Confidence - Am I doing the right thing?

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Hi All

As a recent graduate and no jobs available in the NHS or private practices I am sort of in the process of trying to go it alone, or maybe just mobile at the moment.
I have been lucky enough to have been passed on some home visits by an unwell Pod for the time being and have been quite busy but now the surge has gone I am at a bit of a loose end.!
I am doing some shadowing and trying to keep myself busy but am feeling a bit low about my situation. The other problem I have is that I am feeling that I am sometimes not good enough and there is so much I still dont know.! How am I ever going to be ok on my own? After doing the other pods patient just the once she told me her padding and dressings are coming off and this never happened when he did them! It doesnt take much for me to feel crap I know!
If I do deviate away from podiatry then I dont think I will ever do it..and 3 years will be down the drain!!
Has anybody else felt like this?? Just feeling like I am not very good at this!!:boohoo:

 

1st Everyone has been a new grad so we feel the pain of I don´t know enough - but I will let you in to a little secret we are all learning and those people who think they know it all and don´t need to learn have no real idea in my option.

I worked PP from the get go - in a group practice so a little easier than you but my patients and me expanding the practice was how I put food on the table so to speak.

Don´t worry about patients complaining, harder than said, but stop after they have left swear a bit ( works for me) then think why did that not work or what did I do wrong work that out and bingo you have learnt and will do it better the next time.

You have PA to help with the tricky questions if you can´t find the info on a thread start a new one someone will help.

As for will you be ok on your own - time will tell but think of it as a step by step process. Start small and then build it all takes time but again you are not the 1st so if you want it work hard and smart, develop and learn and be willing to say I don´t know so will find out or that was a mistake why ?

Hope that helps

 

Try not to lose your focus on why you trained in the first place. Your user name says 'Mature student' so I'm gathering that this is not your first dip into the murky pool of life. To be recently qualified indicates that you have committed at least 3 years to bloody hard work & study. I found the hardest thing to learn was not to be so hard on myself.

Rule 1: That piece of paper that states: PASS. Read it often & realise how much you gave to obtain it.

Rule 2: Patients are our bread & butter but they may also be rather testing at times when they compare your skills to another clinician. It doesn't mean your skill are lacking it just means the previous clinician possibly knew the individuals requirements/preferences from past appts. In the past I took over a NHS clinic previously covered by 2 very experienced pods. I was newly qualified. The patients were either disappointed I wasn't pod 1 or delighted that I wasn't pod' 2.

Rule 3: Enjoy being part of Pod' Arena. Continue to learn. Lots of lovely colleagues to ask advice from & give support. :drinks

All the very best.

Mandy

 

Hello mature student,
and first of all congratulations on obtaining your Podiatry Degree. To do this as a mature student is certainly some achievement and a leap into the unknown - well done !

:welcome:

First of all stop beating yourself up about what you think you can't do and concentrate on what you can do. You know more than you think you do. That's why you have that piece of paper that says BSc on it.

I would suggest that you join your local SCP Branch or Private Practice Network. there's lots of support to be had there even if you only listen to others and don't feel confident enough to join in with the discussions just yet.

Try not to take it personally when patients compare you unfavourably to another clinician. That's their personal preference - it doesn't mean your skills are no good. It's always going to be difficult taking over from another pod, especially if they have been seeing the patients for a long time. Patients are conservative by nature and don't like change, so some will find fault with the new practitioner just because they are new.

We all had to start somewhere feeling new and a bit raw but believe me it does get better.

Hope that helps

regards

Catfoot

 

I agree with all the above (of course, if you are not a member of the Society you can't join a Society branch but you will be very welcome to an Institute branch either as a member or a temporary visitor - just contact the Institute branch secretary). Using these contacts you can network, and believe me, you will find colleagues happy to be shadowed and thus enable you to expand your experience. From a personal point of view, I would advise seeking a room in a large GP practice, especially if you can negotiate a fee for usage rather than block booking. Your spine will thank you in the future and you will have a base to expand. Take every opportunity to use business techniques in PR but remember that happy patients are the best agents for increasing your practice.

Finally, always remember that patients who are happy with their existing pod will always find reasons to complain about others - even if they are superb practitioners. That's tough, but in time, your patients will say it about you too!

All the best

Bill Liggins

 

Thank you all for your kind replies.

I think it is hard as I always seem to be trying to get better and after doing the degree I thought I would be more confident...but it seems to be something I may always be chasing. I really need to build on my confidence and get it sorted before I retire!!

I was let down today about a clinic room I was going to rent. Gone and bought a chair, trolley, couch, cupboards etc..only to be told she has decided to close down! So feeling a bit low anyway.

Thanks again for your responses, I know I need to take it a day at a time and not be so hard on myself and yes..keep looking at my degree, it was really hard work.

 

Another thing to remember about your experience with the unsatisfied patient. You only saw the patient once and your padding didn't come up to scratch.

The previous practitioner probably saw this same patient many times and had an opportunity to refine the treatments to achieve an excellent result, both in a clinical sense and in a patient satisfaction sense.

As has been said, don't go beating yourself up about this. Your dedication will bear fruit in the future.

 

Learn to like the people that complain a bit- you can do something about those ones. Some of my most loyal patients are the ones I had to work a bit to get right.

 

Hi, Mature Student, just to say that while all of the above is true, nobody knows it all. I think I can safely say there are times when all the contributers to this site will have pangs of self-doubt. However, things do improve with time and experience. It's a shame you didn't mention where you live because as I think Bill mentioned earlier, a lot of us would be happy to lend a hand, give advice, allow you to 'shadow' etc.
All the best, Sam

 

HI

Sit down and write a plan for your income and practice. It needs to be very practical. List and get in contact with as many people as you can and let them know what your plans are. Marketing is the way to create new patients and opportunities. Do a budget to plan income and expenses. Put your practice down on paper so you are certain what it looks like and how you will get there. Visit the plan often and change if you need to.

Regards

 

Mature student, i was a mature student that graduated in the UK and when i first started out felt that i was not up to the other Podiatrist that the pts used to see. they soon get use to you and forget about the previous podiatrist just keep going and you will reap the rewards.
Jaynes