TRAINEE doctors who qualified from certain medical schools were more likely than others to be appointed to UK specialty training posts, according to a new survey.
Most Foundation Year 2 doctors who had graduated from Cambridge University (86.4 per cent) were appointed to UK specialty training (including general practice), followed by Keele University graduates (85.9 per cent) and Oxford University (83.7 per cent).
Universities where the fewest number of F2s were appointed to UK ST include Brighton and Sussex Medical School (44.9 per cent), Bristol (48.6 per cent) and Southampton (55 per cent). Some of the doctors who were not appointed to UK ST chose other UK posts, took a career break or decided to work abroad.
The figures were revealed in a report from the UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) who surveyed F2 doctors at all 25 UK foundation schools. Nearly all 7,346 F2s who successfully completed training in August 2012 responded, including 6,658 on the Foundation Programme and 433 on the Academic Foundation Programme.
Foundation schools showing the highest percentage of trainees appointed to UK specialty training include Coventry and Warwick (83.5 per cent), Birmingham (83.2 per cent) and LNR (82.8 per cent). The lowest include Severn (48.3 per cent), Wales (57.4 per cent) and Wessex (59.1 per cent).
Foundation schools with the highest number of F2s taking jobs outside the UK include Severn (26.6 per cent), Scotland (21.6 per cent) and Wales (21.3 per cent). Foundation schools with the highest proportion of F2s entering GP training include Hereford and Worcester (40.3 per cent), Black Country (33.8 per cent) and West Yorkshire (33.4 per cent).
The survey showed that, on the whole, fewer trainee doctors found UK ST posts compared to last year. Only 67 per cent of F2s were appointed to a post in 2012, a slight fall on last year’s figure of 71.3 per cent. A further 6.6 per cent said they had found jobs outside the UK.
Of the 4,753 doctors appointed to a UK specialty training post, more than half (2,773) were female and just over a third (1,826) were male. The remaining 154 (3.2 per cent) were unknown or did not specify.
The most popular specialty training was general practice, chosen by around one third of F2s (1,717), while less than five per cent (222) chose core psychiatric training. The most common examination sat by doctors during F2 was the MRCP (Royal College of Physicians) followed by MRCS (Royal College of Surgeons), MRCPCH (Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health) and the MRCOG (Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology).
To read the report click http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=F2_career_destination_report_December_2012.pdf
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