Views of UK-trained medical graduates of 1999-2009 about their first postgraduate year of training: national surveys

Abstract

Background: In the UK, doctors' first year of medical work is also their first year of postgraduate training. It is very important that their experience of work and training is good.

Design: Surveys of entire cohorts graduating in particular years.

Setting: UK.

Method: Questionnaires sent 1 year after qualification to all UK medical graduates of 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008 and 2009.

Results: The study comprised 17 831 respondents. Variation in views across cohorts was modest. Overall, 30% agreed their training had been of a high standard; 38% agreed educational opportunities had been good; 52% agreed they had to do too much routine non-medical work; and 16% agreed they had to perform clinical tasks for which they felt inadequately trained. Job enjoyment, rated from 1 ('I didn't enjoy it at all') to 10 ('I enjoyed it greatly'), improved from 70% of doctors in the 1999 cohort scoring 7-10 to 75% in the 2009 cohort. Satisfaction with available leisure time, rated from 1 ('not at all satisfied') to 10 ('extremely satisfied'), rose from 24% scoring 7-10 in the 1999s to 49% in the 2009s. Male-female differences were small.

Conclusions: There was improvement over the decade in some aspects of work, particularly satisfaction with time off work for leisure, and overall enjoyment of the job. There was little change in doctors' views about the training experience offered by the F1 year.

Figure 1

Percentage responses to the statement: The postgraduate training I have received so far has been of a high standard—doctors graduating in 1999–2009, responding towards the end of their first postgraduate year (denominators for percentages were: 1999 cohort 2380, 2000 cohort 679, 2002 cohort 2750, 2005 cohort 3066, 2008 cohort 2824 and 2009 cohort 2527).

Figure 2

Percentage responses to the statement: The educational opportunities were good—doctors graduating in 1999–2009, responding towards the end of their first postgraduate year (denominators for percentages were: 1999 cohort 2375, 2000 cohort 679, 2002 cohort 2746, 2005 cohort 3068, 2008 cohort 2817 and 2009 cohort 2523).

Figure 3

Percentage responses to the statement: I am expected to perform an excessive amount of routine non-medical work—doctors graduating in 1999–2009, responding towards the end of their first postgraduate year (denominators for percentages were: 1999 cohort 2378, 2000 cohort 677, 2002 cohort 2743, 2005 cohort 3067, 2008 cohort 2827 and 2009 cohort 2527).

Figure 4

Percentage responses to the statement: I am required to perform clinical tasks for which I do not feel adequately trained—doctors graduating in 1999–2009, responding towards the end of their first postgraduate year (denominators for percentages were at least: 1999 cohort 2376, 2000 cohort 679, 2002 cohort 2748, 2005 cohort 3066, 2008 cohort 2823 and 2009 cohort 2526).

Figure 5

Percentage responses to the question: How much have you enjoyed the F1 year overall on a scale from 1 (didn't enjoy it at all) to 10 (enjoyed it greatly)?—doctors graduating in 1999–2009, responding towards the end of their first postgraduate year (denominators for percentages were: 1999 cohort 2390, 2000 cohort 678, 2002 cohort 2760, 2005 cohort 3109, 2008 cohort 2828 and 2009 cohort 2530).

Figure 6

Percentage responses to the question: How satisfied are you with the amount of time the F1 year has left you for family, social and recreational activities, on a scale from 1 (not at all satisfied) to 10 (extremely satisfied)?—doctors graduating in 1999–2009, responding towards the end of their first postgraduate year (denominators for percentages were: 1999 cohort 2389, 2000 cohort 679, 2002 cohort 2758, 2005 cohort 3106, 2008 cohort 2820 and 2009 cohort 2530).