Assessments

Suddenly, every qualified doctor in the country wants to be a GP (a family doctor in general practice) it seems. Whether this could be anything to do with the fact that they've just had a massive pay rise and a correspondingly massive cut in hours worked, I leave it up to you to decide.

To become a GP takes three years' training now, for qualified doctors. And to be a GP needs excellent communication skills - as you'll all know, because you'll all have encountered a GP who lacks them!

So the doctors who want to be GPs are assessed nationally on various things including communication skills, before they're accepted onto the training programme.

And that's all I can tell you, I think, because of course how they're assessed is highly confidential and very detailed. But I'm involved with it for the next four days, in a large Northern city, about an hour and a half's drive from where I live.

And I have to be there at eight in the morning and might not finish until half past six. Having made my bid for sympathy, though, I must say that I really enjoyed it last year - it's very demanding and there's something satisfying in doing something demanding and getting it right.

Oh yes, and the food was excellent too, and the actors - for once - got the same food as the doctors who were assessing the applicants.

I hope to post during the next four days as usual - but if I don't, it's because I'm just too exhausted!