As a medical doctor, trainees or consultants, the effective use of time is tricky and improves with experience.
Why use time effectively??
Trainee doctors in the United Kingdom (UK) have an average of 7 years to complete training (excluding GP’s). Within this time, they have to pass Royal college exams (average of 3 professional exams) as well as publish scientific papers and participate in clinical audit.
Yearly Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) has to be passed or risk an extension to training. https://specialtytraining.hee.nhs.uk/ARCP. A proportion of trainees choose to have a family (Spouse and Kids
) whilst training others may prefer to wait.
As a trainee, carving out time to develop a new skill or side hustle https://thespearking.com/side-hustle-a-medical-doctors-guide/ is not an effective use of time. There is an infinite amount of studying to be done for exams. If studying does not take up the weekend; the on calls, within the hospital, will. Occasionally, you may find yourself taking annual leave to study for exams as your study leave is used up for courses.
….Kids?
As the exams draw close, effective use of time becomes a necessity. You spend your nights reading and going through past question papers. If you have kids, get your spouse to sort them. If that is not an option, you put them to bed early (8 pm) and stay up late studying. Alternatively, you go to bed early with them, wake up early (2 am), and study till morning. For exam purposes, your spouse ceases to exist 6 weeks before and 1 week after the exams?. If you are lucky to have a relative who assists with child care, you are truly blessed. If you don’t, just get on with it ?!!
Personally, as a trainee medic…
…… everything was planned, in my head and sometimes in a diary; paper or electronic!! I kicked myself if did not use my time, effectively. Mornings before work, evenings after work, weekends and bank holidays had a mapped out plan to the last detail. It included time for studying, cooking, grocery shopping, cleaning, swimming, family, and church. Sometimes, one aspect will have to suffer and that was usually cleaning?. However, I had paid assistance. Someone, who looked after my kids (only) and often did the cleaning.
I made a choice to have paid assistance. As a result, I did not go on holiday for many years. A big chunk of my earnings went toward what was necessary. The phrase ‘Time is money’ becomes real!! Like everything in life, there is always an alternative and I chose what suited my family at the time.
5 Tips for effective time management.
Sign off ARCP requirements in good time.
There are several of these Work-based assessments (WBA’s) to sign off. For example; case-based discussions (CBD), OSATS (objective structured assessments of technical skills). The trick is to have a list of WBA’s in your head or phone. Tell all your colleagues (senior) to alert you if they can observe and sign you off on a procedure. Some discussion for CBD’s can happen in clinic or surgical theatre. It does not have to be in an office.
Utilize your study sessions accordingly and for continuous professional development (CPD).
This is not time to play, stare at your phone, or browse through social media unless it is for learning purposes. If you have exams around the corner, spend it in the library; studying. If you are not on-call, switch off your mobile phone but inform the family of your whereabouts. The library becomes a haven of peace especially if you have distractions at home. CPD includes clinical audits, preparing scientific papers for publication, attending online courses, and assisting your department in identified areas.
Have a Schedule.
As mentioned above, a paper or electronic diary is essential. I prefer electronic diary on my mobile phone as I can enter deadlines and meetings immediately. Also, once I accept a meeting, it syncs with my electronic diary which sends me alerts or reminders. Important family dates are in my electronic diary as well. I can accept or decline meetings depending on what is in my diary or prioritize accordingly.
Plan your personal life.
Schedule time for leisure activities i.e. running, swimming, gyming, gaming, for family and friends, or just Netflix and chill?. Set time aside to cook, clean, do the laundry, iron, and self-care.
Schedule time to do ‘nothing’.
This gives a new meaning to ‘Be still’. With all the craziness going on, we need time to digest feedback, reflect, think, strategize, and plan. Poor use of time puts your mental health is at risk.
Take home message: To use time effectively, have a schedule for each aspect of your life, 80% of the time. There will be the occasional ’emergency’ were all plans go out the window. Should that happen, go with the flow, that’s the 20%?.
