The impact of the changes to United Kingdom psychiatry training recruitment in 2021
The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice
ISSN: 1755-6228
Article publication date: 17 January 2022
Issue publication date: 28 June 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review and critically evaluate UK psychiatry national recruitment process for 2021, which was re-structured following the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, this paper aims to review the empirical evidence of the selection methodologies in psychiatry recruitment.
Design/methodology/approach
The UK national psychiatry recruitment process is discussed, with a focus on the changes made to recruitment in 2021. The advantages and disadvantages of different selection methodologies are explored, with an emphasis on evaluating the validity, acceptability and reliability of different recruitment selection methodologies. The potential impact of the changes to psychiatry recruitment are explored.
Findings
The decision of the National Recruitment Office to remove certain selection methods for recruitment in 2021 may have limited their ability to choose the best candidate for the training place and be fair to the applicant. Overall, there is a lack of research into the validity of the selection methods used in psychiatry recruitment. A framework for outcome criteria relevant to psychiatry recruitment should be developed, which would allow research into selection methods and guide the NRO to examine the evidence base effectively.
Originality/value
This paper examined the recruitment methods used to choose doctors for psychiatry training in the UK, demonstrating that the empirical evidence base for psychiatry recruitment is limited. This paper can contribute to our understanding of selection methodologies used in psychiatry recruitment and highlights the value of different recruitment approaches for choosing the best psychiatrists of the future.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Author contributions: The study was designed by A.C. A.C drafted the manuscript and J.W made revisions to the intellectual content and for completion of the final version. All authors are accountable for all aspects of the work.
Conflicts of interest: None.
Funding Statement: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Citation
Challinor, A. and Whyler, J. (2022), "The impact of the changes to United Kingdom psychiatry training recruitment in 2021", The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, Vol. 17 No. 4, pp. 335-341. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-08-2021-0091
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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