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Research article
Vascular Surgery Trainee Retention in the UK: How Many Leave and Why? A Survey of Trainee and Training Programme Directors’ perceptions.
Eleanor Atkins
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9455-6960
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This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background: It is currently not known how many trainees leave vascular surgery, and their reasons for doing so are unclear. This paper is the first to publish the number of UK trainees leaving the training programme and interrogates their reasons for doing so.
Methods: An email survey was distributed to current and recent Training Programme Directors (TPDs) to quantify the number of trainees resigning between 2013 and 2019. Trainees resigning a National Training Number (NTN) were surveyed regarding their reasons for doing so.
Results: Since 2013, 23 UK vascular surgery trainees have resigned NTNs, representing 15.4% of the 149 NTNs awarded between 2013 and our analysis. Reasons for leaving, as relayed by TPDs, included availability of an academic career, geography, health and many other reasons classified as “work-life balance” factors. Data from the trainees surveyed also highlighted work-life balance but also identified pressures within the training system and NHS.
Conclusions: UK data of this sort has not previously been available. The authors recommend prospective data collection, structured exit interviews with trainees who decide to leave, improvements to the inter-deanery transfer process, increased consideration of flexible training options and early realistic exposure to vascular surgery for junior doctors to improve trainee retention rates in vascular surgery.
Keywords
Vascular surgery, surgical training, trainee retention
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CURRENT STATUS: Under Review
Version 1
Posted 28 Sep, 2020
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Review #1 received
Received 10 Nov, 2020
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 10 Nov, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 03 Nov, 2020
Reviewer #4 agreed
On 03 Nov, 2020
Review #4 received
Received 03 Nov, 2020
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 02 Nov, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 30 Oct, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 09 Oct, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 29 Sep, 2020
Editor assigned
On 16 Sep, 2020
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On 15 Sep, 2020
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On 15 Sep, 2020
Editor invited
On 15 Sep, 2020
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This preprint is under consideration at BMC Medical Education. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research article
Vascular Surgery Trainee Retention in the UK: How Many Leave and Why? A Survey of Trainee and Training Programme Directors’ perceptions.
Eleanor Atkins
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9455-6960
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Under Review
Version 1
Posted 28 Sep, 2020
No community comments so far
Review #1 received
Received 10 Nov, 2020
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 10 Nov, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 03 Nov, 2020
Reviewer #4 agreed
On 03 Nov, 2020
Review #4 received
Received 03 Nov, 2020
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 02 Nov, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 30 Oct, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 09 Oct, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 29 Sep, 2020
Editor assigned
On 16 Sep, 2020
First submitted
On 15 Sep, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 15 Sep, 2020
Editor invited
On 15 Sep, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background: It is currently not known how many trainees leave vascular surgery, and their reasons for doing so are unclear. This paper is the first to publish the number of UK trainees leaving the training programme and interrogates their reasons for doing so.
Methods: An email survey was distributed to current and recent Training Programme Directors (TPDs) to quantify the number of trainees resigning between 2013 and 2019. Trainees resigning a National Training Number (NTN) were surveyed regarding their reasons for doing so.
Results: Since 2013, 23 UK vascular surgery trainees have resigned NTNs, representing 15.4% of the 149 NTNs awarded between 2013 and our analysis. Reasons for leaving, as relayed by TPDs, included availability of an academic career, geography, health and many other reasons classified as “work-life balance” factors. Data from the trainees surveyed also highlighted work-life balance but also identified pressures within the training system and NHS.
Conclusions: UK data of this sort has not previously been available. The authors recommend prospective data collection, structured exit interviews with trainees who decide to leave, improvements to the inter-deanery transfer process, increased consideration of flexible training options and early realistic exposure to vascular surgery for junior doctors to improve trainee retention rates in vascular surgery.
Figure 1