special interest that takes us a little off-piste, or simply a passion for generalism, there is a place for us all to thrive in general practice.