Looking after "Johnny foreigner"

What is MMC and MTAS really about?

An informant draws Dr Crippen's attention to the seamy side of MMC and MTAS:

A major problem with MMC is that the anonymisation was too successful. EU/ UK graduates could not be identified and therefore could not be selectively shortlisted as had been happening for years with the old system. Sure the questions were wooly and stupid and they failed to discriminate in one very important aspect- the medical school and the country. As a result, the number of IMGs shortlisted increased, while a lot of local graduates missed out. The original DOH plan to remove IMGs from the equation altogether has been scuppered because of the BAPIO court case and the ensuing publicity.

The royal colleges and the consultant gentry are now aghast at what has happened. Professor Alan Templeton, the President of the RCOG has summed it all up in his confidential email to Carol Black. I would like to draw your attention to point 2. The Royal Colleges were all expecting that behind the scenes, they would be able to weed out all international graduates, indeed, they thought this was the main purpose of MMC.

The link to the document is at the head of this email - you can download the attachment directly from the website, if you wish. It will probably get removed once the college realise the bloomer they have made.

First, read the letter from Professor Allan Templeton, which is currently available on the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists web site. The reference is here.

Just in case it disappears, or is revised, here it is in full:

MTAS and Selection of Trainees to our Specialty
Letter to Fellows and Members
12 March 2007

This letter is also available to download as a pdf document.

Dear Colleagues

Update on MTAS

Further to my letter of 2 March 2007, I am writing to keep you abreast of developments with the MTAS Selection system. Following representation by the RCOG to the Academy things have developed quite fast. The issues were discussed by the Academy and then with the Department of Health, as a result of which there have been a number of Press Releases in the last few days.

It is now generally agreed that the MTAS shortlisting system failed to identify many eligible candidates, and increasingly there are also concerns about the interviewing procedures. Interviews for Obstetrics and Gynaecology will be complete, we think within the next few days, but nonetheless I would like to hear from colleagues their views and experience. We are now pressing for the review of all candidates who were not shortlisted in the first round, and will discuss how this might be done with the Academy Review Group.

The College position is that we have to get these things right for the second round, and we will work hard with the Academy, MMC and MTAS to achieve this. It is our responsibility to continue to lead the recovery from this crisis, on behalf of the next generation of trainees. As a specialty we will advise participation in the next round of selection only when we are satisfied that the proper procedures are in place.

To the many trainees who wish to do Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and to enter the new training system, but who were not selected in the first round, our message is please do not despair. We know you are upset, angry and disappointed. We all understand that you have been badly let down. The problem has not been your relative skills and attributes, but the Selection system. As stated above we are now pressing for review of all submissions not shortlisted. Furthermore we are led to understand by MMC that at least 50% of available training posts will be kept for the next round.

Please discuss your application for the second round with your Educational Supervisors. Please do stick with your commitment to do Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Keep an eye on the RCOG website. I will also be sending frequent bulletins to all Fellows and Members asking them to keep their trainees in the picture as things progress.

This has been a dreadful experience for many, and I do hope that trainees can take some comfort from the fact that this is now very clearly understood and that this specialty is doing all it can to recover the situation as much as is possible.


Yours sincerely



Professor Allan Templeton

President

Attachment E-mail from the President to Professor Dame Carol Black

It is the attached email to Carol Black that is particularly interesting. Once again, just in case it should disappear, I print it in full:

From: Anne Martin
Sent: 01 March 2007 19:13
To: 'Carol Black'
Cc: Sabaratnam Arulkumaran; Diana Garrett (E-mail)
Subject: MTAS - FROM PROFESSOR ALLAN TEMPLETON
Importance: High
Sensitivity: Confidential


Dear Carol

We have had much representation about MTAS in the last few days. I think we must have had 50 e-mails or so, we have asked our Deanery College Advisers for their views and most have reported problems. I enclose four representative, unsolicited e-mails, two from Fellows with knowledge of the shortlisting process and in addition an e-mail from the Chair of our Trainees Committee and one from two trainees in UCH. These are all representative of many e-mails we have received.

The main issues emerging are:-

1. That most Deaneries have been overwhelmed by the shortlisting process to the extent that selection on merit has been a fairly blunt process.

2. The completed forms have been particularly difficult to assess and score and seem incapable of allowing the identification of the more able doctors. Also they fail to identify UK graduates, which we all thought was the major purpose of MMC.

3. We are getting reports from almost all the Deaneries of able doctors keen to do obstetrics and Gynecology simply not being shortlisted, much to their surprise, and to the surprise of their supervisors. This is a particular concern in our specialty. As you know we need to do all we can to encourage UK graduates to take up O&G.

4. We are becoming aware that there are many distraught young graduates out there unclear as to their future.

Our suggestion is that we try and recover the situation, to some extent at least in the second round. We used to run a National Selection process, prior to MMC and we would like to put this in place, with the agreement of MMC prior to April. Meantime we are encouraging all those who have not been shortlisted to take advice, reapply for the second round and we will be giving them all the help and support we can.

As you know Arul will be attending the Academy in my place and is now well versed in the issues and will be pleased to speak to the problems.




Allan


Professor Allan Templeton
President
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

27 Sussex Place
Regent's Park
London NW1 4RG
Direct Tel No: 020 7772 6228
Facsimile No: 020 7224 9550
E-mail: president@rcog.org.uk

I draw your attention in particular to clause 2 in the second paragraph:

The completed forms have been particularly difficult to assess and score and seem incapable of allowing the identification of the more able doctors. Also they fail to identify UK graduates, which we all thought was the major purpose of MMC.

What does Allan mean by this?

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For explanation of "Johnny foreigner" see here