WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED? We now know what is working well There are a number of areas where clinical training sites appear to be consistently performing well and/or, in some cases, showing demonstrable progress in how trainees rate their experiences. Surveys to date have shown a statistically significant improvement in how trainees rate the overall quality of clinical learning environments.
Contribution of clinical teachers The contribution of clinical teachers remains positively recognised.
Trainees are benefiting from
steady improvements in formal education, supervision, coaching and assessment.
Teamwork and peer collaboration Teamwork and peer collaboration in clinical learning environments have consistently scored highly and
continue to steadily improve. Trainees confirm that work is being adapted to their competence and report positive developments in patient handover.
Trainee safety and quality of care The majority of trainees feel physically safe at their clinical site and rated the quality of care being provided to patients at the site highly. Over two thirds of respondents would recommend their site as a place for patients to receive care. However, some clinical sites offer better opportunities than others for trainees to work and learn.
Postgraduate training programmes and bodies There has been an emphatic improvement in overall scores from general practice and higher specialist trainees, with the Irish College of General Practitioners also showing a substantial upward trend. However, trainees appear to have better experiences in some postgraduate training programmes than in others.
Retention There has been a significant decrease since the inaugural survey in the number of trainees who do not see themselves staying in Ireland for their long-term future, though, this could be attributable to external factors, such as a general improvement in Ireland’s economic outlook. Continuous
improvements in trainee experiences of medical education and training in Ireland will, however, undoubtedly make a positive impact on the retention of doctors within the system.
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