Res Medica: Looking Towards Post-Graduate Education

Abstract

Just how good is post-graduate training in Britain?

The graduate entering the hospital services, wishing to specialise, is beset with uncertainty. ‘The rat race’ and ‘no-room-at-the-top’ are often dramatised. While this may contribute to the uncertainty, it is by no means the whole cause.

It is less often pointed out that the graduate can never be certain that he will gain all-round experience and high-quality training in his field. In the U.S.A. and Canada the graduate doing a Residency training knows from the outset that in the course of 4 or 5 years (or however long the training may be (e.g. proctology 7 years) he will rotate through a series of departments related to his field, he will participate in a planned educational programme carried out at a high level and progressively take on greater responsibility. In other words he can be reasonably confident that his training will be thorough and of a high quality.