We’re proud of the teaching, training and support on offer at Blackpool, but what do our former Trainees have to say…?
“One of the main things I’ve enjoyed about working at Blackpool, is how friendly and supportive the staff are. I felt really welcomed as a new F1 and it made the transition to working life feel much less daunting. The postgraduate team are really involved in your time here and really make the effort to get to know you. No matter what you’re query – work related or not – they are always just an email or phone call away, and will help with anything they can! We get weekly bulletins from the team to highlight courses and teaching that may be of interest to us, locally and further afield, so that we can make the most of any learning opportunities and work towards postgraduate portfolio.
Teaching at Blackpool is delivered every two weeks across a whole day, which is really beneficial and means that you’re not thinking about having to get back to the ward to finish jobs, and you can be focused on the session. We receive regular simulation teaching both with SIM man and skills based, for example a surgical skills day. These sessions give you the opportunity to try things you might not be able to do in clinical practice, and gain confidence working as a team performing assessments of patients. Face to face teaching has still been delivered though out Covid – a time when other trusts have halted theirs – which shows that Blackpool are really focused on making sure the undergraduate learning experience is the best it can be.
Staff here are really willing to help you make the most of your foundation experience here, and if there is an opportunity you want to take, they will really support you in being able to make it happen. I absolutely love coming to work, and I know that I’ve had experiences and encouragement at Blackpool, that I wouldn’t have had elsewhere.”
– Current FY1 trainee, 2021
“My experience at Blackpool was fantastic. It opened up doors and allowed me to mature in my career. I don’t think I’d be where I’m at now if it weren’t for the people I worked with at Blackpool. I will always recommend Blackpool, especially for your first few years.”
“You get really interesting and complicated patients, with a whole variety of age groups and social demographic – great hands-on experience. Blackpool is fabulous and the perfect way to start off your working life. Choose Blackpool!”
“Blackpool isn’t just amazing because it’s a fun, friendly, well supported placement. It’s amazing because you make incredible friends and it becomes your family. And I can’t think of many other hospitals where you can chill out by getting fish and chips and going on roller coasters…!”
“I chose Blackpool for Foundation Training for a few reasons. For me, Blackpool appealed partly because it was only an hour or two from friends and family in North Wales, Liverpool, Manchester and Cumbria. Indeed, being only a short train ride from Preston, it is really not a bad location for getting anywhere, with Preston roughly equidistant between London and Edinburgh.”
“I liked the selection of jobs that were available, allowing me to experience a broad range of specialties.”
“The atmosphere is friendly, as both the hospital and the town are used to seeing visitors from all over the country and beyond. The hospital is quite busy, so a good place to build up practical experience.”
“I loved my time working in Blackpool for my foundation training. Aside from making lifelong friends, the foundation education team and consultant body are incredibly supportive. I’d go back in a heartbeat.”
“Blackpool’s demographics mean that it is a good place to witness the impact social factors (poverty, drugs, alcohol, migratory work, etc.) can have on the health of individuals and the population at large.”
“Excellent for training, for experience, and for getting to know your colleagues.”
“Blackpool offered a good variety of clinical experience and abundant opportunities to develop clinical research and medical leadership skills.”
“Hard work is recognised and appreciated at Blackpool and I have been fortunate to have had tremendous opportunities to enhance my personal development – Junior doctor forums, career forums, teaching opportunities, presentations at national and international conferences, publications, quality improvement projects, involvement in research, support with additional post graduate qualifications – I owe a lot to my time at Blackpool.”
“I have really enjoyed my time here, I have made lifelong friends with whom I have celebrated success as well as shared many a tough day… If I could I would go back to day one and do it all over again.”
Want to read about a FY1s first week in the job?