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| - | From: Anne Martin
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| - | Sent: 01 March 2007 19:13
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| - | To: 'Carol Black'
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| - | Subject: MTAS - FROM PROFESSOR ALLAN TEMPLETON
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| - | Importance: High
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| - | Sensitivity: Confidential
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| - | Dear Carol
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| - | We have had much representation about MTAS in the last few days. I think we must have had 50 e-mails or so, we have asked our Deanery College Advisers for their views and most have reported problems. I enclose four representative, unsolicited e-mails, two from Fellows with knowledge of the shortlisting process and in addition an e-mail from the
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| - | Chair of our Trainees Committee and one from two trainees in UCH. These are all representative of many e-mails we have received.
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| - | The main issues emerging are:-
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| - | # That most Deaneries have been overwhelmed by the shortlisting process to the extent that selection on merit has been a fairly blunt process.
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| - | # The completed forms have been particularly difficult to assess and score and seem incapable of allowing the identification of the more able doctors. Also they fail to identify UK graduates, which we all thought was the major purpose of MMC.
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| - | # We are getting reports from almost all the Deaneries of able doctors keen to do Obstetrics and Gynaecology simply not being shortlisted, much to their surprise, and to the surprise of their supervisors. This is a particular concern in our specialty. As you know we need to do all we can to encourage UK graduates to take up O&G.
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| - | # We are becoming aware that there are many distraught young graduates out there unclear as to their future.
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| - | Our suggestion is that we try and recover the situation, to some extent at least in the second round. We used to run a National Selection process, prior to MMC and we would like to put this in place, with the agreement of MMC prior to April. Meantime we are encouraging all those who have not been shortlisted to take advice, reapply for the second round and we will be giving them all the help and support we can. As you know Arul will be attending the Academy in my place and is now well versed in the issues and will be pleased to speak to the problems.
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| - | Allan
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| - | Professor Allan Templeton
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| - | President
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| - | Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
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| - | 27 Sussex Place,Regent's Park
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| - | London NW1 4RG
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| - | ----
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| - | '''2 March 2007'''
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| - | Dear Colleagues
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| - | Firstly I want to congratulate those of you who have been successful so far in the first round. We all wish you well with the interviews. We really hope you find a place in our career pathway.
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| - | For those of you who have not been selected or not yet heard, there is much to say. The first thing to say is please do not despair. We are aware that you are far from alone and that there are many able young doctors who have not been selected in the first round, often to the considerable surprise and concern of their supervisors and consultants. We are sorry you have been unsuccessful so far and we really want to encourage and help you to be successful in the second round. Those of you with the ability and desire should stick with it and look to entry at the next opportunity, now that we know that selection has been less effective than expected.
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| - | Careful reassessment of how to approach the questions may be required. The College will be briefing Regional Advisers to offer advice on how best to approach these apparently simple but demanding questions.
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| - | No system of selection is perfect at this stage, but we must strive to work with MTAS and the authors of this system to make it as fair as possible. As it stands at present we feel the system may have problems with its power to discriminate, although it is clear that the numbers that assessors had to deal with was also relevant. We have had much feedback from colleagues and trainees. Those selected for interviews are obviously content, while those not selected are frequently frustrated, angry and disillusioned.
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| - | To be accepted into a specialty a trainee needs determination, qualifications, attitude and aptitude. The system devised is a start in this respect but obviously needs improvement. From the many comments forwarded to us, we are distilling the most significant and will inform MMC as to the changes we feel should be considered and implemented for the second round.
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| - | Many of our Fellows and Members are frustrated too. They have invested much time and effort in the selection process, and although some are content that the new system is capable of selecting the best trainees, many strongly believe that there are serious flaws that need to be addressed.
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| - | Be assured that I and my colleagues in the College will be doing everything to ensure that the best, most appropriate trainees, get the opportunity to follow their chosen career. Please stick with your desire to do Obstetrics and Gynaecology and to pursue a career in Women’s Health, and we will look to a more successful second round, when we will also try to get clarity on the number of training slots available.
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| - | Yours sincerely
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| - | Professor Allan Templeton
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| - | President
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Current revision as of 18:32, 23 March 2007
MTAS and Selection of Trainees to our Specialty
Letter to Fellows and Members 12 March 2007
Dear Colleagues
Update on MTAS
Further to my letter of 2 March 2007, I am writing to keep you abreast of developments with the MTAS Selection system. Following representation by the RCOG to the Academy things have developed quite fast. The issues were discussed by the Academy and then with the Department of Health, as a result of which there have been a number of Press Releases in the last few days.
It is now generally agreed that the MTAS shortlisting system failed to identify many eligible candidates, and increasingly there are also concerns about the interviewing procedures. Interviews for Obstetrics and Gynaecology will be complete, we think within the next few days, but nonetheless I would like to hear from colleagues their views and experience. We are now pressing for the review of all candidates who were not shortlisted in the first round, and will discuss how this might be done with the Academy Review Group.
The College position is that we have to get these things right for the second round, and we will work hard with the Academy, MMC and MTAS to achieve this. It is our responsibility to continue to lead the recovery from this crisis, on behalf of the next generation of trainees. As a specialty we will advise participation in the next round of selection only when we are satisfied that the proper procedures are in place.
To the many trainees who wish to do Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and to enter the new training system, but who were not selected in the first round, our message is please do not despair. We know you are upset, angry and disappointed. We all understand that you have been badly let down. The problem has not been your relative skills and attributes, but the Selection system. As stated above we are now pressing for review of all submissions not shortlisted. Furthermore we are led to understand by MMC that at least 50% of available training posts will be kept for the next round.
Please discuss your application for the second round with your Educational Supervisors. Please do stick with your commitment to do Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Keep an eye on the RCOG website. I will also be sending frequent bulletins to all Fellows and Members asking them to keep their trainees in the picture as things progress.
This has been a dreadful experience for many, and I do hope that trainees can take some comfort from the fact that this is now very clearly understood and that this specialty is doing all it can to recover the situation as much as is possible.
Yours sincerely
President's signature
Professor Allan Templeton
President
