Information for Medical Students & Foundation Drs

What makes a good paediatric neurodisability doctor?

• As with all branches of paediatrics, but particularly as a neurodisability doctor, communication skills are absolutely key – with children, with families and with colleagues. 
  
• Our children are often very complex, so a thorough and holistic approach to their care is important. 
  
• We also often work with very vulnerable children and families; compassion and a dedication to advocacy are vital.

What do people who specialise in paediatric neurodisability say about their careers?

The things that we enjoy about neurodisability as a career are:

• The children and families we work with are amazing and it is great to feel that we can make a difference to their lives. We get to know them really well, often involved from when they are a baby to when they move to adult services. 
  
• Our workload is varied – in a day we can see a 3 month old with Down’s syndrome, a 4 year old with autism and a 16 year old with cerebral palsy, each can be in a different setting (clinic, special school, ward etc) and each will have individual needs to consider.
  
• There is the opportunity to work in a variety of settings and develop a range of specialist interests; some neurodisability paediatricians work in a tertiary setting and have specialist skills such as tone and postural management or neurorehabilitation, and others work in secondary care for example in local child development centre and see children with a wide variety of conditions.
  
• Our colleagues are almost universally really nice people (!!), which makes for a fantastic team environment. We work closely with colleagues within a multi-disciplinary team so we can provide holistic care for the child and family, and we can continually learn from each other. It is a challenging job but very fulfilling, with great support from colleagues
  
• As the specialty is largely outpatient based, working hours are generally better, which makes it more family friendly (although some consultant posts will require you to contribute to the child protection on call rota, acute paediatrics on call rota, or sub-specialty out of hours work such as palliative care).

Visit our Member Stories to hear more about why some of our colleagues chose neurodisability as a speciality.

How do I become a paediatric neurodisability doctor?

After your foundation training years, you should apply for paediatric training where you will spend the first 4 years doing ‘core paediatric training’ (ST1-4). This is likely to include posts in community paediatrics and neonates as well as general paediatrics, and you may have the opportunity to gain other sub-specialty experience, such as paediatric neurology, all of which are very relevant.

After core paediatric training you can continue to train as a general paediatrician, or you can apply for a sub-specialty training post in Paediatric Neurodisability or Community Child Health where you will spend the final 3 years of training (ST5-7) specialising.

What experiences should I seek out if I am interested in a career in neurodisability?

Look out for opportunities to do special study modules or an elective in paediatrics during medical school, and for a paediatric rotation during your foundation training; these will help give you an idea of whether paediatric training is for you. 

While on paediatric placements, speak to children with disabilities and their families about their journey and what is important to them. Look to spend time with therapy teams to understand their role within a multidisciplinary team.
 
Let supervisors know you are interested in childhood disability; they will be able to support you in making contact with local neurodisability or community teams, and get you involved with relevant audits or quality improvement projects. 

Take advantage of opportunities during foundation training to, for example, do a ‘taster week’ within general paediatrics or community child health. Lots of adult specialties will also provide you with relevant experience for example working in the emergency department, in primary care, palliative care, neurology and neurorehabilitation and psychiatry.

Charities for children with disabilities are often looking for medically trained volunteers to help with their events, which can be great fun – look at Caudwell Children, Make a Wish Foundation, Dreamflight, Over The Wall, Sense and there will be also be local charities in your area - just have a Google.

• Look at the Disability Matters e-learning modules, they cover a range of highly relevant paediatric disability topics and there is a package of modules designed specifically for medical students.  
  
• Join the BACD - it's free for undergraduate students and foundation doctors! We are UK’s only multidisciplinary organisation for those working in the field of childhood disability; we have regular newsletters and emails to keep you up to date, access to resources including webinar recordings, discounts on other educational resources and opportunities to connect with others who are passionate about children and young people with disabilities. 
  
• Come to our BACD Annual Trainee Meeting to hear about relevant topics and chat to trainees about their experience, and the BACD Annual Scientific Meeting where you could submit a poster presentation. 
  
• Finally, connect with your local BACD regional representatives to find out about opportunities to gain neurodisability experience in your area.