The F3 year: what is it and what are its implications?

Jewell and Majeed ¹ suggest two possible solutions for the increasing trend of trainees choosing to take a post-foundation career break or leaving medicine, namely increased funding and changes to health policy.

These suggestions place the solutions beyond the day-to-day activities of busy clinical doctors and most of your readers. A third possible solution must be considered and puts the responsibility firmly back with clinicians.

Trainees need role models and respond to their seniors taking a personal interest in their careers and aspirations. We cannot go back to the ‘firms’ when a ‘houseman or registrar’ was assigned to a named consultant, but all trainees have educational and clinical supervisors. The Royal College of Surgeons (England) recognises the importance of these roles in ‘Improving Surgical Training’, ² and the first cohort of general surgical trainees are starting a run-through programme in August 2018. One recommendation is that ‘trainees should have a consistent relationship with a trained educational supervisor and should have a separate and consistent relationship with a trained mentor’.

The way forward is with every clinician who has regular contact with trainees, not only with remote people debating funding and health policy. Personal interest and encouragement are invaluable.