Popularity trends in UK medical training posts over a 10-year period

Gilbert, P.*

*Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, NE1 4LP

Pages: 3-6 ⏐ Published: 09 Sept 2024 ⏐ DOI: https://doi.org/10.70145/MeSh0002

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Understanding the dynamics of specialty training preferences among doctors completing Foundation Year 2 is important for effective workforce planning and informing medical education policy. Leveraging comprehensive data from NHS digital on medical specialty training posts, applicants, and competition ratios, this descriptive analysis explored trends in specialty popularity over a 10-year period. The analysis revealed that throughout this period, applicant numbers consistently exceeded available training posts, with 68.8% of disciplines experiencing increased competition ratios. This trend reflects a growing applicant pool rather than a decrease in available posts. Post COVID-19, several specialties known for offering a comparatively better work-life balance, including anaesthetics, clinical radiology, core psychiatry, and ophthalmology, saw a significant rise in popularity. This suggests a shift in physician priorities towards specialties providing better work-life balance, likely intensified by the pandemic. Additionally, factors such as public perception and specialty prestige also likely influence specialty training preferences, though further research is needed to fully understand these dynamics.

Keywords: core training, speciality training, medical training, competition ratio

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