As a registered delegate you will be given the opportunity to participate in a range of seminars. Courses are designed to give you some of the building blocks of career management. They are not intended to provide one-to-one advice, but will help you develop your career skills and locate further sources of help.



Seminars at the 2009 West Midlands Careers Fair included:

Specialty training: update from MMC
This session, free of charge to all Careers Fair visitors, brings you right up to date with the specialty training application process and what it means for you.

Windmills and an introduction to career planning
Most people spend more time planning their holidays than planning their careers, yet effective careers planning is essential to achieving your career goals. This session introduces you to the concept of career planning, so that you can develop the skills to help you choose and find the right job for you.

Enhancing your CV and application forms
Your CV should be long enough to explain your achievements and short enough to ensure it is read properly. This session offers plenty of tips and sound advice on how to improve your CV and complete application forms effectively so that it captures every aspect of you experience and achievements in your career to date.

Polishing up your interview skills
This session aims to help you understand what interview panels are looking for and how best to present yourself as the person for the job. It stresses the importance of preparation, body language and a positive attitude.

Making the most of your Foundation years
This session, aimed at those about to enter the Foundation programme, gives you essential up to date information about applying for the Foundation programme and what to expect from it.

Juggling your career and family
In this session you will have the chance to hear from doctors who have managed to juggle a portfolio career and raise a family. You will be able to hear about their experiences, learn how they coped and find out the pros and cons of working full-time or training flexibly.

Maintaining a portfolio for revalidation
This seminar will examine the benefits and pitfalls of portfolio use in supporting medical careers and in achieving revalidation.

What does a career in academic medicine have to offer?
If you are interested in a career in academic medicine, this session will give you an insight into the career opportunities and options that are available, what it is like to work in academic medicine and the pros and cons of doing so. It will also give you some tips on how to get into academic medicine

You and your educational supervisor: making it work
Your educational supervisor is there to help you, but you need to know how to make the most of the relationship. Learn what you can expect from your educational supervisor, what your educational supervisor will expect from you and how to form a positive working relationship if there is room for improvement.

How to make an effective presentation
Presenting to an audience large or small comes naturally to few people, yet it is an essential skill if you want to influence your colleagues or your bosses or a prospective employer. This session offers you some professional tips.

Applying for general practice
This workshop is aimed at those who are interested in developing a career in general practice. It will explore the following areas: what a career in general practice entails - the advantages and drawbacks, the training pathway and how to maximise your chances of succeeding in your application for a general practice specialty training programme

Assessments and 360 degree appraisal
This workshop explores how doctors can effectively prepare for and engage in appraisal, assessments and revalidation. How can doctors ensure they use their time most effectively and get the most out of this important element of professional development?

Career options in general practice
This session explains how general practice now offers many different kinds of employment options and with increasing emphasis on primary care, the scope for a diverse and fulfilling career has never been greater.

Making a brilliant first impression
Being able to manage perceptions to create a powerful, authentic first impression is a great skill which is useful in your professional and personal life. Within the first 30 seconds you must be able to come across as genuine, insightful and someone with credibility. This session shows you how.

Starting a career in sports medicine
Many doctors dream of being able to combine their medical skills with their enthusiasm for sport. With the London Olympic Games looming, a doctor experienced in sports medicine explains what it is all about and the opportunities available.

Opportunities in pharmaceutical medicine
This presentation provides an overview of the pharmaceutical industry, covering the current perceptions of the industry and what it’s really like. It provides an overview of the roles available to the pharmaceutical physician, higher medical training, making the transition from NHS to pharma, FAQs including hours, salary and job security, where to find out more, and what organisations to approach.

Getting published
This session gives you the chance to improve your style, avoiding common pitfalls and improving the power of your writing. It also provides hints on getting your paper published and building a career as an author.

Mastering the art of time management
Do you need to get organised and gain more control over priorities, people and paperwork? This session focuses on practical strategies for prioritising tasks, defeating procrastination and delegating effectively so that you can achieve more in less time.

Understanding the Out of Programme experience
Out of Programme Experience (OOPE), Out of Programme Training (OOPT) or Out of Programme Research (OOPR) are ways in which trainees can gain experience outside their official training programme. They can count towards CCT training or not. This session explains how to plan and get approval for your OOPE.

How to get the job you want
With so many applications for each place, you need to ensure your application stands out. This session will offer plenty of tips on how to approach job applications positively and maximize your chances of being invited for interview and then performing successfully at interview.

A closer look at the uncoupled specialties
Medical training systems can be confusing, with a myriad of different options available to trainees. This session aims to take the mystery out of what it means it to train in a coupled or uncoupled specialty.

A day in the life of a GP
Life as a GP can be amazingly varied, with many opportunities for professional development. This session gives you a flavour of what general practice is all about to help you decide whether this is the carer choice for you.

Amazing Doctors
Dr James will talk about her experiences of working in Uganda. An inspirational talk for those who aspire to do more with their careers.

General practice with special interests
Thinking of becoming a GP with a special interest? This session will provide tips on how to develop your special interest, give you an insight into what opportunities are available and describe the pros and cons of this career route.

Why all doctors need to be leaders
The Darzi review placed great emphasis on clinical leadership in the NHS. What does this mean for doctors at various stages of their careers? And how can you develop your leadership skills?

Less than full time training
The Less Than Full-Time (LTFT - Formerly Flexible) Training allows doctors to work less than full-time in posts that are fully recognised for training, and have the educational approval of the Postgraduate Deans and the Royal Colleges. It applies to all training grades and hospital posts including GP vocational training schemes. This session explains how it could work for you.

What if it's not for me? Ten principles of career change
You may have come to the conclusion that you wish to pursue a career outside of medicine, but just don't know where to start. Hear from someone who successfully made the leap, about practical steps everyone can take towards their dream career.

CMT and what to do afterwards
CMT can be a gateway to a wide range of medical specialties. The training is the first stage towards obtaining a CCT in a medical specialty and provides the opportunity to explore many career choices. This session explains how it works and how to get the most from it.

How to boost your career
This session is aimed at doctors who feel they are stuck in a career rut and want to get moving again. It will also help those who are facing a career crisis or who are unemployed or who simply want to find out how they can be doing better.

When can I work abroad?
In today’s current economic climate there are often pressures to stay within the profession. This session helps you decide when would be the best time to work abroad, reviews the benefits of taking time out, the range and scope of opportunities out there for you as well as thinking about returning back into the workplace

Working in British Columbia, Canada "Dispelling the Myths"
Join us to find out the "how to's" of working in British Columbia, Canada. Learn how Health Match BC will guide you through British Columbia’s licensing and immigration procedures and support you in making a seamless transition.

A Career in New Zealand
New Zealand is a great place to pursue a complete new lifestyle. This workshop will provide up-to-date information on health opportunities in NZ and give a real insight into living in the most beautiful country in the world. Presented by New Zealanders, we will answer all your questions on careers, visas & residency, and living in New Zealand.

A parallel career as a doctor with the RAF Reserves
There are good opportunities for NHS clinicians to have a satisfying a
parallel career with the UKs reserve forces. This includes clinical work, leadership, adventurous training and deployed service overseas. The speaker, a busy NHS consultant with 14 years RAF reserve experience, will highlight these opportunities.

Web-based resources for planning a medical career. Challenges and
progress. The development of www.medicalcareers.nhs.uk
There are many web-based resources for planning a career. This workshop
will look at the development of the National Medical Careers Website -
www.medicalcareers.nhs.uk which is managed by KSS Deanery on behalf of
the Department of Health. The workshop will give an overview of how the
National Medical Careers website can help those interested in a medical
career plan their future in a structured way.

Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Newfoundland and Labrador on Canada's East Coast welcomes IMGs by offering a "provisional license" to physicians whose training meets the requirements of our licensing college. We are fortunate to have attracted up to 40% of our practicing physicians from many parts of the world. Our provincial licensure, salaried employment and immigration sponsorship is a realistic option for direct entry into practice in Canada. This workshop promotes our wonderful province, the comfortable lifestyle and our attractive practice opportunities. The session outlines the steps of the relocation process we use to support the IMGs and their families who have already immigrated through our Newfoundland and Labrador recruitment package.