Discover ICM: Find your future career

I am an NIHR clinical lecturer and single CCT in ICM. Research is a great companion to clinical practice in ICM. The clinical environment is hugely stimulating and full of unanswered questions. Having dedicated research time gives me the space to explore areas of interest, learn new research skills and work collaboratively with researchers within the NHS, academia and industry.

I chose single specialty training for several reasons. Firstly, I have always found it to be the most interesting and fulfilling work, so I didn’t want to dilute the ICU work with another
specialty. It also gives me plenty of opportunity to pursue my interests in expedition medicine and sport. I’m particularly excited that during Stage 2, I will be able to choose my
subspecialty for the special skills year. Looking to the future, I also feel safe that as the ICM grows, there will be an increasing number of appropriate consultant posts for me and that the job plans will suit me.

Being a standalone ICM trainee allows me to focus on training within one of the most exciting and evolving specialties in medicine. The decision to switch from dual training with anaesthesia was an easy one. Being a Less than full time (LTFT) trainee allows me to have a good work-life balance and the flexibility within the ICM training programme accommodates this. I am really looking forward to my Special Skills year in Stage 2 and being able to choose what that year entails and tailor it to my future career as an ICM consultant.

I’ve made the conscious decision of joining ICM training with Acute Medicine and it has been a blast in so many ways. The unique skill set that you would have and bring to both working environments is invaluable. I have found my training enjoyable as there’s never a dull moment yet always a grateful patient whom your holistic management skills have helped during their journey to recovery. You’ll see a range of illness from acutely unwell patients with chronic disease to critically unstable patients with different medical and surgical pathologies (often coexisting), the best bit is that you can positively influence both groups of patients with your medical critical care hat on.

As an intensivist -medic, I found what I bring to the table is not only important to my patients but also well valued by my colleagues. With a growing aging complex population the demand on both medicine and intensive care services is expanding and combining the art of medicine with the science of intensive care is well worth taking on as a career.