Trainees' Forum: Psychiatrists' Views on their Preregistration Year

Robert Goodman

doi:10.1192/s0140078900018162

Abstract

Since its introduction in 1953, the preregistration year has been divided equally between medicine and surgery. The General Medical Council has recently shown renewed interest in possible modifications to this time honoured scheme. One pilot scheme at St Mary's Hospital in London has successfully incorporated a four month period of general practice in the preregistration year, reducing the preregistration medical and surgical jobs to four months each. Another pilot scheme in Sheffield involves four months of psychiatry, four months of general medicine, and four months of general surgery. A psychiatric perspective on possible changes in the preregistration year is included in a report that derives from a conference held by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Association of University Teachers of Psychiatry, and the Association of Psychiatrists in Training.

Highlights

Since its introduction in 1953, the preregistration year has been divided between medicine and surgery
A psychiatric perspective on possible changes in the preregistration year is included in a report that derives from a conference held by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Association of University Teachers of Psychiatry, and the Association of Psychiatrists in Training
If any, should be made in the preregis tration year? One simple approach is to ask practising doc tors which aspects of their preregistration year they found useful, and whether their preregistration experience would have been more useful had it had been modified in some way

Summary

Introduction

Since its introduction in 1953, the preregistration year has been divided between medicine and surgery. This article describes the results of a questionnaire study carried out to assess the views of a group of practising psychiatrists on the usefulness of their own preregistration year.

Results

Conclusion