Foundation doctors' experience of their training: a questionnaire study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Doctoral Training Programs
• Postgraduate Medical Education

Background:

• The UK's postgraduate training system has undergone significant recent changes.
• Foundation Year (FY) training is a critical stage for newly qualified doctors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the Foundation Year (FY) training program on doctors.
• To identify key areas of concern within the current FY training structure.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative and qualitative web-based survey was administered to doctors in training.
• 1065 doctors participated, including 638 current FY trainees.
• The survey focused on selection, working hours, training quality, assessments, and regulation.

Main Results:

• A majority of FY trainees exceeded standard working hours, with many working over 40 hours weekly.
• A significant portion of trainees had limited exposure to emergency admissions.
• 90% of respondents believed the FY assessment system could be "gamed" by incompetent trainees, indicating poor identification of failing doctors.
• High dissatisfaction was reported regarding the selection process.

Conclusions:

• Foundation Year training exhibits critical failures, particularly in identifying underperforming doctors and providing adequate emergency exposure.
• Urgent reforms are necessary to address the identified shortcomings in the FY training program.
• The current FY training structure requires significant revision to ensure effective medical education and competency assessment.