Diversify your GP career

General practice allows you to combine clinical practice with other interests such as politics, research, and medical education. Or, perhaps you wish to develop an extended role by providing an additional specialist service in your community, or go further afield in a wide range of clinical areas from cardiology, dermatology, and minor surgery to mental and sexual health.

Developing a portfolio career

"Portfolio GP" is a term which commonly describes a GP who holds multiple roles. Most GPs will have a primary clinical role - as locum, salaried or partner GP - and it's becoming common to see members taking on additional roles alongside this to diversify their skills and experiences.

Hosted by Dr Sophie Lumley, a First5 salaried GP and Training Programme Director in Shropshire, the GP+ Careers podcast is a series of short interviews with a standardised format. It's designed to point people in the right direction and showcase what’s possible. Sophie will ask a series of questions to each of her guests about what their role entails, how they got into it, and any top tips they have for those considering a similar path.

You can look forward to the release of a new podcast episode each month, available exclusively here and through all main podcast platforms. Browse this page to explore and listen.

Latest episode: GP+ Expedition medicine

Are you a GP who wants to travel and work? Perhaps you want to help people who are in an austere environment with limited medical services? Then expedition medicine might be the perfect portfolio career for you. Expedition medicine - as the name suggests is attending a variety of expeditions to often remote areas as the medical professional to provide both physical and emotional support to a group of people and identify any medical problems that arise.

Dr Sophie Lumley interviews Dr Nadia Tharib, a GP with an interest in expedition medicine, mountain medicine, tropical and humanitarian medicine. Find out how Nadia got into this field of work, the challenges and the highlights of her role and more.

My highlight of the role was my last minute trip to Uganda. This job has shown me real positivity in really dire situations and you just don't get that sitting at a desk at a GP surgery.

Top tips

The variety is unmatched

From following a group of teenagers doing a Duke of Ed going to Mount Everest Base Camp, there is huge variation in what constitutes as expedition medicine.

Educate yourself

The one-to-two year Mountain Medicine diploma combines both practical and theoretical skills about how to be a doctor in the mountains.

Make friends for life

Expedition medicine is an exciting opportunity to meet a range of fascinating people, make friends for life and share your incredible stories with your patients in your day to day GP job!

It’s never too early to start

Don’t be afraid to explore courses you are interested in early on in your GP career journey. Nadia completed an expedition medicine course in her F2 which helped her to think on her feet and improvise – great skills that complement everyday general practice.

Trust your gut

In expedition medicine, have the confidence to recognise a sick patient when you see one, and be prepared to potentially manage them on your own.

Is it for you?

Nadia advises going on a trip as a member first to find out if you enjoy expedition medicine, as it may not be suitable for everyone. For example, being ‘on-call’ during the expeditions in often hostile environments whilst always remaining calm and positive can be challenging.

GP+ Frailty

The NHS defines frailty as ‘a long term condition that affects older people’s ability to recover from illness and injury, and their mental and physical resilience’. As our bodies get older, we gradually lose their ‘built in reserves’ making us more prone to falls, hospital admissions and the need for long term care (NHS).

As general practitioners, we care for patients from cradle to grave and with an ever-growing ageing population. We are now seeing a range of complex co-morbidities and longer term healthcare needs for over-65s. It is therefore critical that patients have access to holistic MDT care when they need it most. Are you thinking about taking up a specialist interest in frailty or just want to find out more?  

This month we hear from Dr Alistair Robertson, a GP with a special interest in frailty, talk to Dr Sophie Lumley. He discusses his experience of getting into this area of work, how to seek out opportunities in frailty if you want to get involved, and his downsides and highlights of the role.

A highlight of the role for me is when you feel that you have really made a difference. There is a fair amount of end of life in our service, and I think when you have prevented unnecessary admissions and perhaps managed to avoid bad outcomes ... When you speak to relatives of patients who have passed away peacefully at home, in their own bed with their family around them, you think to yourself 'I really made a difference with all of that, as when I came along there was a big danger they could have passed away in hospital.

Top tips

Make the most out of your networks

Seek out any hospital frailty teams or your GP practice the frailty lead. Don’t be afraid to speak to them to find out how to get involved, do some home visits, or basic frailty or comprehensive geriatric assessments to familiarise yourself with the work.

Upskill yourself

It's always helpful to increase your knowledge base on frailty. You can do this by completing a diploma in geriatric medicine for example, but it’s not essential when starting out.

Determine what sort of doctor you want to be

Find an area where you can be the doctor that you want to be. It's within every GP to develop in these areas, as they're all the things you've learned coming into play: communication, working with other teams, and being the hub for the care of the patient'.

Apply yourself

With frailty you don’t need to carry any separate medical skills that other doctors don’t have. It's just you maybe have a little more opportunity to apply what you do know.

Endless learning opportunities

Frailty is an area of work which is growing exponentially year on year due to an ageing population. You have a chance to learn from your team and your patients, which is an exciting addition to the ‘day-to-day’ GP role.

A truly rewarding career

GPs in the area have reported that spending more time with patients and getting to know their carers and families means a great deal to them. The trust and rapport you build with them is very special: ‘You really feel like you get to know them and help them and make a difference in a very meaningful way’.

GP+ Sexual health

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines sexual health as ‘a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being in relation to sexuality’. Sexual health in primary care focuses on how healthcare professionals can improve sexual and reproductive health. This can include contraception, recognition and prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), pregnancy risks and minimising risk-taking behaviours.

In this episode, Dr Sophie Lumley interviews Dr Rachel Taylor, a GP partner, trainer, appraiser and mentor who works mainly as a GP but also in sexual health clinics. Rachel outlines her career journey, ideas of how to get into this area of work, and her highlights of the role.

Sexual health - GP+ Careers podcast

Working in sexual health you get the best of both worlds, and I enjoy working with different teams. The different stimulus and variety increases job satisfaction.

Top tips

Consider the motivation for the role

Be very clear what your drivers are for taking on the additional role. For example, is it an area you have a passion for, is it to have more flexibility in your career, or even to increase your income? Once you have established your ‘why’, seek out the opportunities.

Embrace the flexibility

Your life can change over the years with family and career commitments, but you can find a role to suit you. You may be able to pick up shifts in your local sexual health clinics to suit your schedule.

Increase your competence with a qualification

There are qualifications such as the DFSRH which fits very well with general practice. It has a very well-resourced, accessible website and achievable qualification if you are already doing your GP training.

Start your search close to home

Not sure where to start? Rachel recommends contacting your local gynae clinics and offering to sit in and speak to the team about opportunities available. Most local sexual health services are run by public health, which is another option to explore. You could also join webinars or events on sexual health, and contact those who are teaching on it directly about opportunities or further study.

There may be funding available

If you want to gain expertise in sexual health, ask your practice if they can fund you to train in fitting coils and implants. However, you should also be prepared to fund yourself or do it in your own time. Another option for funding could be through a fellowship scheme. Sometimes bursaries are available which could be used to backfill some of your time, or pay for you to go on courses and enable you to work elsewhere.

GP+ Undergraduate medical education

Would you like to get involved in teaching alongside general practice? Do you enjoy working with medical students? Then undergraduate medical education may be for you. This involves teaching students in hospitals or universities who are preparing to become doctors in the UK. According to the NHS website, a drive to improve the quality of medical education has resulted in increasing opportunities in medical education and increasing professional support for those in the area, for example the Academy of Medical Educators. Now may be the perfect time to pursue a career in this area.

In this episode we hear from Dr Egbe Efefaroro, a GP who took up an interest in undergraduate medical education at Keele University. Egbe talks to Sophie about her love for teaching her Year Four medical students, how she got into the role, and her advice for those interested in pursuing a career in this area.

Undergraduate medical education - GP+ Careers podcast

I learn a lot from teaching and interacting with students. It keeps me fresh and because I am teaching students, I ensure I am always kept up to date with the latest guidelines, which is useful for my own learning and professional development. This in turn also benefits my patients in general practice, which is a win-win!

Top tips

Gain taster experience

Get involved with your local medical school, for example as a: casual tutor; personal development tutor; GP tutors for students assigned to your practice. Or, volunteer as OSCE examiner. If you're interested, email the medical school about any opportunities to get involved.

Consider additional qualifications

Egbe recommends obtaining a postgraduate degree in Medical Education, i.e a PgCert, PgDip or Master's. These are offered by various universities either in person or online, usually as a part-time programme to allow learners to do it alongside their clinical work.

Do a ‘teach the teachers’ course

This is a two-day course designed to help clinicians learn about educational concepts and techniques to deliver effective clinical teaching sessions. This is offered free by some universities for clinicians who have contact with their medical student.

Become a role model

Inspire the next generation of doctors through your love of teaching and general practice. Share your interesting cases with your students: what surprised you? How did you deal with difficult situations? This may in turn inspire and encourage them to pursue a career in general practice. During a time of recruitment and retention crises in general practice, this may help to future proof the profession.