F1, Cheltenham General Hospital
| What programme are you doing? | ITU/Anaesthetics, MAU, GI surgery, Diabetes/Endocrine |
| Why did you pick this Trust? | Location – only an hour from Bristol and Birmingham, nice area to live – rural but not too far from big cities |
| What's the area like? | Lots of countryside nearby and close enough to big cities for a day’s shopping! Although Cheltenham itself has lots of good shops, restaurants, bars and pubs |
| What's the best thing about your Trust? | It’s small enough to be friendly, but big enough that there’s a lot going on. Everyone’s really kind and supportive |
| And the worst? | Usual NHS politics that occur everywhere |
| What advice would you give someone about to start in your Trust? | Make friends with everyone – the ward clarks, nurses, porters, cleaners, canteen staff as well as the doctors. You will constantly need help from everyone and a big smile goes a long way |
| What's the typical patient profile? | A real mixed bag, but on the whole a friendly bunch who will continuously tell you “you don’t look old enough to be a doctor…” |
| Describe your job in one word | Crazy! |
F1, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
| What programme are you doing? | Palliative Care, AAU, Stroke Unit, Cardiology, UGI surgery |
| Why did you pick this Trust? | Near to where my boyfriend was working and offered the jobs I wanted to do |
| What's the area like? | Very nice – friendly people, staff in hospital very friendly. Lots of very nice countryside around and lots of things to do, from shopping to cheese rolling! |
| What's the best thing about your Trust? | Everyone very approachable and helpful, very forward thinking trust who seem keen to implement ‘best practice’ changes and also welcome feedback from the Junior Doctors, and implement changes following our feedback |
| And the worst? | Nurses all seem very overworked, but nothing bad to say about the trust as a whole |
| What advice would you give someone about to start in your Trust? | Be nice to the nurses, they’ll be nice to you. Take plenty of breaks. Try to have fun with what you are doing. Don’t panic |
| What's the typical patient profile? | Wide variety - plenty of young patients and (obviously) lots of elderly, from various social circumstances |
| Describe your job in one word | Satisfying |
F1, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
| What programme are you doing? | F1: Psychiatry; Colorectal Surgery; Respiratory Medicine; AAU F2: Trauma & Orthopaedics; A&E; General Surgery |
| Why did you pick this Trust? | No particular reason to be honest. I just wanted to move to somewhere new and heard that this area of the country was meant to be really nice. They were right!
The diverse mixture of Psychiatry, Medicine, Surgery and Trauma in this two year placement also appealed to me. |
| What's the area like? | Gloucester has its good and bad areas, but Cheltenham is really close by and picturesque. It has quite a good night life, laid back atmosphere during the day and the surrounding area (the Cotswolds) is beautiful. Most of the junior doctors live in Cheltenham. It seems the place to be. |
| What's the best thing about your Trust? | The psychiatry teaching is fantastic and there is a relaxed atmosphere. The staff are all very kind, supportive and the consultants actually learn your name. The 2gether Trust as a whole is very organised, flexible and understanding of your needs. There is also a very sociable doctor’s mess in the Hospitals Trust which organises monthly pay-day parties in addition to other socials. |
| And the worst? | None to be honest! |
| What advice would you give someone about to start in your Trust? | Come with an open mind and be fearless! Don’t be afraid to get stuck in. |
| What's the typical patient profile? | Working age with a variety of mental health problems. |
| Describe your job in one word | Unpredictable. |