The GP+ Careers Podcast

• 13: GP+Humanitarian Health with Dr Hareen De Silva

  In this episode, Sophie is joined by Dr Hareen De Silva who has a special interest in Humanitarian and Global Health. Hareen describes how he got into the field, how you can find out if it is the right role for you physically, emotionally and morally and the benefits and downsides of the role. Top tips: 1.Gain Relevant Clinical Experience & Skills Broaden Your Clinical Scope: Try and gain experience in areas often neglected in high-income settings but critical in humanitarian contexts. Just because you may deploy as a GP you may have to step into other situations. Hareen has gained skills over his career. Some of these can be obtained free or paid. Consider using your GP training study budget.   Emergency Medicine: ACLS, PALS certifications - paid for by CADUS  Trauma Care: Even basic trauma stabilisation Have a look at cheap/free courses organised by a UK chairty called CitizenAid that have a free app to download.  Mental Health: Basic psychological first aid (PFA) and recognition/referral of common mental health conditions. There are websites such as Coursera that offer free certification in PFA Procedural Skills: Minor surgery, suturing, wound care, basic fracture management, IV insertion. Resource-Limited Settings: Consider volunteering locally within the UK using your skills. Crisis at Christmas is where he started volunteering and then locally in homeless healthcare clinic in Doncaster. The UK Government website has a database of opportunities.  2. Understand the Humanitarian Aid Sector Research Organisations: There are so many organisations that you could work with. Each has their own individual identity. CADUS is different to other organisations Hareen has worked with. When you interview for a position, make sure your personal values line up with those of the organisation.  Humanitarian Principles: Stress the importance of understanding and committing to the core humanitarian principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence. Contextual Awareness: Stay informed about global crises, geopolitical situations, and the specific health challenges in different regions. ReliefWeb has a jobs board and collates information from all around the world.  Networking: Connect with doctors already working in the field. LinkedIn, professional associations, and humanitarian aid conferences are good avenues. Hareen is happy to take on mentees via RCGP Mentoring.  Realistic Expectations: Prepare for challenging conditions, long hours, emotional toll, and potential ethical dilemmas. This work is not for those with a saviour complex.  3. Essential Training & Qualifications Specific Humanitarian Training:  Pre-Deployment Courses: There are plenty of free online resources to help you understand the basics. DisasterReady is a free online resource which Hareen uses every year to increase his knowledge.  Tropical Medicine/Public Health Diplomas: These are highly relevant and often required or preferred by some organisations. But think about the financial impact on yourself before paying for courses. Will it help you get a volunteer position or a paid job.  Language Skills: Proficiency in languages other than English (especially French, Spanish, Arabic) can be a significant asset and sometimes a requirement for specific deployments. Even just having a few phrases will help to generate rapport with beneficiaries of the project.  Security Training: Consider something like a HEAT (Hostile Environment Awareness Training) Course. CADUS offers a free course. The United Nations also has a free course called BSAFE  4. Practical Steps to Get Started Initial Deployments: Your first deployment might not be your "dream" assignment. Starting with shorter deployments or less complex contexts can be a good way to gain experience. Be warned that the smaller organisations may ask you to cover your travel and accomodation costs. Please do not be exploited for voluntourism type projects.  Application Process: Be prepared for a rigorous application process, including interviews, assessments, and background checks. Financial Planning: Humanitarian work, especially early on, may not be highly paid. it is advisable to have some financial stability or savings. Health & Wellness: Stress the importance of maintaining their own physical and mental health during and between deployments. Long lasting effects: Hareen has deployed to multiple conflict zones and now has  to apply for visas to travel to countries as a tourist. He also holds two passports to avoid questions at the border - one for work and one for tourism. Consider where you want to travel in the future as some countries do not allow travel if you have been to another country.  5. It may not be for everyone You may realise it is not for you, and that is fine. Within the UK we have so many health inequalities and this is how Dr De Silva's humanitarian career started. Consider joining the RCGP Health Equity SIG working group and contribute locally.  Hareen is a Fellow of the RCGP and in his GP career he was the national wellbeing lead for First5 GPs and then became the youngest faculty Chair (SYNT) in the RCGP history. He moved into expedition medicine, travelling to Dominica, Costa Rica, Gough Island with the Royal Society for Protection of Birds and Midway Atoll with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Hareen has deployed on humanitarian assistance missions as a clinician, medical coordinator and Head of Mission to Greece, Syria, Iraq, Ukraine and Gaza with CADUS e.V. He has an interest in health inequalities and is a trustee for the UK medical education charity Fairhealth. He has received a British Empire Medal in 2020 for his Services to General Practice during COVID-19 and The UK’s Humanitarian Medal in 2025 for his work in Gaza with UK-MED. Further reading RCGP Health Equity Special Interest Group https://www.rcgp.org.uk/about/communities-groups/health-inequalities RCGP Mentoring https://www.rcgp.org.uk/your-career/gp-mentoring CADUS https://www.cadus.org/en/ UK-Med https://www.uk-med.org/ Fairhealth https://www.fairhealth.org.uk/ DisasterReady https://www.disasterready.org/ ReliefWeb https://reliefweb.int/ United Nations BSAFE course https://training.dss.un.org/thematicarea/category?id=6  Tell us what you thought! Please take 2 minutes to complete the survey about this episode.

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• 12: GP+ Lifestyle Medicine with Dr Callum Leese

  This month, Sophie interviews Dr Callum Leese, a First5 GP based in Aberfeldy, Scotland with an extended role in Lifestyle Medicine. Callum shares his journey into the field and signposts to a number of helpful resources if you are interested in finding out more in this area. If you think Lifestyle Medicine could be the right fit for you, here are some top tips to help you find out more: Connect with other Lifestyle Medicine Professionals - The British Society of Lifestyle Medcine (BSLM) is the primary professional body for lifestyle medicine. Callum suggests the BSLM is a great place to start to build those connections through their in-person events, online webinars and networking at the BSLM annual conference.  Research if there are any local lifestyle medicine groups and if not, why not initiate one with like-minded colleagues. Callum set up the 'Healthiest Town Aberfeldy' initiative with colleagues to inspire to inspire change and address some of the social determinants of health to inspire healthier lifestyles. Start small and strategic - Figure out what aspect(s) of lifestyle medicine interests you and begin with part time or low commitment roles alongside clinical practice. For example, Callum led on some group patient consultations in his practice for conditions such as diabetes and prostate cancer. This helps him to remain energized and enthusiastic about his role trying out different styles of delivering patient care. Research funding opportunities - Callum suggests look at your local deanery first for potential funding opportunities in lifestyle medicine. If you are a GP registrar, consider the study budget to cover some lifestyle medicine courses such as the BLSM Core Accreditation in Lifestyle Medicine or Red Whale. Callum had previously secured funding from the Claire Wand Fund for some courses in the past. He suggested also checking out the NHS Trust charities as his 'The Movement Prescription' podcast was part funded to support these ideas. Learn more about Lifestyle Medicine initiatives - spend time to do some community mapping in your local area. Callum suggests becoming familiar with existing initiatives and help to shape and support initiatives that already exist. If you identify a gap, think about what you can do but try not to reinvent the wheel. Dr Callum Leese is medically qualified at the University of Edinburgh, a GP in Aberfeldy, whilst working part-time at the University of Dundee undertaking research with the division of population health and genomics. He is co-founder of the community-based charity 'Healthiest Town' in Aberfeldy, Scotland where they try to enact and inspire local change and he is involved with the charity RunTalkRun. Callum is a champion for physical activity and lifestyle at the Royal College of GPs. When not working, Callum will be found running, cycling, skiing or climbing somewhere! Further reading Introduction and overview of GPwER in lifestyle medicine RCGP Physical Activity and Lifestyle hub Upcoming RCGP Lifestyle Medicine webinars Recorded RCGP Lifestyle Medicine webinars BSLM - Transforming Healthcare Through Lifestyle Medicine Callum’s podcast: themovementprescription.co.uk Callum's article after his talk at RCGP last year: GPs Urged to Embed Lifestyle Medicine into Primary Care Parkrun practices initiative Moving Medicine website Tell us what you thought! Please take 2 minutes to complete the survey about this episode.

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• 11: GP+ Training Programme Director with Dr Irene Afreh-Mensah

  In this month's episode we hear from Dr Irene Afreh-Mensah, a First5 GP whose work week is a variety of clinical work as a salaried GP, TPD and one day of Undergraduate teaching at the local University. Irene shares her experience in medical education to date, skills and qualities needed to be a TPD and advice for those hoping to follow a similar career path. If you're aspiring to become a TPD, there are several key steps and tips that can help you prepare for this leadership and educational role: Build a strong network - Networking is powerful as it gives you access to opportunities you may not be aware of otherwise e.g. job vacancies. Engaging with local and national training committees will help you to better understand the challenges and developments in medical education and training. Attending courses, conferences and workshops related to medical education will help you expand your networks and opportunities. Enhance your leadership skills - TPDs have a significant administrative and leadership role, so understanding how to manage teams, projects, and resources is essential. You might want to pursue leadership or management courses to strengthen your skills.  Irene advises that you consider what you do in your role now and the transferable skills. Could you within your clinical role maybe lead on a tutorial or give a teaching session where you can receive feedback? This demonstrates you are collating evidence of your commitment to education. Be Passionate About Medical Education - TPDs are often chosen for their passion for medical education. Demonstrate your enthusiasm for shaping the future of the profession through continuous learning, participation in teaching activities, and contributing to educational discussions. Irene states she has always been passionate about medical education. In her opinion, education is sharing of knowledge, and she's always wanted to give back and help others along their educational journey and help them to learn and develop. Carve your career path early - Irene advises that Post Graduate doctors take a step back from the idea that training is three years and focus solely on exams and CCT. She urges you to consider what your ideal career looks like and is there anything you can do during training that can help you work towards that. Before Irene started GP Training, she researched various job adverts options to supplement the training. Between ST1 and ST2 she undertook a clinical teaching role. This was a huge springboard for her while training to understand the field of medical education. Dr Irene Afreh-Mensah is a portfolio GP, who has a passion for medical education and women's health. Her working week is comprised of a salaried role, undergraduate teaching, and postgraduate teaching as a training programme director. She loves spending her downtime with friends and family, going hiking and trying new cuisines. Further reading General Practice Specialty Training guidance https://www.rcgp.org.uk/your-career/qualifying-as-a-gp/cct-guidance/training-guidance NHS jobs https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/candidate Local Medical Committees https://www.bma.org.uk/what-we-do/local-medical-committees Tell us what you thought! Please take 2 minutes to complete the survey about this episode.

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• 10: GP+ Migrant Health with Dr Sarah Clark

  This month we hear from Dr Sarah Clark who works one day a week as a clinical assessor for Medical Justice. Medical Justice are a charity who work to support the health and legal rights for people who are held in immigration detention. Sarah outlines how she got into the role and what it involves and where you can find out more information. Top tips Provide Holistic patient care - When working with those held in immigration detention, it is important to consider the whole person in front of you, addressing both the physical and psychosocial aspects of your patient’s health. Migrants may face multiple stressors, including housing insecurity, lack of social support, or financial difficulties, which can affect their mental health too.  Manage the Emotional Impact - Working with migrant populations, especially those facing trauma can be emotionally taxing. Take time for self-care and seek professional support when needed. Sarah recommends taking some down time after the assessments. Medical Justice also offer groups with a psychotherapist that you are welcome to attend. They also offer six funded sessions of psychotherapy per year to support your mental wellbeing as a GP. Explore uncharted territory - If you are interested in getting involved, Sarah recommends attending one of the Medical Justice basics training days which are advertised on their website, usually held twice a year. Sarah encourages you to sign up to their mailing list to find out first about upcoming training dates. The training provides an overview of the work involved and an opportunity to decide if it is for you. There's no commitment as you can try a few assessments to see if it's something you want to pursue a career in. Do your research - Research the main charities websites who do this type of work such as Medical Justice, the Helen Bamber Foundation and read through statements from both patients and doctors who work for these charities. Some of the organisations host webinars where you can stay up to date on their website and social media channels for upcoming events to attend to get more information. Dr Sarah Clark is a GP in Bristol and has a portfolio role working with Medical Justice as a Clinical Assessor. Further reading Medical Justice website https://medicaljustice.org.uk/ Helen Bamber Foundation website https://www.helenbamber.org/ RCGP GPwER in Population Health and Health Inequalities Framework https://www.rcgp.org.uk/your-career/gp-extended-roles/population-health-inequalities-introduction RCGP Asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants  https://www.rcgp.org.uk/representing-you/policy-areas/asylum-seekers RCGP Health Inequities Hub and Health Equity Special Interest Group https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/course/view.php?id=459 RCGP Mentoring https://www.rcgp.org.uk/your-career/gp-mentoring Migrant Health guide https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migrant-health-guide Tell us what you thought! Please take 2 minutes to complete the survey about this episode.

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• 9: GP+ Working in Secure Environments with Dr Juli McCulloch

  In this month’s episode we hear from Dr Juli McCulloch, a First5 GP working in secure environments and secondary care addiction services. Juli provides valuable insights into working in a high security prison, how her personal interest attracted her to the role and the benefits of pursuing this specialist interest. If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected] and we are happy to put you in touch with Juli. Top tips Research the different types of secure environments - There are a range of secure environments you can work in as a GP including open prisons, higher security units, immigration detention centres, and more. Juli works in a high security men's prison but she urges you to consider the type of secure environments near to you that interest you. The job can be rewarding but emotionally demanding -Patients in these environments tend to have more complex needs and have experienced more trauma, often resulting in more mental health and substance use concerns. You need to consider how to care for yourself and your emotional resilience as well. Juli mixes prison shifts with a varied work week within a Portfolio career to protect herself from burnout.  Contacts are key - Juli highlighted that she secured an interview for her other role in substance misuse through her GP partner colleague, who had a contact in the local addiction services. Connect with GPs already working in secure environments to gain first-hand accounts of their experiences, join online forums, and seek out mentorship opportunities in this area. She found this route much easier and more informative than searching for job adverts and listed vacancies. Preserve human dignity and provide empathy - It’s important to always approach individuals in secure environments with empathy and respect, recognizing their vulnerability. Juli states that a simple, human connection can make a significant difference in their experience and well-being. Same but different - Juli highlights that she was not required to complete any additional qualifications to work in the prison environment. Although the structure and environment is different a lot of the day-to-day clinical work is exactly the same as that of your community GP clinics including chronic disease management, triaging patients, prescriptions for the pharmacists, and dealing with queries from the nurses. In Juli’s experience she also sees fewer patients per shift, allowing you to spend more time if the patient needs it.  Dr Juli McCulloch is a First5 GP working in Fife and Tayside. She divides her working week between a long-term locum GP post, a salaried post in secondary care addiction services, and a few shifts monthly at her local prison. Further reading RCGP Secure Environments hub https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/course/view.php?id=561 RCGP Secure Environments elearning course https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/enrol/index.php?id=560 RCGP Secure Environments group https://www.rcgp.org.uk/about/communities-groups/secure-environments RCGP Mentoring https://www.rcgp.org.uk/your-career/gp-mentoring BMA Forensic and secure environments committee https://www.bma.org.uk/what-we-do/committees/forensic-and-secure-environments-committee/forensic-and-secure-environments-committee-overview BMA Forensic and secure environments ethics toolkit https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/ethics/working-in-detention-settings/forensic-and-secure-environments-ethics-toolkit Tell us what you thought! Please take 2 minutes to complete the survey about this episode.

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