258 Are we doing enough to attract the next generation of rheumatologists?

Le résumé fourni par la source

Background: Rheumatology is a varied multi-system specialty that is often poorly understood by those outside of the specialty. The demand for rheumatology services is likely to increase and a shortfall of rheumatologists has been projected over the next few decades based on current recruitment levels. Nonetheless, recent research has placed rheumatologists amongst the happiest medical sub-specialists. This article explores the perception of rheumatology amongst undergraduate medical students to find out why people are put off applying for rheumatology as a career. Methods: Undergraduate medical students from Bristol University were surveyed at the end of their rheumatology placement to explore whether they would consider rheumatology as a career. The likelihood was measured on a 10 point Likert scale from 1 (definitely not) to 10 (yes definitely) and descriptive statistics were drawn from the combined responses. Students were also asked to provide qualitative information about their perceptions of rheumatology and why they would/would not consider pursuing it as a career. Results: 105 students responded to the questionnaire (46% response rate) although not all students gave further information to justify their response. The mean likelihood of considering rheumatology as a career was 4.4 on the 10 point Likert scale. Negative comments seemed to focus on three main themes: negative experiences during undergraduate training in rheumatology (such as lack of teaching, poor quality teaching and lack of inspiration/stimulation during pre-clinical lectures and clinical placement); negative perceptions of the day-to-day activity in rheumatology (such as a perceived lack of variety, slow pace and lack of inpatient activity); strong pre-existing preferences for other specialties. Conclusion: Deciding upon a clinical specialty is often an extremely difficult decision and not something that is covered in great depth during most undergraduate medical curricula. Clearly rheumatology is not for everyone. Nonetheless, by improving undergraduate rheumatology training, correcting some of the misconceptions about the profession and promoting the many positive aspects of a career in rheumatology we can help to secure the next generation of rheumatologists. Disclosures: The author has declared no conflicts of interest.

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