When I began my dentistry degree in 2007 at Queen's University Belfast, the course boasted a 100% employment rate following graduation.
When I began my dentistry degree in 2007 at Queen's University Belfast, the course boasted a 100% employment rate following graduation.
Most of these graduates stayed local and found employment within Northern Ireland, a reasonably small region with plenty of towns within commutable distance of the main cities of Belfast and Derry.
By 2012, with universities churning out significantly higher numbers of graduates per year and the vocational training system continuously changing, employment was no longer guaranteed in your choice of location. Therefore, in our final year, we embarked upon a highly competitive recruitment process.
As a Belfast local, I had a solid group of friends and family and did not consider any other destination to work. However, when I learned of a vocational training post based in Edinburgh that allowed me to experience all the dental specialities and receive a guaranteed salary for two years, I had to give considerable thought to career progression. As an undergraduate, I was keen to follow a career in orthodontics. This post would be the gateway to gaining the necessary experience required. However, it would require relocating to an unfamiliar city, leaving friends and family behind. After a rigorous interview process and several (expensive) trips to Edinburgh, I learned I had been successful and gained a joint hospital/practice post thirty minutes from the city. I was very excited to begin this new chapter in my life, however I realised it would be difficult and challenging. Not only was I moving from undergraduate to qualified dentist, but I would have to step outside of my comfort zone and make new friends, new routines, a new life.
Luckily, three other graduates from Northern Ireland gained posts in and around Edinburgh, therefore we had an established support network starting off. The first four months were exciting and challenging. Within my hospital role, I would rotate through oral surgery, restorative dentistry and paediatric departments. I would also experience working as a Community Dentist in my role within the salaried services, dealing with special care and anxious patients. Practice would allow me to hone my skills as a general dental practitioner, working efficiently and profitably, gaining thorough knowledge of NHS rules and regulations. It was a steep learning curve, but a role in which I thrived. I had educational study days, banking hours of CPD. I was encouraged to undertake extra-curricular work such as audits, presentations and publishing, to build my CV for future career progression. Working within a training programme, I was introduced to a group of nine other graduates who had all qualified in Scotland. I had a ready-made group of friends!
However, there were difficulties during this time. Home sickness was inevitable. Coping with the responsibilities of living away from home and being completely independent, having lived with my parents as an undergraduate, was a shock to the system. But I quickly adapted and began to love my new life in Edinburgh. It also proved the perfect excuse for friends and family to visit for weekend breaks. I was proud to show them around my new city.
Now I am settled in my second year of the training programme. Currently I am based in the Salaried Services, working at an emergency dental access centre and caring for special care patients. I also work in a busy general practice. I attend study days, catered towards helping us become confident and safe practitioners. I have completed Part 1 MFDS examination and have attended courses and seminars which I hope will guide me towards my ultimate goal of gaining an orthodontic training post. Now I am looking ahead to jobs for next year and would like to gain a Senior House Officer post which would allow me to broaden my experiences in the hospital service. Having been through the relocation process for my current role, I am open to moving again should the ideal job occur elsewhere.
I have made a new, exciting life for myself in Edinburgh. I have no regrets about moving away from home and I appreciate my trips to Belfast every 6-8 weeks to visit family and friends. I also enjoy entertaining the constant stream of visitors! I would encourage anyone who is anxious about what may happen should they be unsuccessful gaining a training post close to their 'ideal' location to be open-minded to the prospects of moving for work. You may just love it!
Emma McCrory
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Dental Protection is the leading indemnity provider.
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