Outcomes of assessments of registrars in the medical specialties

Abstract

The Records of In-training Assessment (RITAs) of all registrars in the medical specialties in the UK were analysed in three successive years, specialty by specialty, and compared with the average outcome for registrars in all disciplines over the same three-year period. Over 97% of medical registrars were assessed as satisfactory, 1.5% needed targeted training and 1.0% were graded unsatisfactory, requiring repeat training. Targeted training and repeat training led to a satisfactory outcome in the majority of cases. The process of assessment needs to be more objective and should become so as the medical Royal Colleges develop better measures of clinical competence.