Beatrix Langara is celebrating after gaining a consultant’s role here at CHFT and achieving her dream via the CESR (Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration*) doctors’ training route.

Beatrix is now an Acute Medicine Consultant, 13 years after she began working at CHFT as senior house officer after applying from Germany - her first job in the UK and the first time she had been in the UK. She is also our lead and FAMUS (Focused Acute Medical Ultrasound) supervisor. 

She says the support and mentoring, especially from Nick Scriven, Rob Moisey, Purav Desai and Alex Hashimi, as well as everyone else on the wards and in HR, was key to her completing all the demands of the CESR training route, which has now been be ratified by the General Medical Council (GMC).

She said: “It is hard work ensuring all the portfolio work is complete and all competencies are achieved – but it pays off and I would encourage any doctors thinking about CESR to do it. Everyone at CHFT has been so supportive and accommodating.”

She completed all the requirements over the years against a backdrop of the pandemic, when she worked on ICU as well as fulfilling her roles on the on-call medical rota.

Now based on the acute floors cross-site and medical SDEC at HRI, she adds: “It’s been a great journey, I am very grateful.”

Beatrix initially came to CHFT in 2010 after applying for a senior house officer role when she was in Germany –  it was her first job here and she had never been to the UK before. She saw the job advertised on NHS Jobs and took the plunge.

Her first impressions of West Yorkshire? “All the houses are the same colour. In Germany, there are many colours!”

She is now settled with her young family in Huddersfield and always wanted to be able to stay local for her career.

Among her highlights at CHFT are her early days. She adds: “Back then the acute floor - MAU - was on Ward 1, and there I learned so much as a junior.”

Medical HR, Pauline North, said: “ I was absolutely thrilled to hear that Beatrix had successfully completed her CESR application and attained her specialist registration. It means that she is now eligible to hold a substantive consultant contract.

“Through lots of hard work, with support from her consultant colleagues and the wider team, she has worked her way through the CESR process.”

Pauline said Beatrix was one of several consultants at CHFT who have followed CESR, and they are supporting and tutoring other doctors to progress their career and attain specialist registration. She added: “Opportunities are available for all, so if this is a long term career goal, I would encourage our SAS doctors to consider this alternative journey to a consultant role in the future.”

**The CESR, or Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration, is the route to specialist registration for doctors who have not completed a GMC-approved programme but who are able to demonstrate that their specialist training, qualifications and experience are equivalent to the requirements for the award of the CCT in the UK. CESR holders can apply for substantive consultant posts in the UK.