John Hobson
John is a consultant occupational physician and formerly a director of Healthwork based in Manchester. He has over 30 years’ experience practising occupational medicine in a wide variety of work sectors. Before setting up his own business he spent 10 years as chief medical officer for Michelin Tyre plc. John was editor of The Society of Occupational Medicine’s journal, Occupational Medicine, between 2002 and 2018 and co-editor of the latest edition of Fitness For Work, the occupational physician’s bible. John lectures in occupational medicine at the University of Keele, University of Manchester and University of Birmingham....
Why did you pursue a career in occupational medicine?
Birmingham University where I trained in medicine was very influential but also I had a fascination with mills and factories. When I decided hospital medicine was no longer for me it seemed the perfect choice.
What qualifications are needed?
The Diploma in Occupational Medicine is an excellent start and allows doctors to practise occupational medicine and find out how brilliant it is!
What is a typical day for you?
It can be anything from seeing patients, visiting workplaces, advising on corporate health and safety issues, teaching and supervising and, in recent years, running a business.
Best part of your job?<
Being editor of the SOM journal was a huge privilege and immensely satisfying. It’s good being able to spend time with patients and feel that you have made a difference. I still love getting into a workplace. There is always something you have never seen before.
Most challenging part of job?
Some consultations can be challenging but you learn how to manage those and it’s very satisfying to end a difficult consultation with a handshake.
Why would you encourage someone to choose this career?
Massive variety, both within a job and within different jobs. Lots of time to spend with patients. No on call and virtually no weekend working. There’s a lot of freedom to bring your own personality and talents to your work which is usually less constraining than working in the health service. Oh and it’s well-paid!
Any interesting stories?
I saw a production worker who had multiple back surgeries and had been absent from work again for over 18 months. After assessing him I reassured him about his back and advised him about exercise. Two months later he returned a changed man telling me he had followed my advice, was walking five miles every day, had come off his hypertensive and diabetic medication and most of his powerful analgesia. “But the best thing doctor is that my dog has lost weight!” He went back to work. It doesn’t always work that well but him returning to work immediately meant that he was more likely to benefit from improved health and wellbeing in the future and less likely to suffer poor ill health and prolonged worklessness. That is why occupational medicine can be very satisfying and rewarding.
Abeyna Bubbers-Jones
Tell us about yourself?
I'm a London born girl with parents from Jamaica and Nevis. I made the decision to pursue medicine instead of music, graduating from Nottingham University and completing my foundation and core surgical training in London and the South East.
After a life changing two years in semi-rural South Africa practicing as a trauma surgeon (gunshots, stabbings, splenectomies, burns, amputations and more..!), I returned to the UK to specialise in urology. Around the same time, I founded Medic Footprints; a gateway and huge resource for doctors exploring alternative careers....
Later, I transitioned to occupational medicine, training initially at King’s College Hospital in London and later as self-employed on the CESR (aka DIY training) route.
I continue as the Director for Medic Footprints whilst working as a Consultant Occupational Health Physician for BHSF, OH Works and Practitioner Health.
How did you get into this career?
As my medical career developed, I realised how important lifestyle and work/life balance was to me. There was so much outside of the conventional box of medicine that I was keen to explore. A literal episode of being splashed in the face with haematuria (as a urologist of course), led to me presenting at OH. However, it was that moment I decided to move out of urology but not necessarily into OH. My partner did some research on alternative careers in medicine and found OH as an option. Having organised some shadowing at various institutions I can honestly say that I wasn’t totally convinced it was for me, however seven years later I can say I’m so glad I took the plunge as it was the best career move I made!
What qualifications are needed?
A medical degree. If you want an employer to take you seriously, get a Diploma in Occupational Medicine. Otherwise, at present, qualifications are just as important as experience in OH.
What is a typical day for you?
Every day is different for me. I start the week focusing on Medic Footprints – running a small team of doctors and other professionals in the UK and overseas. We have a growing hub in Malaysia. I also spend this time advising clients (companies) who are looking to build better relationships with doctors with a view to recruit or promote services.
My bread and butter in OH is management referrals – where a manager would refer an employee for advice on work and health. I run full day clinics at least two-three days a week. In the last year these have all been from home due to the pandemic, however I can work from various sites including a Harley St clinic. Throughout the week I support other clinicians (mainly GPs) who are looking after the mental health of doctors.
Best part of job?
Spending quality time with people – they rarely get that amount of time with any healthcare professional. Also working with businesses to help transform the lives of their employees.
Most challenging part of job?
Providing a completely unbiased opinion. Depending on the circumstances, you invariably will spend more time hearing the employee’s perspective over the manager’s or employer’s.
Why would you encourage someone to choose this career?
It’s a unique career pathway that’s flexible, versatile and opens up many opportunities beyond conventional medicine.
Drushca Lalloo
Tell us about yourself?
Following graduation from medical school at Glasgow University, I completed general practice training and had a period of time in disability medicine. I did both my specialist occupational medicine training and held my first Consultant post in the NHS.
Over the past six years, I have created/worked in a hybrid role, undertaking three days a week in clinical practice (at Integral Occupational Health Ltd) and the remaining two days in academic work as an Associate Professor, researcher and lecturer (at the Healthy Working Lives Group, University of Glasgow). To consolidate my academic skills, I am also undertaking a part-time PhD in occupational health (OH)....
I feel strongly about giving back to this incredible profession and, in my spare time, I try to do what I can as part of advisory and action groups, with various stakeholders in the UK and beyond, to promote both our profession and employee health and wellbeing. I served as Chair of the Scottish Group of The Society of Occupational Medicine between 2015-17, which was a fantastic experience in leadership skills, running CPD activities/conferences and meeting OH practitioners from around the UK.
How did you get into this career?
My career in occupational medicine (OM) has been pure providence. It found me; I did not find it. Like many, I had never been taught about (or even heard of) OM in medical school or my early career in medicine. My first encounter of its existence was in a coffee room chat with a Locum (who incidentally is also now an occupational physician!) while I was a GP Registrar. I subsequently moved into disability medicine and became increasingly interested in functional capability, discovering the gold nuggets of information that can be gathered, when enquiring about a patient’s ‘typical day’. Following a job advertisement for an SpR post in OM, I applied, and here I am…
I was blessed with an incredible educational supervisor and mentor, whose passion for the specialty was contagious and who taught me everything I know about clinical OH. Years later, I was fortunate enough to meet my second mentor, again with an insatiable passion for and commitment to the specialty, who introduced me to the academic side and has taught me that, in this specialty, anything is achievable.
What qualifications are needed?
People from all specialties can and do come into OM. From my own perspective, I found my general practice training to be particularly helpful, especially the consultation skills (persuasion, collaboration and motivational interviewing). The functional capability assessment skills I acquired from my time in disability medicine have also been very valuable. A sound understanding of biopsychosocial factors also goes a long way.
What is a typical day for you?
I have a hybrid role that is predominantly clinical but also academic. On my clinic days, I undertake management referrals, pre-placement or ill-health retirement assessments. The bulk of the former involves fitness for work decisions and advising employers on return-to-work plans. It also involves advising on adjustments to enable employees with health conditions to return to or remain at work. I also periodically undertake workplace visits, the most recent being at an abattoir and a plumbing manufacturing plant. Additionally, we have regular clinical governance meetings/CPD afternoons.
In my university role, I lecture to medical students as part of the undergraduate curriculum and to OH clinicians on our postgraduate CPD courses. I also develop and undertake research projects, usually based on ideas arising from my clinical work. This has allowed me the opportunity to meet and collaborate with occupational physicians/researchers from around the world (including Ireland, Spain, Turkey, Brazil and the US) which, for me, is one of the highlights of the job.
Best part of your job?
⦁ The time – as OH physicians we often have more time with employees compared to many other doctors, enabling us to undertake a thorough and holistic assessment.
⦁ Impartiality – the key distinction between us and all other health practitioners. It can be difficult to get your head around at the start of your career, but this unique position forces you to make balanced decisions and to justify them, especially in complex cases, which is both challenging and rewarding.
Most challenging part of job?
Managing expectations – although this is often due to a lack of understanding of our role and can be resolved by informative discussion.
Why would you encourage someone to choose this career?
⦁ The variety – there is a such a variety of clinical scenarios that you encounter in any given clinic. This can range from cardiology, to orthopaedics, to mental health, to endocrine diseases and every now and then, some condition I have never heard of, that I have to Google. It really is like Forrest Gump – you never know what you’re gonna get – except sadly, without the chocolates!
⦁ In our role, we are in a unique position to make a positive impact on an individual, society and even the economic prosperity of the country. In ‘enabling’ individuals with health conditions to remain in or return to work, we can improve their physical and mental health/wellbeing, their socioeconomic prospects (and that of their families) and even their lifespan. This in turn, has positive benefits for society, reducing inequality and economic development, through a healthier and more productive workforce.
⦁ The opportunities – as a small specialty, there is relatively easy access to a plethora of opportunities (both within and out with clinical work) to advance your continuing professional development and keep things interesting. These include teaching, clinical research, examining, appraising, mentoring, holding regional and national posts within SOM or FOM and there is always a colleague willing to help and signpost. There is also of course the choice to work in either the NHS or the private sector and even to be Medical Director of your own OH company, if you so wish!
⦁ Work-life balance – no on-call and every weekend off. What more can I say?
Any final thoughts?
A senior colleague once told me: “In occupational health, there are three sides to the story: what the employer tells us; what the employee tells us; and what really happened. Our job is to figure out the third one.”
Sarah Porter
Tell us about yourself?
My name is Sarah Porter, and I am an Occupational Physician working in Northern Ireland. I am the present Chair and Honorary Treasurer of The Society of Occupational Medicine Northern Ireland Group. I am currently working towards submitting a CESR application to gain Specialist Accreditation in Occupational Medicine.
How did you get into this career?
Having initially trained as a GP, I became involved in a GP role that included occupational health aspects. I found this element of the role very enjoyable and professionally fulfilling, deciding to undertake some further training in occupational medicine to expand future work opportunities. I started by completing the Diploma in Occupational Medicine, which enabled me to obtain regular part-time work as an occupational physician while continuing to work as a portfolio GP....
What qualifications are needed?
The Diploma in Occupational Medicine is a well-recognised basic qualification to demonstrate commitment to, and additional training in, occupational medicine (OM). However, experience working in OM is also vital to develop and demonstrate competence.
Higher level qualifications in the UK include the AFOM and MFOM examinations (Faculty of Occupational Medicine). Study towards an MSc in Occupational Medicine is a useful way to gain a great deal of the knowledge required to successfully complete the AFOM or MFOM examinations, whilst also contributing to research in the field.
What is a typical day for you?
Occupational physicians generally work in an advisory capacity, providing advice to employers on the management of individual or groups of workers. They have a dual relationship with both worker and employer, involving provision of impartial advice. The doctor-patient dynamic is quite different to other areas of medicine, with provision of care in the traditional sense not involved. Many occupational physicians also have leadership or management roles, including at Board level in large corporate organisations.
A typical day can be very varied and include pre-employment medical assessment; management referrals (assessment of workers regarding fitness for work and/or potential adjustments to their duties); disability assessment; routine medicals and health surveillance (assessing health with respect to known occupational hazards or legislative standards, for example asbestos); participation in multidisciplinary case conferences; health promotion activity; travel health; ill health retirement assessment; and workplace visits (to gain detailed knowledge of work environments and processes).
Best part of the job?
I have a natural curiosity and interest in learning more about work environments and processes, and find the interaction between work and health fascinating. Occupational physicians often have more time with their patients/workers than in other areas of medicine, with holistic biopsychosocial assessment particularly important in determining fitness for work. Supporting individuals with health issues to remain in employment, where appropriate, is particularly rewarding.
Most challenging part of job?
Occupational medicine (OM) can involve a lot of independent practice, even in larger organisations. Participation in professional groups, such as The Society of Occupational Medicine, is a valuable means of avoiding professional isolation and accessing peer support and CPD opportunities.
Occupational physicians need to be able to provide an impartial opinion confidently, with decisions often quite complex. While there is a reasonable amount of research conducted in OM, there is often not a firm evidence base on which to base management decisions, with confidence in decision making therefore essential.
Why would you encourage someone to choose this career?
Occupational medicine is a great specialty for individuals with broad-based medical experience and an interest in the world of work, who are able to work independently as well as in team-based practice. Many jobs in OM involve normal daytime working hours, without antisocial hours or significant on-call commitment, enabling both immense career satisfaction and a sustainable work-life balance. With increasing focus on the importance of health and wellbeing to employment and the wider economy, and the pandemic further highlighting the value of expert advice, there will likely be increasing future opportunities for qualified occupational health specialists.
Any final thoughts?
Even if not planning to pursue a career solely in OM, accessing additional training and experience is a really useful way to gain transferable skills and help all health professionals to consider and promote return to work as a treatment outcome, helping improve the health and wellbeing of the working-age population.
Ilias Macheridis
Tell us about yourself?
Many moons ago, I was working as a volunteer for non-governmental organisations providing humanitarian medical assistance in many countries, as part of an emergency relief medical team. This work included war zones and natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis and floods. I have also worked briefly in Greece which is my country of birth....
I have lived in the UK for 15 years and currently work as a diplomate occupational health (OH) doctor in the East Midlands area. Over the last seven years, I have covered a variety of sectors and have a wide portfolio of clients in public services, local authorities, NHS and a number of small, medium and large businesses.
I was previously the secretary of the SOM East Midlands Regional Group and since September 2020 I have been the chair person. I am also a member of the organising committee of Trent Occupational Medicine. In my spare time, I enjoy long walks in the Peak District and the beautiful British countryside. Also, nice chats with friends and family, especially if escorted with a glass of G&T.
Why did you pursue a career in occupational medicine?
By chance. I got involved in doing some work on behalf of DWP; it was then I came across OH work done by others and I quite liked it as a speciality. I already had the Diploma in Disability Analysis. OH is a discipline that requires clinical knowledge, good knowledge of legislation, and it also requires good interpersonal skills. OH contributes to improving the health and wellbeing of many people and generally empowers people in many respects. For those with families, working in OH allows a good work-life balance.
What qualifications are needed?
In my case, I started having already completed the Diploma in Disability Analysis due to a previous role. I then studied for the Diploma in Occupational Medicine. OH gives clinicians the opportunity to work towards full qualification at their own pace, subject to their personal circumstances (via CESR route).
What is a typical day for you?
It is a 9 to 5 job. It covers a variety of work including consultations over the phone, video calls or face to face. It includes report writing, and also a plethora of other work such as health surveillance, fitness for work medicals, workplace visits and engaging with management to assist organisations develop relevant policies, comply with their legal responsibilities and improve the health and wellbeing of their workforce. It can also include ill health retirement advice and a significant level of business decision making.
Best part of your job?
The interaction with people and being able to often make the difference, assisting people to remain in the workplace, use their valuable skills and empowering them to continue with their lives. Being able to have a “win-win” contribution that benefits employers and employees is very rewarding. Also, working as part of wonderful OH teams makes my working day a very enjoyable and pleasant experience. There is no day that is the same, time always passes very quickly at work.
OH is a speciality that helps significantly with preventing ill health, as well as assisting in managing it.
Most challenging part of job?
When various parties have unreasonable/unconventional expectations it can be challenging, but experience makes you capable of dealing with challenges. Moreover, there is a need for an OHP to remain up-to-date around the whole spectrum of medical conditions to be able to provide appropriate advice, however this is also a great bonus.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a big challenge for most OH services, but at the same time we demonstrated that OH is a very important and necessary discipline.
Why would you encourage someone to choose this career?
Pursuing a career in OH is a decision that can often be taken by doctors at a later stage in the working life. This means that individuals are able to rationally consider the pros and cons. It gives clinicians great control over work-life balance, enables meeting the demands of potential other commitments(family/hobbies) and allows for a variety of pathways to be chosen in terms of the type of work one is interested in doing.
Any interesting stories?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was able to volunteer though an NHS OH department to support the NHS as a COVID vaccination prescriber in a large vaccinations centre. I was at the same time involved in assisting extremely vulnerable workers remain safe at work during the lockdown and also helping another organisation putting in place a risk assessment to enable a very significant public sector service to remain operational without interruption. On a few occasions, advice provided by our service leads to early diagnosis of medical conditions, which means that an effective and timely treatment can ensure better prognosis. This has always been acknowledged by individuals and is a great reward.