So what happens when you leave the Barnsley Scheme with a new doctors bag, letters after your name and full of enthusiasm? Recent ex-registrars who developed close ties on the scheme remain in contact - keeping us up-to-date with their career, experiences and the arrival of new family members!

Here are some of their comments about the scheme:

"Stick with Barnsley VTS: there is no substitute for the passion! I would like to say it changed my life and I suppose it did. See you amongst the pages of the GP comics!"

"Don't pass Barnsley by - this is a good scheme. The hospital jobs can be hard work (tho' this is the case everywhere) but this is more than offset by the Wednesday afternoon VTS meetings, which are educational, good fun and most of all, aimed at keeping everyone sane!
It worked for me (I think?)."

"Barnsley hospital is a very sociable and friendly hospital. The VTS is well organised, with the half day release afternoons being both informative and interesting and also a great opportunity to meet with colleagues. All the jobs on the scheme are of great importance to General Practice. The scheme is well geared towards registrars who wish to take the membership exam and has a high success rate (all six registrars in my year passed)."

"Since finishing the scheme . . . I have enjoyed doing General Practice locum work in and around Sheffield and Barnsley via the Sheffield Locum Group. There is an abundant supply of locum jobs and it has proved very useful in widening my General Practice experience before going into partnership."

"I thoroughly enjoyed my VTS at Barnsley, and learnt a great deal. The half-day release is excellent, looking at complex issues with a practical, down to earth approach. Our group contained doctors with different backgrounds and approaches to medicine, and rather than any attempt being made to clone us, we were encouraged to develop our own styles whilst learning from others."

"The scheme itself is both flexible and supportive. Initially I had planned to spend twelve months in one practice, but then changed to include two six month posts. This gave me the opportunity to contrast two distinct approaches to running a practice, and has placed me in a better position to understand the style of partnership which would suit me best, and to which I could be an asset. Each trainer was able to spot different areas of weakness, and used both structured and informal methods in their teaching. Overall I enjoyed myself, gained an excellent grounding in general practice and recommend the Barnsley scheme."

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