title: Does undergraduate curriculum design make a difference to readiness to practice as a junior doctor?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Undergraduate medicine curricula can be designed to enable smoother transition to work as a junior doctor. Evaluations should improve curriculum design.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare a graduate cohort from one medical school with a cohort from other medical schools in the same Foundation Year 1 (FY1) programme in terms of retrospective perceptions of readiness for practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Likert-scale questionnaire measured self-perception of readiness to practice, including general capabilities and specific clinical skills.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Response rate was 74% (n = 146). The Peninsula Medical School cohort reported readiness for practice at a significantly higher level than the comparison cohort in 14 out of 58 items (24%), particularly for 'coping with uncertainty'. In only one item (2%) does the comparison cohort report at a significantly higher level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant differences between cohorts may be explained by undergraduate curriculum design, where the opportunity for early, structured work-based, experiential learning as students, with patient contact at the core of the experience, may promote smoother transition to work as a junior doctor. Evaluation informs continuous quality improvement of the curriculum.
authors: Peninsula Medical School, University of Plymouth, UK. alan.bleakley@pms.ac.uk
authors: Alan
authors: A
authors: Bleakley
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: Brennan