Advice Needed - UKFPO v Intern
Hello,
I'm a graduating med student from an Irish medical school and I would like to pursue general practice. I'm trying to gather as much information as possible to help me make a decision between UKFPO and Intern year.
I do not have an Irish passport but I do have EU citizenship. When applying to training schemes/SHO positions, am I allocated after all Irish passport holders, eg same as for internship allocation (eg Tier 2 EU students after Tier 1)? All the talk about the lack of SHO standalone posts makes me worried, and given that the UK priority bill has now been passed, would progression through training in Ireland become more difficult because of likely spillover/increase in non-prioritised applicants seeking jobs in Ireland?
Also, how should I increase the chance of securing a training scheme? Is it mainly just publications/audits/research etc? Do my grades hold any value at all, assuming I have a 1H for all classes?
Is it difficult to move back to the UK/obtain a FY2 standalone position should I do intern training in Ireland? Similarly if I were to do UKFPO and come back to Ireland? Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask!
My UKFPO would be in near London which I am quite happy in terms of location. I expect to get a random/non-central allocation in Ireland as I am Tier 2.
I would really appreciate any insight from anyone familiar with both systems or who has any advice in general, as I've been going mad trying to come to a conclusion on what to do (lol).
Many thanks!