Three into two won't go

doi:10.1136/bmj.39209.730567.BE

BMJ 2007;334:974 (12 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.39209.730567.BE

News

Three into two won't go

Lynn Eaton

London

Amid the chaos over applications for medical training postsin the UK, everyone is asking: how could the government havegot its numbers so wrong? Lynn Eaton reports

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In the quagmire of statistics relating to the issue of trainingposts for junior doctors in the United Kingdom one fact standsout clearly: more than 30 000 doctors are applying for about20 000 training posts. How did this happen? Who are the applicants?And are they all on an equal footing, or are some more equalthan others?

A large number of people will undoubtedly fail to secure a trainingpost through the medical training application system (MTAS)and will end up in the less desirable staff grade position,from where it will be almost impossible to become a consultant.Some might not get a job at all; some will undoubtedly go abroad.But it is not clear who will fall into each category.

Until the government announced in March this year that doctorswho qualified in countries outside the European Economic Area(EEA) would be eligible to . . . [Full text of this article]

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