F3 Stories Podcast: Dr Razaz Elsheikh
Welcome to the F3 Stories Podcast by Messly. This podcast shares the stories, adventures, and wisdom of doctors who've taken an F3 Year and hopefully, can inspire you to create the F3 Year of your dreams.
In this episode, we speak to Dr Razaz Elsheikh who is currently working as an F4 doctor in Southampton.
🎧 Listen here
The Messly F3 Stories Podcast is also available on:
🔎 About Razaz
Razaz is an F4 International Medical Graduate (IMG) currently working in ICU. She studied medicine in Sudan and Saudi Arabia before deciding to return to the UK, where she’d grown up, to continue her medical career.
After 9 months of applying for NHS roles, she managed to snag a Trauma fellowship in Cambridge that seemed to offer everything she wanted. However, she quickly discovered that the job wasn’t what she had imagined it would be. She has since moved on to an ICU fellowship that she loves which has given her the multitude of skills and opportunities she was originally looking for.
✅ Topics discussed
In this episode, Razaz compares good and bad fellowships and gives tips on how to spot the right opportunities before investing time in jobs that don’t support your professional ambitions.
This episode also includes:
👉 Why Razaz’s first fellowship wasn’t right for an IMG new to the NHS.
👉 What she was able to achieve when she found an IMG-friendly role.
👉 How an introvert made friends when moving to a new country.
👉 Advice on red and green flags to look for when considering fellowship roles.
🛠️ Useful links
👉 Join the Foundation Year 3 Doctors Facebook Group to speak to others about their experiences.
👉 If you are an IMG doctor considering working in the UK, check out this article for our advice on joining the NHS.
👉 Learn more about the CREST form here or on the Oriel Resource Bank. CREST is required if you're applying for core training and have not completed foundation training in the UK.
👉 Read about the PLAB exam here.
👉 Learn everything you need to know about clinical fellowships here, and understand the key differences between a fellowship and a trust grade role here.
👉 Find fellowship opportunities on NHS jobs or consider creating your own fellowship if you can’t find a role that’s right for you.
👉 Get your FUSIC USS certifications through the Intensive Care Society (you must be a member to access the learning modules).
👉 Boost your medical portfolio using our Portfolio Companion and particularly our Workplace-Based Assessments templates.
👉 If you want to contact Razaz about her experiences, her LinkedIn page is here.
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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