Self-reported measures of preparedness of graduates of a new remote and rural graduate-entry medical program (ScotGEM)

Introduction: Scotland faces persistent challenges in addressing medical workforce shortages, particularly in remote and rural areas. The Scottish Graduate Entry Medicine (ScotGEM) program was established to address these challenges by training adaptable and resilient medical practitioners with a focus on rural and underserved healthcare settings. Evaluating the preparedness of ScotGEM graduates as they transition into clinical practice is essential for assessing the program's effectiveness.
Methods: This study utilised data from the General Medical Council Foundation Year 1 Preparedness Survey, which evaluates newly qualified doctors’ self-reported perceptions of preparedness in key domains: overall preparedness, clinical practical procedures, prescribing and managing acutely unwell patients. Preparedness perceptions of the inaugural ScotGEM cohort were compared to national and Dundee University cohorts using Z-tests for proportions and Cohen’s h to quantify effect sizes.
Results: ScotGEM graduates reported levels of preparedness comparable to the national average across all surveyed domains. Specifically, 57.5% of ScotGEM graduates felt adequately prepared for practice (57.9% nationally), 84.6% felt adequately skilled in clinical practical procedures (80.3% nationally), 75.0% reported adequate prescribing skills (79.3% nationally) and 75.0% felt prepared to manage acutely unwell patients (68.4% nationally). Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences between ScotGEM and other cohorts (p>0.05), with small effect sizes (h<0.2) indicating minimal practical differences.
Conclusion: ScotGEM graduates demonstrate preparedness levels comparable to their peers nationally and from traditional-entry programs, underscoring the effectiveness of Scotland's first graduate-entry and rurally delivered medical program. Future evaluations with larger sample sizes will be essential to detect subtle differences and further refine ScotGEM’s contributions to Scotland's medical workforce, particularly in underserved areas.