Training and manpower issues for specialist registrars in paediatrics. How are we doing and where are we going?

All Irish paediatric higher specialist trainees' opinions about the paediatric higher specialist training (HST) scheme and related manpower issues were surveyed. Information was obtained on 1) trainees' level of satisfaction with HST, 2) their ultimate career ambitions including location of final posts, 3) attitudes to both flexible training and consultancies and 4) demographics to assess the significance of gender variations. Fifty-two eligible trainees were identified using the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland database. The survey was administered as an anonymous postal survey. The response rate was 88%. Results indicated a high level of satisfaction with HST (78%) overall although problems were noted with the half-day release programme as only 63% were facilitated. Only 30% wish to practice as subspecialists, 76% of trainees wish to work in an urban hospital and 43.5% desire a flexible consultancy suggesting an incompatibility of trainees' desires with current Irish medical manpower policy. To address these difficulties we suggest establishing more rigorous audit of training posts to ensure deficiencies are corrected and the establishment of flexible training to address gender imbalance and to promote the concept of consultant job sharing.