Determining whether senior and specialist registrars choose or reject a career in general adult psychiatry

Abstract

Aims and methodFollowing concerns over recruitment into general adult psychiatry, this study was undertaken to determine which factors influence senior trainees in psychiatry with regard to whether or not they choose a career in general adult psychiatry. The method used was by postal survey of all senior and specialist registrars in the UK.ResultsOf those responding, 32.6% had chosen a career in general adult psychiatry, while 38.9% had actively rejected such a career. Twenty-six per cent of respondents had chosen another speciality without actively rejecting general adult psychiatry. For those actively rejecting general adult psychiatry, the top three factors cited were poor resources (57.6%), high workload (43.2%) and poor working conditions (30.7%).Clinical implicationsThrough an awareness of why senior trainees reject general adult psychiatry as a possible career, resources can be targeted more specifically in the future at the factors responsible, and thereby improve recruitment into this speciality.