Everything Doctors Need to Know About August Rotation

Jun 24, 2015.

Every August an estimated 50,000 medics – including doctors – across the UK move into new posts in hospitals to train in alternative specialties. This is known as the August Rotation or ‘changeover’ period.

Newly qualified junior doctors will start their new posts nationwide in NHS hospitals on the first Wednesday in August and will undergo rigorous training whilst being closely supervised by their healthcare colleagues.

During this time it is important for hospitals to ensure they manage the induction of new Foundation Year junior doctors by providing the appropriate cover of senior experienced staff, and a shadowing period prior to the commencement of their post, for continued high quality patient care.

The August Rotation period is a customary feature of the postgraduate medical training curriculum across the UK which provides fantastic career development opportunities for doctors of all grades and specialties.

Why is the August Rotation important?

August Rotation is a key period for a large number of doctors, both locum and substantive, who can find new posts or even extend their current posts, across various UK NHS trusts. In particular, it provides a wealth of opportunities for locum doctors to expand their skillset, meet their long term career objectives and increase their earning potential.

In addition to experiencing a series of placements in a variety of specialties and healthcare settings, there could also be further opportunity to improve leadership and management skills by supporting more junior medics as they start their training posts.

Many medics discover that after starting their Rotation, they find a more appealing specialty better suited to their talents and interests. It’s the time to ‘try out’ something new, something that could perhaps change a career for the better… settling for a specialty could lead to burn out and unhappiness in work and life in general.

Trainees are often under pressure at the very beginning to really know for sure which area of medicine they want to specialise in, this is well before they have the chance to experience what those certain specialties truly entail.

August Rotation is the window of opportunity for Foundation Year doctors, and all grades above, to try out those different routes with a goal to achieve absolute job satisfaction.

How to prepare for upcoming August Rotation season

Start with a career planning process. Self-assess where you currently are, where you want to go and how you’re going to get there. You should consider your personal interests; what you love doing, your skills and key strengths. Upon evaluating what matters the most to you, you should be able to match core specialties to those elements.

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Support for locum doctors during August Rotation

ID Medical is a locum agency, here to talk about your doubts about a choice of discipline and suggest alternative routes you can take. Working with over 95% of NHS trusts nationwide means we receive an influx of locum and permanent job opportunities for doctors, especially through the August Rotation changeover. It is our mission to support you and advise in full the job specifications we receive from our NHS clients.

In addition to August Rotation, there is also a secondary changeover period in early February each year when many trainees on six monthly attachments will move post. Again, this is another career-enhancing phase which ID Medical can support you through.

We understand it can be a daunting process applying for a new specialty or post, but it is also a positive learning curve. Take the time and be sure that the alternate pathway you are considering is the right one for you, but talking to ID Medical is a good place to start.

Letting us know your current work situation and availability paints a better picture for us to match you to the perfect job opportunities during Rotation.

Every year we gain full commitment and loyalty from our valued locum doctors by building personal relationships as well as welcoming new doctors to work with us on a much longer term basis.

If you would like to take advantage of August Rotation placements and grow your career, email info@id-medical.com or call 01908 552 820.

We can also help develop your career even further with CPD accredited courses through ID Medical School. For more information on courses and workshops available, please visit: https://shop.id-medical.com/cpd-courses.html