If you're a UK doctor considering an F3 Year, you are likely feeling one of two ways: 

1. Scared at the apparent lack of options available for you  
2. Overwhelmed by the huge number of options that are open to you. 

Many doctors are not aware of all of the opportunities available to them as an F3 doctor, and end up accepting roles that aren’t fulfilling their professional or personal needs. Others are so intimidated by the diversity of the options available that the don’t know which road to follow to have the best F3 Year possible. 

In our podcast we interview existing and previous F3 doctors about their experiences out of training, and the highs and lows they’ve faced. We hope that by hearing their stories, you can be inspired and guided to make the right choices for your own F3 Year. 

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Below you can find links to all of our previous episodes, as well as a brief description of each. By clicking on the link, you can listen to the episode and find links and information about the topics we discussed in each interview.

If you want to listen to all of our episodes right away, you can click the links below to listen on:

🎧  Spotify
🎧  Apple

Season 2

👉  Coming soon: Dr Lewis Potter

In this episode, Lewis (Founder and CEO of Geeky Medics) shares how his hobby has influenced his medical career and the sacrifices and tough decisions he has had to make along the way.

Season 1

👉 Episode 12: Dr Mike

In this episode, Mike speaks about why he chose to become a military doctor and how the opportunities on offer have changed his life and career forever.

👉 Episode 11: Dr Kelsey Mills

In this episode, Kelsey gives her tips and tricks for using your F3 Year to help get onto a competitive training programme, and pursue your career ambitions.

👉 Episode 10: Dr Laura Maciejec

In this episode, Laura shares with us her tips for planning, packing, budgeting, and making lifelong friendships and connections when exploring other cultures and countries alone.

👉 Episode 9: Dr Omer Elhassan

In this episode, Omer explains how to use your time out of training to find your passions, follow your internal compass, and forge your own unique path for a career that will fulfill and sustain you in the long term.

👉 Episode 8: Dr Razaz Elsheikh

In this episode, Razaz highlights just how varied clinical fellowships can be. As an IMG in the UK, she gives her tips for identifying red flags (and green flags) in job descriptions and interviews to help you identify which opportunities will be the right ones for you.

👉 Episode 7: Dr Esra Arslanboga

In this episode, Esra explains how she has used her F3 Year to gain the experiences and learning that she wasn't able to get as a foundation trainee during the pandemic. By saying 'Yes' to every opportunity, she has ended up with 4 very different jobs and she explains in this episode how she has the energy and motivation for them all.

👉 Episode 6: Dr Amanda Pallister

In this episode, Amanda shares how she struggled with unexpected challenges, the importance of being flexible when plans go wrong, and how to search for new opportunities outside of conventional medical roles.

👉 Episode 5: Dr Alex McWhirter

In this episode, Alex shares how she handled a year of night shifts and the effect that constant switching between day and night had on her life. She is also going to talk about how she found acting up as an SpR and the difficulties this entailed. 

👉 Episode 4: Dr Luiza Guimarães

In this episode, Luiza shares how she weighed the pros and cons of a training post in Australia over one in the UK, and how she overcame the challenges involved in building a life for herself somewhere entirely new. 

👉  Episode 3: Dr Shona Johnston

In this episode, Shona shares her experiences in Sierra Leone and the highs and lows of working overseas for an NGO. 

👉  Episode 2: Dr Amelia Webber

In this episode, we speak to Dr Amelia Webber, who was a Foundation Trainee in South Yorkshire, then went on to enjoy a successful year of locuming as an F3 in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the North West. 

👉  Episode 1: Dr Katie Stevenson

In this episode, Katy shares the story of how she went about planning her year, how she secured those roles (despite some set-backs!), and shares her tips for how to get into medical education.

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Messly’s Hubs

F3 Hub 

Everything you need to know about F3 Years, as well as information and tips about how to decide if an F3 Year is right for you. 

Locum Hub

Our centre for all things locuming; from how to find work and negotiate rates, to how to get learning and development opportunities on the ward. 

Portfolio Ultimate Guide 

Find out what a portfolio is, how to use one to benefit your career, and get our tips and tricks on how to ensure your portfolio helps you with job applications and appraisals in the future. 

Ultimate Guide to Australia

Everything you need to know about applying for, working in, and moving to Australia as a UK junior doctor. Get insider reports on the different regions of Aus, and learn how to get your Australian adventure started. 

Ultimate Guide to New Zealand

Hear from doctors currently working in New Zealand about their experiences working in one of the happiest countries on Earth. 

F3 Stories Podcast 

Find a full list of all of our episodes from our F3 Stories Series including a summary of the topics discussed in each episode. 

Clinical Fellow Hub

Learn everything you need to know about fellowships, from how they may be able to benefit your career and how to find and land a job, to how to prepare for your first day on the job.

We would love to know your thoughts on the resources we provide, so please feel free to get in touch with us at support@messly.co.uk if you have any questions or comments about this article.

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This article is part of a wider series of comprehensive guides and information to help doctors ensure their F3 year is a success. We cover everything from initial planning, options for moving abroad, help with finding work, and tips for making the most of the experience.

Click here to visit our F3 Resource Hub to explore the full list of guides and articles.

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