Choosing a Specialty

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Published: 26/02/2009

Choosing a specialty is a three step process. You need to.....

	UNDERSTAND YOURSELF FIRST:
	This section gives you a guide to understanding more about who you are and what is important to you. Might sound a bit airy fairy but taking a few moments now to think about some of these questions is worth the effort when you consider how much time you will spend studying for a specialty and then a life time practising it.

EXPLORE OPTIONS:

	Find out more about the specialties on offer from some of the people working in the field. We asked over a hundred specialists and some trainees to tell us what it’s really like at the coalface and we have included their comments in each specialty.
	You can also check out other important factors like workforce projections, training requirements and an indication of salaries/income.
	You can also take a Psychometric Test designed specifically for junior doctors to help them choose their specialty.

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER:

applying for the job/training position

	Write a great CV - this is not the time to be coy about your achievements.
	Check out some interview tips from previous candidates and senior doctor interviewers

Choosing a particular career direction is not a one-off decision. Many people shift direction several times during their lifetime. Others choose to have multiple jobs, balancing their needs and interests around several roles. However, each time you reach a career crossroads you need to ask yourself some of these questions again. What is right for you in your twenties may not necessarily be right for you in your thirties or forties since personal circumstances can change, specialties develop in various directions and new opportunities arise.

As you go through the Career Med website you will see that many contributors have offered a range of perspectives about their specialty that indicate why they made their career decisions. Some have always known or had a fairly good idea of where they would end up. Others have started on a general path and gradually tended towards their eventual chosen area (or tended away from areas they disliked). Some were struck by a flash of inspiration.

However you go about making your decision and wherever you are on your career continuum, it is always useful to regularly re- evaluate who you are and what you want out of your job/specialty.