Training experience of doctors certificated for general practice in 1985-90

The computerized records held by the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice have been reviewed to determine the post-registration experience offered by doctors who were issued with a joint committee certificate during the years 1985-90, inclusive. The percentage of certificates issued on the basis of experience prescribed in the vocational training regulations rose from 74.4% in 1985 to 89.7% in 1990. Since 1985 obstetrics/gynaecology has been the specialty in which the greatest number of successful applicants have offered experience, increasing from 86.4% in 1985 to 93.8% in 1990. The next most popular specialty was accident and emergency/general surgery (offered by 65.5% of successful applicants in 1985 and 73.6% in 1990) followed by paediatrics (56.7% in 1985 and 62.2% in 1990). The percentage of certificates issued on the basis of experience in geriatric medicine rose slowly from 35.6% in 1985 to 41.7% in 1990, for psychiatry the figures were similar (36.4% in 1985 and 40.7% in 1990), and for general medicine there was a slight decrease (46.2% in 1985 and 44.7% in 1990). There is a need for more doctors to acquire experience in general medicine, geriatric medicine and psychiatry. Since 1985, the trend has been for applicants to offer a more broadly based range of experience. In 1985, 48.5% of successful applicants offered experience in four hospital specialties and this rose to 63.6% in 1990. Although the vocational training regulations offer a degree of flexibility only a small number of successful applicants have taken advantage of this.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)