Career choices for psychiatry: national surveys of graduates of 1974-2000 from UK medical schools

Background Concerns continue about recruitment levels of junior doctors into psychiatry in the UK. Aims To report career choices for and career progression in psychiatry. Method Postal questionnaire surveys of qualifiers from all UK medical schools in eight qualification years since 1974. Results Totals of 75% (21845 out of 28 980) and 74% (17 741 out of 24 044) of doctors responded at one and three years after qualification, 4-5% of doctors chose psychiatry. This has changed very little between 1974 and 2000. Most doctors who chose psychiatry one and three years after qualification were working in psychiatry at year 10. Hours and conditions of work, the doctor's personal assessment of their aptitudes and skills and their experience of the subject as a student influenced long-term career choices for psychiatry. Conclusions Greater exposure to psychiatry for clinical students and in junior hospital jobs might improve recruitment. Declaration of interest None.