Trainees' experiences of multidisciplinary public health training schemes in England

From 1999 onwards most English NHS regions launched multidisciplinary public health training schemes. These schemes were open to those from backgrounds other than medicine and followed on from the announcement of a new multidisciplinary Public Health Specialist post-a post equivalent to the traditional medical Consultant in Public Health Medicine. This article documents the issues arising during the first few years of the multidisciplinary public health training schemes. It also includes a number of case studies from trainees who have passed through the training schemes, examining the positive and negative experiences of these trainees. The paper reveals how the schemes initially varied considerably by region, in respect of pay and other terms and conditions. The case studies from ex-trainees reveal a number of positive and negative features of the training schemes.