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Personal career guidance: case study

Disability - SpR in Ophthalmology with rheumatoid arthritis

All case studies are fictitious but based on CDU experience.

Dr AQ was coming to the end of her last SpR post when she had to go off sick with acute rheumatoid arthritis. Unfortunately her disease was aggressive and seriously reduced the mobility of her hands. It became clear that she was unlikely to work in theatre again. Occupational health referred her to the CDU for career advice.

The information from the career guidance interview revealed a doctor with a strong commitment to make a difference for her patients and an ability to demonstrate empathy and caring. Her CV revealed that she had had previous experience in A&E and psychiatry following her house jobs and had spent one year doing general medicine in Australia before starting ophthalmology. She was very reluctant to leave ophthalmology which she loved and was worried about her physical ability to start again in another specialty.

Dr Q's action plan focused on finding out more about general practice as a career and she was advised to contact RCGP to see if her previous experience could count towards general practice. The CDU helped her arrange work experience in a training practice where one of the partners had a special interest in ophthalmology. She was motivated by her experience of general practice but had problems using her hands to type using the practice computer.

The CDU liaised with occupational health and a voice-activated computer system was suggested as a way forward. She is currently working as a GP registrar with the intention of becoming a GP with a special interest in ophthalmology.

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