Doctors at Work

Leadership is a key quality that all doctors need to posses. But sometime it is challenging to lead in a way that sits comfortably with you, whilst accepting the external reality. In this podcast, Ross tells me that authentic leadership is about specifically choosing the best response for a situation, based on what matters to each person as an individual. We talk about values, psyc

As doctors our training focuses on clinical skills, yet sooner or later we all find ourselves in a position of being a team leader. In this episode, Declan tells me that leadership is a different set of skills, and one that can be learnt and developed. A mindset of listening, asking questions, and being open to try things is important, and modelling psychological safety through ack

David noticed a problem, got an idea, and brought it to fruition. The result was a book featuring 100 different voices and aiming to improve doctors' wellbeing. In this episode, we talk about creativity - we all already are creative. It is important to notice to what excites and frustrates us, and to wake up and bring our whole selves to work. Great ideas might be sabotaged by fear

Being an early career doctor is a stressful time, and how medical work is structured may lead to few opportunities for support. Ollie Burton and I discuss that despite workload challenges, senior doctors can seek and create opportunities to support and train younger colleagues. This requires clinical leadership, and real understanding that training must be prioritises in order to d

How do you get into leadership roles in medical education? In this episode, Komal Atta tells me that you need to be a good negotiator, open to change, and willing to experiment. We discuss how at the start of one's career it's good to have an overview of all different facets of education, but with seniority it better to become a real expert in one specific area. We talk about publi

Helen has had a range of senior leadership roles, and in this episode she tells me how to get into leadership, how to progress, and the skills needed to succeed. Many people will have great skills, but they don't put themselves forward, they wait to be asked, or they wait for the perfect opportunity. However, this means that they may struggle to have the impact that they want, and

In this episode, Manjiri tells me how she became Head of School. We talk about the importance of role models in career planning, and discuss how as doctors we often have a very narrow view of the skills that we have. We discuss how some people have a tendency to talk themselves out of going for roles, and of the importance of confronting the fear that we have and consider what are

How do you make career decisions? Our careers are never static, they change, we change, and the world around us changes. In this episode, Fiona Setch and I discuss our own career decisions, and identify the importance of doing moves that take you towards your desired future, rather than moves aimed at escaping the current challenges. The key to dealing with career dissatisfaction a

Ellen Welch is a GP and a book author, and has had a variety of different roles in the past. In this episode we discuss portfolio careers. She outlines how she has reinvented herself multiple times, based on what she wanted and on how work fitted into the rest of her life. She outlines how being flexible is a real asset, even if flexible careers have both up and downsides. Making d

Careers in medicine are rewarding, and at the same time full of stresses. In this episode, Matthew Fuller and I discuss how to manage challenging situations at work. Matthew tells me that it is important to distinguish emotions from facts, to recognise that emotions are data, and that it pays to step back and focus on what it is that you really want. Some challenges may not be easy