The following seminars will be available at the BMJ Careers Fair in 2008:

FRIDAY 10 OCTOBER

- Seminar Stream 1

Securing a firm Foundation: how to apply and get the most out of the Foundation programme (free seminar)
10.30-11.15
Professor Derek Gallen
This session, free of charge to all Careers Fair visitors, gives you essential up to date information about applying for the Foundation programme.

Specialty training: update from MMC (free seminar)
11.45-12.30
Jonathan Howes
This session, free of charge to all Careers Fair visitors, brings you right up to date with the specialty training application process and what it means for you.

How to stand out from the crowd: enhancing your CV
12.45-13.30
Matt Green
Your CV should be long enough to explain your achievements and short enough to ensure it is read properly. This session offers plenty of tips and sound advice on how to improve your CV so that it works for you and captures every aspect of you experience and achievements in your career to date.

Mix and Match: opportunities outside the NHS
14.00-14.45
Steve Preston
You may be facing a career crisis, or maybe you've simply decided it's time for a change. This session will give you the inspiration needed to take those first steps along an alternative career path and embrace change positively and enthusiastically.

Polishing up your interview skills
15.15-16.00
Constance Lamb
This session aims to help you understand what interview panels are looking for and how best to present yourself as the person for the job. It stresses the importance of preparation, body language and a positive attitude.

How to make an effective presentation
16.30-17.15
Nick Oliver
Speaker to be confirmed
Presenting to an audience large or small comes naturally to few people, yet it is an essential skill if you want to influence your colleagues or your bosses or a prospective employer. This session offers you some professional tips.

- Seminar Stream 2

How not to do it: screwing it up at interview
12.45-13.30
Professor David Wall, Deputy Postgraduate Dean, West Midlands Deanery
If you really do not want the job, this is how to go about it. This session will give you lots of good advice on what not to wear, what not to do, what not to say and how not to conduct yourself at interview. You will then know how you can screw it up really well.

You and your educational supervisor: making it work
14.00-14.45
Mr Andy Whallet, Postgrad Clinical Tutor, and Mr Colin Campbell, Consultant Paediatrician & Gastroenterologist
Your educational supervisor is there to help you, but you need to know how to make the most of the relationship. Learn what you can expect from your educational supervisor, what your educational supervisor will expect from you and how to form a positive working relationship if there is room for improvement.

Portfolio Careers: juggling career and family
15.15-16.00
Dr Jyothi Nippani, Dr Rita Mildner and Dr Helen Goodyear
In this session you will have the chance to hear from doctors who have managed to juggle a portfolio career and raise a family. You will be able to hear about their experiences, learn how they coped and find out the pros and cons of working full-time or training flexibly.

Opportunities for international medical graduates
16.30-17.15
Dr Mohammed Arafa
Find out about the opportunities available for international graduates and get some useful advice on how to make the most of career opportunities within the UK. Learn what UK employers are looking for so that you improve your job prospects and make the most of your time in Britain.

- Seminar stream 3

The art of the abstract
13.00-14.00
Kirsten Patrick
Who ever tells you how to write an abstract? Many doctors never get it right. Writing a succinct and appealing abstract is the key to getting published, having a poster accepted and being invited to present a paper. This session offers some tricks of the trade.

Starting a career in sports medicine
14.00-14.45
Chris Rufford
Many doctors dream of being able to combine their medical skills with their enthusiasm for sport. With the London Olympic Games looming, a doctor experienced in sports medicine explains what it is all about and the opportunities available.

How to get more from a shorter day
15.15-16.00
Nick Oliver
Do you need to get organised and gain more control over priorities, people and paperwork? This session focuses on practical strategies for prioritising tasks, defeating procrastination and delegating effectively so that you can achieve more in less time.

Enhancing your personal effectiveness
16.30-17.15
Debbie Smith
This session is about enabling and inspiring you to develop your communication skills and self esteem to help you achieve your maximum potential by making the most of your personal ‘brand.’ By creating the right impression and dressing to achieve your key objectives, you can understand how to use your personal impact positively to achieve your potential.

- Seminar stream 4

Working in British Columbia Canada – Dispelling the Myths (free seminar)
10.45-11.45
Jan Goode and Pamela Adamchuk
Join Health Match BC’s workshop session to find out the “how to’s” of working in British Columbia, Canada. Learn how Health Match BC will guide you through British Columbia’s licensing and immigration procedures and support you in making a seamless transition.

Medical Practice in Alberta, Canada (free seminar)
14.30-15.30
Hear firsthand about working and living in Alberta, Canada. Learn about Alberta’s 'Working Holiday' program; bring your questions so we can tell you about a pace of life which allows both a fulfilling career and ample time to enjoy leisure activities with your family in a safe, friendly environment.

SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER

- Seminar stream 1

How to stand out from the crowd: enhancing your CV
10.30-11.15
Matt Green
Your CV should be long enough to explain your achievements and short enough to ensure it is read properly. This session offers plenty of tips and sound advice on how to improve your CV so that it works for you and captures every aspect of you experience and achievements in your career to date.

Polishing up your interview skills
11.45 -12.30
Constance Lamb
This session aims to help you understand what interview panels are looking for and how best to present yourself as the person for the job. It stresses the importance of preparation, body language and a positive attitude.

Mix and match: opportunities outside the NHS
13.00-13.45
Steve Preston
You may be facing a career crisis, or maybe you've simply decided it's time for a change. This session will give you the inspiration needed to take those first steps along an alternative career path and embrace change positively and enthusiastically.

How to make an effective presentation
14.15-15.00
Nick Oliver
Presenting to an audience large or small comes naturally to few people, yet it is an essential skill if you want to influence your colleagues or your bosses or a prospective employer. This session offers you some professional tips.

- Seminar stream 2

What does a career in academic medicine have to offer?
10.30-11.15
Dr Andrew Hassle, Consultant, University Hospital North Staffordshire NHS Trust
Dr Elizabeth Cottrell, Academic Foundation Trainee
If you are interested in a career in academic medicine, this session will give you an insight into the career opportunities and options that are available, what it is like to work in academic medicine and the pros and cons of doing so. It will also give you some tips on how to get into academic medicine.

Portfolio Careers
11.45-12.30
Dr Kate Thomas
Find out how to make the most of opportunities to expand your career and utilise your skills outside day-to-day clinical activities. Doctors, who have been there and done it, talk about their experiences and give tips on how make a successful career, while still doing what you enjoy.

What it means to be a GP
13.00-13.45
Dr Martin Wilkinson
This session explains how general practice now offers many different kinds of employment options and with increasing emphasis on primary care, the scope for a diverse and fulfilling career has never been greater.

Amazing Doctors
14.15-15.00
Dr Jo James, consultant anaesthetist, Birmingham Heart of England Foundation Trust, Programme Director, Warwickshire School of Anaesthesia
Dr James will talk about her experiences of working in Uganda. An inspirational talk for those who aspire to do more with their careers.

- Seminar stream 3

Getting published - how to improve your chances
10.30-11.15
Tim Albert
This session gives you the chance to improve your style, avoiding common pitfalls and improving the power of your writing. It also provides hints on getting your paper published and building a career as an author.

How to boost your career
11.45-12.30
Kathleen Sullivan
This session is aimed at doctors who feel they are stuck in a career rut and want to get moving again. It will also help those who are facing a career crisis or who are unemployed or who simply want to find out how they can be doing better.

Opportunities in pharmaceutical medicine
13.00-13.45
Stephen Jones
This presentation provides an overview of the pharmaceutical industry covering the current perceptions of the industry and what it's really like. It provides an overview of the roles available to the pharmaceutical physician, higher medical training, making the transition from NHS to pharma, FAQs including hours, salary and job security, where to find out more, and what organisations to approach.

How to make a brilliant first impression
14.15-15.00
Debbie Smith
Being able to manage perceptions to create a powerful, authentic first impression is a great skill which is useful in your professional and personal life. Within the first 30 seconds you must be able to come across as genuine, insightful and someone with credibility. This session shows you how.

- Seminar stream 4

Working in British Columbia Canada – Dispelling the Myths (free seminar)
10.45-11.45
Jan Goode and Pamela Adamchuk
Join Health Match BC’s workshop session to find out the “how to’s” of working in British Columbia, Canada. Learn how Health Match BC will guide you through British Columbia’s licensing and immigration procedures and support you in making a seamless transition.

Newfoundland Labrador, CANADA (free seminar)
13.15-14.15
Come to pristine Newfoundland Labrador, CANADA. Embrace a relaxed
lifestyle. Practice in a collegial environment where patients come
first. Gain exceptional experience and build a practice that focuses on
your skills and interests. And...no matter where you practice in the
province, be confident of direct or virtual access to colleagues for
specialist services readily available. Visit www.physicianjobs.ca

Medical Practice in Alberta, Canada (free seminar)
14.30-15.30
Hear firsthand about working and living in Alberta, Canada. Learn about Alberta’s 'Working Holiday' program; bring your questions so we can tell you about a pace of life which allows both a fulfilling career and ample time to enjoy leisure activities with your family in a safe, friendly environment.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Jo James
"I'm a consultant anaesthetist at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust. I'm Programme Director for the Warwickshire School of Anaesthesia, and Regional Adviser for anaesthetics. My clinical interests include paediatrics, and since 2000 I have been travelling annually to Africa to work for the charity Interface Uganda, which undertakes plastic and reconstructive surgery. Many operations for cleft deformities are performed. This opprtunity has been a great privilege, and I would like to share it with the delegates. I believe working in this environment brings a unique experience, immense satisfaction, and wonderful memories."

Martin Wilkinson
Graduated Birmingham University in 1982
Joined my fathers practice in Eastern Birmingham in 1986, now a large teaching practice with 6 doctors.
Developed special interests in drug misuse, sports medicine, rheumatology and education.
In 1991 I undertook a masters degree and published work on back pain, and then accepted a post as GP course organiser and lecturer in general practice.
Currently Acting director of Postgraduate GP Education West Midlands.
I was part of the team who developed the National GP Recruitment process for speciality training
Also keen marathon runner running 3 hours 7 minutes in this years London Marathon.

Mrs. K.J. Nippani
I started working in U.K.from 1992 having graduated in India. Since then I have been working full time with just a 10 week break to have my second child in 1995 who is now 13 years old. My main supports were my husband, nurseries, childminders (including backups), colleagues, neighbours, and friends. Forward planning, focussing on priorities, multitasking, hard work, and flexibility with colleagues were key to my success (if you can call it so).
It is important to be stress free to be able to give your best at work. It is important to give it your best at work to get the support from colleagues and consultants.
The training system is far more family friendly nowadays, but still has a long way to go accommodate the need of an increasing female workforce

Andrew Whallett
Dr Andrew Whallett is the Postgraduate Clinical Tutor in the Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust. He is also a full-time Consultant and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Rheumatology and an experienced Educational Supervisor.
From a longstanding enthusiasm in teaching others beginning as a medical student himself, he has become involved in many aspects of education - from medical students through all grades of Junior doctor to Consultant and General Practitioner Education.
He is also involved in the education of the wider multi-disciplinary non-medical clinical team

Debbie Smith
Debbie Smith is one of only a few highly experienced and qualified personal brand specialists in the UK. Debbie is an accomplished impression management specialist and has recently shown her skills and knowledge working alongside organisations within the health service, retail, finance and commercial sectors. Having joined Zenon Consulting as business development director in 2008, Debbie promotes business development through people, brand and perception. She has a high success rate in helping senior managers achieve promotion through brand training. Personal branding is not about the clothes and colors you wear. It is about how people percieve you from what they see and hea. It is about what you stand for, where you want to go and how you go about getting there’, says Debbie.

Kirsten Patrick
Kirsten qualified from the University of the Witwatersrand Medical School in South Africa in 1997. She has had a varied clinical career working in Obstetrics, Anaesthetics, General Practice and Psychiatry. In 2004 she decided to pursue an interest in Perinatal Psychiatry through a research opportunity at the Institute of Psychiatry in London. In 2006 she began a training editorial registrarship at the BMJ for a year. She now works for the BMJ as an associate editor, managing the clinical reviews section and appraising research submissions.

Kate Thomas
Kate currently has 3 jobs on separate sites. Fortunately two are only 300 yards apart! A general practitioner 3 sessions a week she also works at The University of Birmingham medical school where she is responsible for the teaching that takes place in 150 general practices across all 5 years of the programme, is currently part of a major review of the MB ChB course and is head of the welfare service for over 2,000 medical undergraduates. Kate is a member of one of the NICE technology appraisal committees and a trustee of a charity

Lizzie Cottrell
Lizzie graduated with honours from Manchester University after undertaking her clinical training at Keele University. After working as an Academic Foundation Year 2 doctor she is currently an Academic Clinical Fellow in General Practice Specialty Training. Lizzie has published and presented formal research, audits and three books, The Medical Student Career Handbook, The Medical Student Survival Guide: the early years and The Medical Student Survival Guide: going clinical. Lizzie is involved in undergraduate and postgraduate career activities including educating schoolchildren about medical careers, initiating a Keele Medical Student Career Committee and contributing to the West Midlands Workforce Deanery career website.

Dr. Mohammad Al-Ubaydli
Dr. Mohammad Al-Ubaydli (www.mo.md) trained as a doctor and programmer at the University of Cambridge. After doing his PRHO jobs in the UK he worked as a researcher in the USA for over five years, including as a Staff Scientist at PubMed Bookshelf at the National Institutes of Health, and at The Advisory Board Company. He is the author of four books, including "Handheld Computers for Doctors" and "Free Software for Busy People". He is currently fouding his own company, Patients Know Best: www.patientsknowbest.com.

Rita Mildner
Dr Rita Mildner works at the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch where she was appointed as a Consultant Physician and Geriatrician five years ago. She did almost all her junior doctor training in the West Midlands and has always worked full time. She has successfully counselled and mentored many doctors and is the Careers Advisor for the Hereford and Worcestershire Foundation School.

David William Wall
I am deputy regional postgraduate dean in the West Midlands Deanery and professor of medical education at Staffordshire University. I have been a general practitioner in Four Oaks in Sutton Coldfield for 30 years, since starting there in 1974. I obtained MRCP in 1972 and MRCGP in 1976. I obtained a diploma in medical education form the University of Dundee in 1996 and a master’s degree in 1998. I have a PhD in Education from the University of Birmingham. My main work in the Deanery nowadays is with doctors and dentists in difficulty, educational research and faculty development.

Tim Albert
Tim Albert trained as a journalist and worked on local, national and medical publications. In 1990 he retrained as a trainer and for the next 16 years ran more than 1,000 courses on writing and editing skills for doctors and other health professionals. He has been editorial training adviser for the BMJ and a visiting fellow in medical writing at Southampton University. His latest book, Write effectivively: a quick course for health professionals, was published by Radcliffe Publishing in August.

Andrew Hassell
Andrew Hassell, Director of Undergraduate Programmes and Consultant Rheumatologist, Keele University/University Hospital of North Staffordshire. My main current academic role is overseeing the Keele Undergraduate medical programme. My main current research interests are in educational research, including aspects of assessments and the evaluation of educational interventions. Current Chairman, Arthritis Research Campaign Education Strategy Committee. I have been active in postgraduate education – previous Associate Dean, West Midlands Deanery, previous Chair West Midlands Rheumatology Services and Training Committee, course organiser Masters in Rheumatology Nursing, previous course organiser, Masters in Medical Science, both at Keele University.


Jon Packham
Jon Packham, Senior Lecturer and Consultant Rheumatologist, Keele University/University Hospital of North Staffordshire. My time is split 70:30 clinical: academic. My main academic role is in clinical research – specific interests are in clinical assessment and outcome of patients with ankylosing spondylitis, inflammatory arthritis and chronic pain. I co-ordinate the academic training programme within the Northern West Midlands. Member, West Midlands Rheumatology Services and Training Committee.