BMJ  2007;334:1300 (23 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.39252.407350.68

Feature

Specialist training

MTAS: which way now?

Rebecca Coombes asks key players involved in the medical training application service (MTAS) what they would have done differently

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

What is your connection to MTAS?

The royal colleges, presidents of which are members of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, provided the person specifications against which the candidates for specialty training should be judged.

What would you go back and change about the system before it was launched?

We would require a demonstration that the application system was capable of enabling full recognition and sound balanced assessment of the qualities sought in candidates for specialist training.

What is your prescription for reforming MTAS into a workable system?

In the long term we need a computerised matching system. But it should not be used until it is adequately piloted and its performance evaluated, any bugs fixed, and the system shown to be totally secure. The shortlisting process also needs to be fixed. The scoring system did not ensure accurate discernment between candidates, and the process was excessively time consuming for . . . [Full text of this article]

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Pashayan, N., Duff, C., Mason, B. W. (2007). Selection into specialty training in public health: performance of the Medical Training Application Service shortlisting. J Public Health (Oxf) 29: 331-337 [Abstract] [Full text]  
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