Easing the transition from student to doctor: How can medical schools help prepare their graduates for starting work?

Background: In 2000/1, a survey found that 42% of newly qualified UK doctors felt their medical training had not prepared them well for starting work. Aim: To determine factors associated with preparedness. Methods: A questionnaire to all 5143 newly qualified doctors in May 2005. Results: The response rate was 2062/4784 =43.1%. 15% of respondents felt poorly prepared by medical school for starting work. There were no associations between gender or graduate entry status and preparedness. The personality traits (.)of conscientiousness (r= 0.14; p< 0.001) and extraversion (r=0.15; P< 0.001) were associated with high preparedness. Neuroticism was associated with low preparedness (r = -0.16; p< 0.001). Respondents who had done shadowing attachments were more likely to feel prepared (58.6% vs 48.5% felt prepared chi(2)=4.0: p= 0.05), as were graduates of problem based I learning courses (61.3% vs 56.1%; chi(2) = 5.0; P = 0 03). Preparedness correlated with agreement with the statements 'My teaching,vas relevant to real life its it doctor' (rho = 0.36; p< 0.001), and 'As it house officer I found it easy to get help when I needed it' (rho = 0.29; p< 0.001). Conclusions: Improvements; in the preparedness of UK medical School graduates may be due to increased relevance Of undergraduate teaching to life as a junior doctor and increased Support in the workplace.