F3 Stories Podcast: Dr Alex McWhirter

Welcome to the F3 Stories Podcast by Messly. This podcast shares the stories, adventures, and wisdom of junior doctors, locum doctors and doctors who've taken an F3 Year and hopefully, inspire you to create the F3 Year of your dreams.

You can catch up on all of our previous episodes by visiting our F3 Stories Podcast Hub.

In this episode, we speak to Dr Alex McWhirter who is currently working as an IMT trainee on the South Coast of the UK.

🎧  Listen here

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The Messly F3 Stories Podcast is also available on:

👉  Spotify
👉  Apple

🔎  About Alex

Alex and I studied together in London. From the moment I met her, she was irresistibly likable. She was always a source of calm confidence and seemed to effortlessly balance her busy work and social lives. When the pandemic struck, Alex was working in ED as an F2 and when she started F3, she chose to take the unusual position of ED night registrar.

This contracted role required Alex to act up as an ED SpR for a whole year of night shifts which is something that might give the rest of us nightmares. But unflappable Alex not only accepted this role but did additional day shifts as a locum on top of everything else.

✅  Topics discussed

In this episode, Alex shares how she handled a year of night shifts and the effect that constant switching between day and night had on her life. She is also going to talk about how she found acting up as an SpR and the difficulties this entailed.

This episode also includes:

👉  How Alex found and applied for this unusual role.
👉  The pros and cons of accepting this position and what tempted Alex to accept it.
👉  The hardest parts of the job as ED night SpR.
👉  The best parts of the job as ED night SpR.
👉  Why Alex would or wouldn’t do this job again, and the advice she would give to others considering a role like this.

🛠️  Useful links

👉  Find out about acting up as a SpR here.
👉  Learn about A+E locum rates here.
👉  Find out how Alex was able to get a mortgage as a clinical fellow here and locum doctor here.
👉  Get tips on negotiating your own fellowship role here and find out what to do on your first day in a new department here. 
👉  Not sure whether to go with a fellowship or a locum role? Read this article to help you chose. 
👉  Or, weigh the pros and cons of many options in this article.

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This article is part of a wider series of comprehensive guides and information to help doctors ensure their F3 year is a success. We cover everything from initial planning, options for moving abroad, help with finding work, and tips for making the most of the experience.

Click here to visit our F3 Resource Hub to explore the full list of guides and articles.

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