Clinical Fellow Scheme – What’s in it for the fellows?
Thirty-one junior doctors joined this year’s cohort of clinical fellows, all based in London, Leeds and Manchester, but with close links with fellows in Scotland and Wales.
Taking a year out of clinical practice in the NHS as part of the scheme, we’re working for senior leaders in healthcare-affiliated organisations, gaining first-hand experience of healthcare management, strategy and policy, leading our own work and collaborating across organisations to complete a variety of projects.
We discovered the scheme in a variety of ways, by meeting previous fellows, by attending FMLM conferences, via the FMLM website and even from recommendations on Twitter!
What attracted us to the scheme? A number of features appealed, including the opportunity to learn directly from prominent leaders in healthcare, with a focus on ‘learning by doing’ rather than taking a postgraduate course or qualification.
Some of the current fellows had been frustrated as junior doctors by barriers to delivering quality or service improvement. They wanted to learn how to implement change from leaders who are changing healthcare at national policy level as well as on the wards.
The chance to work at a prestigious range of host organisations was also a major draw, these include royal colleges, arm’s length healthcare and regulatory bodies, a private healthcare provider and a specialist healthcare charity!
Three months into the scheme, this is what the current fellows have to say about their experience so far:
"It's given me clarity on the direction that I want to take my career."
"I'm overwhelmed with opportunities."
"I'm exposed to current leaders, their ideas and working styles."
"I have incredible access to interesting people I'd otherwise not have the opportunity to meet."
"Broadening horizons, learning totally new skills, meeting influential people, learning to influence, understanding the very complex system we work in.”
"I'm working with likeminded people from different specialties and career stages – no other programme offers this."
"The scheme allows you to apply your leadership creatively to achieve quality improvement."