Medical schools better at preparing students

26 November 2010

JUNIOR doctors feel more prepared for work than in previous years, according to a new report.

One year after graduation, more than half of trainees (58 per cent) who graduated in 2005 agreed their medical school had prepared them well. That compares to 50 per cent of 2002 graduates and 36 per cent of 2000 graduates.

The report published this month by BMC Medical Education suggests medical school training has improved in the past 10 years. But these positive findings are less common when questioning doctors in their third year after graduation. Agreement levels fell by around 10 per cent across the board.

In years one and three, 30 per cent and 34 per cent of doctors specified that feeling unprepared had been a serious or medium-sized problem for them. Only 3 per cent in each year regarded it as serious. The research also highlighted differences between medical schools.

The authors stated: “The vast knowledge base of clinical practice makes full preparation impossible. But our statement about feeling prepared is simple yet discriminating and identified some substantial differences between medical schools. Medical schools need feedback from graduates about elements of training that could be improved.”

Read about the study results here