Career intentions of MBChB students at Warwick Medical School: Sub-analysis of a national cross-sectional study (AIMS Study)

Abstract

The working intentions of UK junior doctors and prospective medical students have been well documented (1,2,3). Understanding current medical students' career intentions is key to future workforce planning (4), which is particularly pertinent in light of the recent industrial action taken by junior doctors. This research aims to determine current Warwick medical students’ career intentions after graduation and upon completing the Foundation Programme and to ascertain the motivations behind these intentions. The sub-analysis is drawn from the AIMS (Ascertaining the career Intentions of UK Medical Students) study; a national cross-sectional study of medical students from all medical schools in the UK. As an exclusively graduate-entry medical school, Warwick presents a unique population. 203 Warwick MBChB students responded to the survey (n=203) with 82.3% of students intending to complete the full 2-year foundation programme in the UK. However, only 37.72% of students intended to peruse speciality training in the UK thereafter and 44.33% of students intended to leave the NHS altogether within 2 years of graduating. These trends have significant implications for junior doctor workforce retention in the UK and the future of the UK medical profession.