Trainees In Scotland Research Articles

Flexible Trainees in Scotland

Demand for flexible training is increasing. The contribution of such trainees to the trained medical workforce is not clear. All full time and flexible trainees in Scotland were 'tracked' at the completion of training. 80% of flexible trainees took up a consultant post of which 93% were in Scotland. 82% of full time trainees took up a consultant post of which 80% were in Scotland. Flexible trainees become consultants at the same rate as their full time counterparts. They are commonly geographically tied and are therefore more likely to remain in Scotland and contribute to retention of doctors in this country.

Assessing the educational environment in the operating room—a measure of resident perception at one Canadian institution

The educational experience in the operating room is considered the centerpiece of learning for surgical residents. The educational environment is defined as the "ethos" or "climate" that affects all aspects of learning within an educational setting. A measure of the educational environment in the operating room as perceived by residents would assist educators and trainees in gauging the quality of the learning occurring within this important venue. The Operating Room Educational Environment Measure (OREEM) was adapted from an inventory validated for use with basic surgical trainees in Scotland to determine whether an inventory specifically adapted to the specialized environment of the operating room can produce a valid assessment of trainee perception of the overall educational environment and the contributing factors therein at a North American institution. The 40-item inventory was piloted on a group of general surgery residents at the University of Calgary from November 26, 2003, to January 31, 2004. With a response rate of 96%, the OREEM was shown to be a relevant, internally consistent (Cronbach proportional, variant = .8656) and valid tool for assessing the overall educational environment in the operating room within a Canadian surgical residency program. Four subscales included teaching and training, learning opportunities, atmosphere, and workload/supervision/support. The overall mean score of 74% suggests the learning environment may be considered satisfactory; however, areas for potential improvement are identifiable. Results reveal strengths such as a nondiscriminatory operating room atmosphere on racial and gender grounds. However, differences were shown in male and female perceptions of learning opportunities and in junior versus senior perceptions of workload, supervision, and support. The OREEM has potential to be applied further as a quality assessment tool whose results could be used by faculty and program directors to improve the learning experiences of residents in the operating room.

Are psychiatrists real doctors?

The survey of psychiatric trainees in Scotland by Dr Robinson ( Psychiatric Bulletin February 2005, 29 , 62-64) showed that a significant amount of physical healthcare is being provided by psychiatric trainees. In my experience, south of the border the situation is no different, particularly in

Higher psychiatric trainees and the Caiman reforms

Aims and methodThe specialist registrar (SpR) grade was introduced in 1996, taking the place of the senior registrar (SR) grade. We surveyed higher trainees in Scotland in order to draw comparisons between the two grades and assess satisfaction with the changes. A postal questionnaire was sent to all higher trainees (n=129) in Scotland seeking Information on structure of training, work patterns and views.ResultsSixty-two per cent of trainees responded. There was little difference in the activity and structure of training between SRs and SpRs. Seventy per cent of responders felt that the SpR grade had not improved training.Clinical implicationsThe survey uncovered dissatisfaction with the new grade, but little objective evidence of differences between SRs and SpRs. More flexibility for time in higher training and restoring the SR title would help to improve morale.