ShareAQU publishes the opinions of employers concerning the training and work preparedness of graduates in Medicine
AQU Catalunya has just published The opinions of employers concerning the training and work preparedness of medical interns, a study carried out within the framework of the Employers' project on the opinions of university education and training.
There is a high demand for first/bachelor's degrees in Medicine, which is four times the number of available places, and students were satisfied with the training and education received (especially practical training) and internship-type work experience, although they were less satisfied with the final year project. In terms of employability, graduate outcomes were very good although the temporary and short-term nature of work contracts was high.
The main conclusions of the study are as follows:
In relation to the training of medical interns:
- The majority of health facilities (8 out of 10) rated the procedure for applying for a medical internship as being either suitable or highly suitable.
- In the event that they could choose, they would assess candidates' personal, social and cognitive competences in recruitment procedures.
- In terms of soft skills, as with all other degree subjects analysed so far, problem solving and decision-making are the skills with the greatest need for improvement (73%). These were followed by autonomy (63%) and responsibility, teamwork and the ability to acquire new knowledge (all three at around 50%).
- In terms of specific skills, 69% of health facilities considered there to be a deficit as regards a critical approach to professional intervention and the pursuit of continuous improvement. These were followed by the careful management of available resources (67%), effective communication when attending others and their family members (61%) and uncertainty management in clinical practice (59%).
- Notwithstanding these up-skilling requirements, employers as a whole rated their level of satisfaction with the skills of medical interns at 6.8.
Other conclusions:
- As in other sectors, the main form of cooperation between health facilities and higher education institutions is related to clinical practice for students (3 out of 4 health facilities). In addition, half of the health services surveyed undertake training in HEIs, 1 out of 3 were in involved in research projects and 1 out of every 4 had been involved in drawing up curricula. Medicine in the sector in which the level of employer cooperation with HEIs is highest.
- Almost all of the health services surveyed provided orientation and/or training for medical interns, either through the provision of a mentor or tutor on entering the facility, as well as scheduled sessions according to identified training requirements. In addition, 7 out of 10 included external rotation periods.
- Innovation is important for health facilities, particularly quality enhancement and the strategic plan, together with relations with other facilities and technology.
- Close to half of all health facilities anticipate an increase in the number of doctors being recruited due to staff rotation (retirement).
- Skills associated with new technologies (telemedicine and artificial intelligence) and communication and empathy with patients are the main skills that are increasingly important. Teamwork, joint decision-making, multidisciplinarity and resource management will also be important in the future.
- As for specialties with the biggest potential in the future, primary health care facilities attach more importance to family medicine, whereas hospitals believe that geriatrics, anesthesiology, neurology and oncology will be more important in the coming years.
