With the rising tide of burnout, many medics are choosing to leave clinical medicine and pursue alternative careers.

Many of our members are asking themselves, “what is the ideal career for me?”, “is it possible to achieve a better work-life balance?”, and  “is there a life beyond the wards?”.

We recently caught up with Dr. Charlotte Norton, the Medical Director at The Slimming Clinic, who used to ask herself these questions, and who has since found her niche supporting patients to take control of, and improve their health, weight and overall wellbeing.

The Slimming Clinic is the largest private medical slimming group in the UK, specialising in doctor-led personal weight management. Their clinics are regulated by the CQC in England, HIS in Scotland and HIW in Wales.

Who are you and what you do with the Slimming Clinic? How long have you been with them and where are you based?

I am based in our Bournemouth head office, and my role is a mix of clinical and operational management as well as being patient-facing. I joined The Slimming Clinic in 2015 as a sessional doctor, doing two sessions per week. I worked across the South West and quickly grew my working pattern to doing daily sessions. In 2017 I began to take an active interest in the leadership of the Company and combined my clinical sessions with increasing management responsibilities. In September 2018 I took on the full-time role of Medical Director and now lead our team of doctors working at our clinics nationwide.

What motivated you to join The Slimming Clinic?

I had an interest in clinical nutrition and weight management that I was not able to fully explore in my NHS practice. I was still seeking a  medical specialty to focus on when I saw an advert for The Slimming Clinic. I knew I had found the right role for me once I began to develop strong relationships with patients and saw their progress.

Tell us more about what you do during a typical day? How much time do you get with each patient and how does it differ from conventional clinical medicine?

Our setup enables doctors to spend much of their working day seeing patients and providing personalised clinical care. A typical day consists of seeing a list of patients, many of whom are existing patients who attend each week. Patients have 5-10 minute appointments each week depending on the level of support they require, consisting of monitoring their weight, diet and lifestyle choices and prescribing weight management medication. New patients have longer
35-40 minute appointments which allow for a more in-depth initial discussion regarding the correct treatment plan for them. We aim to provide a personalised programme for every patient based on their and their family’s unique lifestyle and needs.

How does the role compare to working in the public sector?

There are benefits of working at The Slimming Clinic in comparison to the public sector. We have the ability to spend more time with our patients and achieve continuous care throughout their patient journey. Our clinics have structured working hours with no out-of-hours, on-calls or night shifts which helps to achieve a good work-life balance. We also offer job opportunities for those who want full-time, part-time and sessional work so can often provide flexibility with working patterns.

What advice would you give to doctors considering applying to work with The Slimming Clinic?

This is a role to seriously consider if you have the motivation and commitment to support patients to navigate their way to achieving healthier lifestyles and creating new behavioural habits. Never forget, it is your support and guidance that will help spur patients to achieve optimum results. 

FIND A CAREER YOU’LL LOVE

Are you passionate about helping people to improve their health and well-being through diet and lifestyle adaptation?

Try out this preview of careers at The Slimming Clinic.

Are you interested in learning more about a medical career which focuses on nutrition, lifestyle medicine, and public health?

JOIN THE TEAM

The Slimming Clinic is currently expanding and recruiting for their 22 clinics based across the UK. They offer exciting opportunities for doctors with an interest in weight management and health promotion to join them. 

They are always looking for talented and passionate individuals to join their team.

FIND OUT MORE