BMJ  2007;335:593-595 (22 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.39330.686840.AD

Analysis

Medical immigration: the elephant in the room

Winchester SO23 9TE

The threat of unemployment among UK graduates this year is being blamed on the new computerised recruitment system. But, argues Graham Winyard, the real problem is government policy on medical immigration

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

The effects of the collapse of the United Kingdom's electronic recruitment and selection system for junior doctors, the Medical Training Applications Service (MTAS), have shaken British medicine.¹ Anxiety has been raised about the careers of thousands of young doctors along with questions about the fitness for purpose of some of medicine's key institutions.² The government has ordered an independent review not only of the recruitment system but of the whole of the new pattern of postgraduate education, Modernising Medical Careers,³ and it is understandable that the system is being blamed for all current difficulties.

The reality, in respect of medical unemployment, is more complicated and more worrying. Even if MTAS had worked perfectly, we would have still faced major problems with medical unemployment because of the government's muddled approach to managing medical immigration. This has created a large surplus of applicants over available training places, making disappointment for thousands inevitable. . . . [Full text of this article]

Implications of medical school expansion

Competition through MTAS

Ways forward

Summary points

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This article has been cited by other articles:

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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Moving the goalposts during the match. Is this the end of meritocracy?

Jyothis T George
bmj.com, 22 Sep 2007 [Full text]

Full House

Jorge Zimbron
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bmj.com, 23 Sep 2007 [Full text]

The elephant spotted at last!

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bmj.com, 24 Sep 2007 [Full text]

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bmj.com, 24 Sep 2007 [Full text]

Certainly no Dumbo

Milan M Thomas
bmj.com, 24 Sep 2007 [Full text]

IMGs had illegal rights to compete??

Lena Palaniyappan
bmj.com, 24 Sep 2007 [Full text]

Medical Immigration is self limiting

Stephen H Raymond
bmj.com, 24 Sep 2007 [Full text]

Wake up please BMA and medical students

edmund willis
bmj.com, 25 Sep 2007 [Full text]

Re: Wake up please BMA and medical students

Jay Ilangaratne
bmj.com, 26 Sep 2007 [Full text]

Re: Wake up please BMA and medical students

Mayank Vashishtha
bmj.com, 26 Sep 2007 [Full text]

I am better than you are

Jayaprakash Ayillath Gosalakkal
bmj.com, 26 Sep 2007 [Full text]

Howl!

David R Jarrett
bmj.com, 26 Sep 2007 [Full text]

Emigrate to Germany

Andre Lagrange
bmj.com, 26 Sep 2007 [Full text]

A few solutions for the immigration issue

Arun Natarajan
bmj.com, 27 Sep 2007 [Full text]

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Maeve Keaney
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Umesh Prabhu
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Re: We got to find an amicable solution

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edmund willis
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