More F2 doctors are choosing a career break
BMJ 2017; 359 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j5121 (Published 06 November 2017) Cite this as: BMJ 2017;359:j5121
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The author states 5 key trends based on Department of Health data demonstrating why F2 doctors are increasingly taking career breaks. It comes as no surprise to know that uptake into specialty training programs are ever decreasing, service roles are increasing and doctors are emigrating to sunnier climes. Should the author's focus perhaps not be on why these trends are so increasingly predictable?
My colleagues are increasingly dissatisfied at the quality of teaching in training. They are fed up at the expectation of moving their social and family lives at the start of new training programs. They are increasingly exposed to the social media frenzy of friends surfing Down Under. The pull factors away from continuous training are undeniable.
Lets start focusing on attempts to retain our staff, increase junior doctor moral in the workplace and make training programs attractive again. Applications to medical schools remain over subscribed. Doctors remain one of the most respected professions. Let's not forget that once upon a time we all wanted to be where we now are. The grass may not always be greener.
Competing interests: No competing interests
The BMJ reports on a 3 fold increase in the number of foundation training doctors choosing to take a career break post foundation training. This is a number that one can only expect to rise as the demands of foundation training continue to increase. Factors such as long hours, compromise to patient safety, long commutes and the disruption of working night shifts have been listed as key reasons for burn out amongst junior doctors and this was demonstrated by a recent survey of trainee anaesthetists showing that 85% of those in their 20s and 30s were at risk of becoming burnt out.(1) Is this the reason why the number of foundation doctors going directly into speciality training continues to decline (greater than 19% reduction between 2011 and 2016)?(2)
There may be alternative factors leading to the increased numbers of foundation doctors taking career breaks. However with junior doctor morale reported to be at an all time low, training posts may continue to remain unfilled as junior doctors search for alternative options.(3)
References
1. Royal College of Anaesthetists Morale and Welfare Study 2017
2. The Foundation Programme Career Destination Report 2016
3. The New F3 Year - BMJ Careers 30/08/16. Eleanor Checkley, Shirley Remington
Competing interests: No competing interests
With so many, perhaps a majority now, of doctors in training being female (at the optimally marriageable and fertile stage of their lives), it seems strange that the data are not analysed by sex.
This seems to me, as the father of two doctor-daughters, a remarkable omission, as is omission of any mention of this phenomenon in Rimmer's comment in the BMJ.
Is this the elephant in the room?
Competing interests: No competing interests
Re: More F2 doctors are choosing a career break
We recently surveyed all trainees newly starting in Core Medical Training in Yorkshire and the Humber and received 29 responses (results unpublished but available on request) asking them their plans upon completion of core training.
Although at this point 62% reported plans to continue straight into higher specialty training upon completion of core training there was significant variation in this when looking at subgroups with, for example, numbers expecting to continue straight through being significantly higher higher amongst both international medical graduates and those aged over 30 (86% in both groups).
The most surprising result, however, was when looking at those that had completed foundation programme and then either had or hadn't taken time out following this. Amongst those that had come straight out of the foundation programme, 50% expected to continue straight into higher training but this was only slightly higher (at 57%) amongst those that had already taken time out! The reasons for this have yet to be explored.
Competing interests: No competing interests