How well prepared are graduates for the role of pre-registration house officer? A comparison of the perceptions of new graduates and educational supervisors.
OBJECTIVE
The principal aim of undergraduate medical education is to produce competent pre-registration house officers (PRHOs). We examined and compared the perceptions of graduates and educational supervisors concerning how well prepared graduates were for their first post.


METHODS
A postal questionnaire was sent to house officers who had graduated from Manchester 3 months earlier and also to educational supervisors of PRHOs in the North-west Region. The questionnaires were based on the competencies set out by the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom.


RESULTS
The response rates were 66% from the graduates and 76% from the supervisors. Of the 18 broad areas of competence listed, only four were rated more than 'quite well prepared' by at least 50% of the graduates ('understanding disease processes', 'communicating effectively', 'awareness of limitations' and 'working in a team'). Similarly, more than half of educational supervisors rated graduates as more than quite competent in only three areas ('awareness of limitations', 'keeping accurate records' and 'working in a team'). Within the competencies surveyed, there were differences between the perceptions of graduates and educational supervisors on the preparedness of graduates for the skills they may require as a pre-registration house officer.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, given that most graduates and supervisors perceived the preparedness as 'quite well' or less, the undergraduate course had only partially met its objectives. A mismatch in ratings could be attributed to either inappropriate expectations on the part of the educational supervisors or the graduates or an inaccurate assessment by either group of respondents.
Jones
A
A
South Manchester University Hospitals Trust, Manchester, UK.
McArdle
P J
PJ
O'Neill
P A
PA
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000592:standards*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards*; D010465:Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching / Q000592:standards