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The Class of 1989 and post-MD training
E Ryten1, A D Thurber, L Buske
1Office of Research and Information Services, Association of Canadian Medical Colleges, Ottawa, Ont.
Summary
The Class of 1989 study reveals that medical training pathways are complex, with many physicians altering their specialty choices and training duration. Post-1993 changes created rigidities, impacting resident well-being and training program completion.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Physician Workforce Planning
- Longitudinal Studies
Background:
- The Class of 1989 is a longitudinal study tracking 1722 Canadian medical graduates from 1989.
- This research details their postgraduate medical training experiences up to spring 1996.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze post-MD training pathways and career choices of Canadian medical graduates.
- To identify trends in specialty selection, training duration, and practice locations.
Main Methods:
- Data collected from Canadian and US medical associations on training, certification, and practice.
- Information linked to the cohort of 1722 medical school graduates from 1989.
Main Results:
- 3.3% did not enter post-MD training in Canada; 8.5% trained in the US.
- 12.9% took training breaks, and 17.5% changed specialties.
- Training durations varied, with a final generalist:specialist ratio of 58:42, influenced by career changes.
Conclusions:
- Training lead times are highly variable and often extended.
- Post-1993 licensure changes created rigidities, leading to resident dissatisfaction and certification issues.
- Planning physician specialty distribution is complex due to diverse training pathways and career adjustments.
