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Why Cxdx?

A number of important changes have occurred in medical education and Career Diagnosis is designed to help you understand the implications of these for your own personal and career development. The driving force behind these changes is the Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) initiative. MMC aims to provide a clearer link between the training available and future career paths for medical and dental professionals.

The principal elements of medical education are now based around:

• Undergraduate degree at Medical School
• The Foundation Programme, divided into two years [F1 and F2]
• Specialist training leading to a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT).

MMC established the Foundation Programmes that you will be applying for during your 5th year at medical school. The Foundation Programme (FP) incorporates the previous pre-registration house officer (PRHO) and first senior house officer (SHO) years. The first year of this programme remains largely unchanged, while the second year will allow you to sample more specialties than was previously possible. Ideally you will be working in three or four over the year but with additional opportunities to experience other specialties on a weekly basis.

As well as providing improved opportunities for specialist training, MMC emphasises two additional themes that should become increasingly apparent to you as you progress through your medical education and develop your career. These themes are competency and professionalism, and at various stages of your education and throughout your career you will be expected to demonstrate elements of these.

The links between training opportunities and career development are not always clear. As a medical student your initial career objective might be focused on selection onto the Foundation Programme of your choice, with decisions about your eventual career destination being left to a later date. However, doctors are expected to be active in career planning during their time in the Foundation School. In particular, you will be encouraged to consider possible career pathways when choosing FY2 attachments, audits and research.

However, it is the aim of Career Diagnosis to help you make the connections so that you can better plan the link between your training opportunities and your career aspirations.