Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Dec 1;7(11):e018583.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-018583.

Multiple and multidimensional transitions from trainee to trained doctor: a qualitative longitudinal study in the UK

Lisi Gordon  1 , Divya Jindal-Snape  2 , Jill Morrison  3 , Janine Muldoon  2 , Gillian Needham  4 , Sabina Siebert  5 , Charlotte Rees  6
Affiliations

Multiple and multidimensional transitions from trainee to trained doctor: a qualitative longitudinal study in the UK

Lisi Gordon et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Objectives: To explore trainee doctors' experiences of the transition to trained doctor, we answer three questions: (1) What multiple and multidimensional transitions (MMTs) are experienced as participants move from trainee to trained doctor? (2) What facilitates and hinders doctors' successful transition experiences? (3) What is the impact of MMTs on trained doctors?

Design: A qualitative longitudinal study underpinned by MMT theory.

Setting: Four training areas (health boards) in the UK.

Participants: 20 doctors, 19 higher-stage trainees within 6 months of completing their postgraduate training and 1 staff grade, associate specialist or specialty doctor, were recruited to the 9-month longitudinal audio-diary (LAD) study. All completed an entrance interview, 18 completed LADs and 18 completed exit interviews.

Methods: Data were analysed cross-sectionally and longitudinally using thematic Framework Analysis.

Results: Participants experienced a multiplicity of expected and unexpected, positive and negative work-related transitions (eg, new roles) and home-related transitions (eg, moving home) during their trainee-trained doctor transition. Factors facilitating or inhibiting successful transitions were identified at various levels: individual (eg, living arrangements), interpersonal (eg, presence of supportive relationships), systemic (eg, mentoring opportunities) and macro (eg, the curriculum provided by Medical Royal Colleges). Various impacts of transitions were also identified at each of these four levels: individual (eg, stress), interpersonal (eg, trainees' children spending more time in childcare), systemic (eg, spending less time with patients) and macro (eg, delayed start in trainees' new roles).

Conclusions: Priority should be given to developing supportive relationships (both formal and informal) to help trainees transition into their trained doctor roles, as well as providing more opportunities for learning. Further longitudinal qualitative research is now needed with a longer study duration to explore transition journeys for several years into the trained doctor role.

Keywords: longitudinal audio-diaries; multiple and multi-dimensional transitions (mmt) theory; trainee-trained transitions.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

References

    1. Walesby KE, Lyall MJ, Mackay TW, et al. . Valuing our trainees: the future of medicine in the UK. J R Coll Physicians Edinb 2016;46:146–9. 10.4997/JRCPE.2016.301 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Jindal-Snape D, Rienties B. Multidimensional transitions of international students to higher education. New York: Routledge, 2016.
    1. Wilkie G. In at the deep end: making the transition from SpR to consultant. Adv Psychiatr Treat 2005;11:107–14. 10.1192/apt.11.2.107 - DOI
    1. Jindal-Snape D, Miller DJ. A challenge of living? Understanding the psycho-social processes of the child during primary-secondary transition through resilience and self-esteem theories. Educ Psychol Rev 2008;20:217–36. 10.1007/s10648-008-9074-7 - DOI
    1. Westerman M, Teunissen PW, Fokkema JP, et al. . The transition to hospital consultant and the influence of preparedness, social support, and perception: a structural equation modelling approach. Med Teach 2013;35:320–7. 10.3109/0142159X.2012.735381 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources