Trust hosts regional careers day for Foundation Year 2 doctors, helping provide career insights

This month, colleagues at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH) hosted a regional ‘Careers Day’ tailored for Foundation Year 2 doctors.

A Foundation Year 2 (FY2) doctor is a professional within the second year of post-medical school training in the UK. They work across different specialties, gaining experience and handling more responsibilities than in their first year (FY1). FY2 doctors perform assessments, procedures, and ward rounds under supervision, preparing to choose a specialty for further training.

The event was created by DBTH’s Medical Education team to support early-career doctors as they consider specialty choices and make confident, well-informed career decisions.

Open to FY2 doctors on placement within DBTH and across the wider region, the day provided valuable resources and direct interaction with specialists.

A key feature of the day was the discussion stands, each representing a broad range of medical specialties.

Each stall was staffed by experts from various fields, offering attendees the unique opportunity to connect directly with seasoned colleagues, learn more about specific specialty work environments, and discuss what day-to-day roles entail.

The stalls available included the likes of general practice, anaesthetics, sexual health, emergency medicine and anaesthetics.

To further enhance their career planning, attendees were invited to participate in a specialty workshop that focused on interview skills and practical advice on preparing for specialty training applications.

Hosted by Edmund Cross, a specialist training facilitator who has worked with organisations within the health and social care sector for 30 years, this hands-on session equipped FY2 doctors with techniques to navigate the competitive interview process confidently.

Jennifier Blackman, Medical Education Manager at DBTH, said: “Events such as these are really important in supporting our resident doctors in training to make informed decisions around their future career planning and are a great opportunity to highlight the many different career trajectories available to them aside from the traditional routes of specialty training.

“The day itself was a great success, and I am extremely appreciative to every facilitator who gave up their time today to support the next generation of our medical workforce.”