Perceptions of national recruitment for orthodontic specialty registrars: 2012–2014

Abstract

Aim: To assess the changes in interviewees’ and interviewers’ perceptions and experiences of national recruitment and a multi-station interview (MSI) for the selection of Orthodontic Specialty Registrars to UK training programmes from 2012 to 2014. Design: Questionnaire-based longitudinal survey. Setting: Interviews for selection of Orthodontic Specialty Registrars (StRs) held at London Deanery, London, UK. Methods: Interviewees and interviewers completed an anonymous questionnaire comprising of 17 and 26 questions, respectively. Results: Interviewees: The number, age (p = 0.29) and time since qualification (p = 0.90) increased slightly over the 3 years but these changes were not statistically significant. The proportion of females (p = 0.32) and those with a UK primary dental qualification (p = 0.52) varied slightly but the variation was not statistically significant. The proportion that had experience of the MSI format increased significantly over the 3 years (p < 0.01). More than 75% were positive about the organization, experience and fairness of the MSI interview format. Interviewers: The age (p = 0.54), time since being a consultant (p = 0.90), proportion of females (p = 0.43) and those favouring the MSI format (p = 0.29) varied slightly but this was not statistically significant. More than 75% were positive about the organization, experience and fairness of the MSI format. More than 90% of interviewers thought that the process selected the best candidates, was fair and that more than one assessor was required at each station. Conclusions: Interviewees were consistently very positive about the organization and fairness of the MSI format. Interviewers were consistently very positive about the selection of candidates, fairness and conduct of the MSIs.

Key words:

• Interviewers’ perceptions
• interviewees’ perceptions
• orthodontic specialty trainees (StR)
• multi-station interview (MSI)
• national recruitment

Acknowledgements

Authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of the National Recruitment Working Party, including Paul Cook, Susan Cunningham, James Spencer, Laura Mitchell and Jadbinder Seehra, for their help in running this study; James Spencer for distributing the questionnaires to the interviewees at the National Recruitment rounds and all those participants who took the time to complete the questionnaires.