Fitness to practice of medical graduates: one programme's approach.
OBJECTIVE
Doctors must ensure they are fit to practise medicine. There is a relationship between unprofessional behaviour at medical school and in subsequent medical practice. This study describes one programme's Fitness to Practice (FtP) policy and outcomes since inception in 2005.


METHODS
FtP notifications were classified into: health or personal; professional attitudes, or external issues. Seriousness was classified as non-critical, critical or extraordinarily critical. Anonymous data were extracted and analysed from a confidential FtP database.


RESULTS
There were 157 FtP notifications involving 132 (5.5%) students. 87.2% were for issues with professional attitudes and 80.3% were non-critical. 17 students received more than one FtP notification. Students in clinical years were over-represented (p<0.0001) as were males (57% vs. 43%: p=0.0286). 96% of students continued the programme after remedial action. Two students were excluded from the programme on FtP grounds. The national regulatory body was notified of nine individual students with the potential for on- going FtP concerns.


CONCLUSIONS
Over 9 years, 5.5% of medical students received a FtP notification, with most of these isolated non-critical incidents of a professional nature. A small subset of students had repeated or serious concerns, underscoring the need for a FtP policy in any medical programme.
Claire
C
Braatvedt
Phillippa
P
Poole
Alan
A
Merry
Des
D
Gorman
Papaarangi
P
Reid
University of Auckland. Auckland, 85 Park Rd Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand. w.bagg@auckland.ac.nz.
Warwick
W
Bagg
D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011363:Professional Impairment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D028743:Professional Misconduct / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data