Junior Doctors Vote
With the support of ASiT and BOTA, we are asking surgical professionals to provide their views on some proposed new terms to replace 'junior doctors'. Read more about the background of the campaign below, and find out how to cast your vote.
Voting is open here and will close on 31 May 2017. Please ensure that you read all the below information about the proposed terms before voting.
Background
Many doctors who fall under the current umbrella term of ‘junior doctors’ have been qualified for many years and some are more experienced and capable than the term ‘junior doctor’ suggests. Many people feel that changing the term for an alternative, could help address several issues within the profession, including:
- The low morale identified by surgeons and other doctors, particularly amongst trainees; in the RCS 2016 membership survey 65% of trainee members said that low morale was one of the main issues facing surgeons in the workplace. It is thought that terms such as ‘junior’, ‘non’ and ‘pre’ give a poor impression of the experience and responsibility that surgeons in training have.
- Clarity for patients; there are currently a multitude of titles in use at all levels. From the patient’s point of view, it is felt that there is a lack of clarity about who is a doctor and who isn’t, and about who might be doing their operation.
- Clarity for medical staff; other professionals can also be uncertain about roles and responsibilities due to the complexity and variation of titles.
- Better training opportunities and respect; some surgeons (especially women) report that they are constantly mistaken for other staff.
The Royal College of Surgeons, with support from ASiT and BOTA, are conducting a vote of some proposed new terms, with the aim of improving patient understanding, raising the status and morale of doctors and improving perceptions of these roles.
The proposed terms have had input from and are supported by diverse groups of surgeons and patients.The vote will provide us with a starting point to take this issue forward, working closely with the profession and the other Royal Colleges.
The proposed terms
1. Collective terms for the public
- Doctors
- Trainees
- Junior Doctors
2. Collective terms to aid staff (e.g. for the rota)
|
Current/ option 1 |
Option 2 |
Option 3 |
Option 4 |
|
FYI |
Surgical House Doctor |
Doctor (FY1) |
Foundation Doctor |
|
FY2 – CT2 |
Surgical Senior House Doctor / Senior House Surgeon (post MRCS) |
SHO |
Post Foundation Doctor |
|
ST3+ |
Registrar surgeon / Senior registrar surgeon |
Registrar |
Registrar |
|
Consultant |
Consultant surgeon |
Consultant |
Consultant |
3. Terms for the individual doctor
- Either ‘Doctor’ or ‘Surgeon’ (if MRCS/FRCS)
PLUS
- Their grade e.g. FY1, ST3
PLUS
- Their specialty where relevant
Examples:
Dr Asaf Patel
Doctor, FY1
Mr James Purple
Surgeon, ST3, ENT
Mr Lee George
Surgeon, Specialty Doctor
Introductions:
It would be expected that someone introducing themselves would include aspects of the terms, e.g. “My name is Sharon, I’m a surgeon, CT2 in urology”
Voting
We are conducting a vote of surgical professionals to get their views on the proposed terms. This will help us to take this issue forward.
The votes are on:
- The collective term for the public, and
- The collective term for the profession
As detailed above.
Voting will take place at ASiT conference, 1-2 April and online until from 31 May 2017.
Cast your vote and share your thoughts on Twitter with RCS, ASiT and BOTA at:
@RCSnews
@ASiTofficial
@bota_uk