Education Research and Supports

What Is the Training Post Evaluation Survey?

The Training Post Evaluation Survey allows Trainees to provide honest and anonymous feedback on their training experience. The evaluation is short, online, and completely confidential. It asks for Trainee feedback on areas such as the training posts they were in, working conditions, and support structures during the training year.

Back to top

Why Is Trainee Feedback Important?

Trainee feedback helps us to continually improve the quality of training for our Trainees. The Training Post Evaluation (TPE) was launched by RCPI in 2016 and since then, it has helped us to identify opportunities for improvement for specific posts or training sites so that we can continually improve the quality of training. The data gathered through the TPE annually continues to inform each specialty review during our Site Quality Improvement (QI) Visits.

RCPI is extremely grateful to all Trainees who participated in the Training Post Evaluation and strongly encourage all Trainees to complete the Training Post Evaluation when prompted. Without Trainee feedback, we would not have this valuable evidence base on which we can plan continuous quality improvement initiatives.

Back to top

Key Findings, 2016-2021

The Training Post Evaluation (2016 – 2020) found training to be a positive experience for the majority of Trainees, with many doctors in training feeling supported and respected in their training posts while gaining exposure to a broad clinical case mix. The TPE also highlighted areas for improvement such as regular and timely feedback on performance, protected training time and work life balance.

Key Findings 2016-2021

• The number of evaluations received year on year has increased over the first three years of the evaluation. While representative, the number of evaluations received was equivalent to 30% of all rotations and therefore we aim to improve the engagement with the evaluation.
• The majority of training posts were rated positively, with 69% BST and 86% HST doctors in training likely to recommend them to their colleagues. In majority of the posts (62% BST, 73% HST), doctors in training felt that their working environment fully supports the confidence building of doctors in training.
• Many doctors in training are satisfied with the support they receive in their role from their Trainer and from the overall workplace and felt they were treated with respect. Importantly, in one in five Basic Specialist Trainees posts and in one in ten Higher Specialist posts, the Trainees felt their Trainer and/or workplace were not supportive.
• In majority of the posts (75% BST, 88% HST), Trainees felt they were offered exposure to broad clinical case mix. However, in many posts (40% BST, 31% HST), Trainees did not always know who was providing their clinical supervision and they also felt they were not receiving regular and timely feedback on their performance.
• Insufficient protected training time and work life balance were frequently highlighted by doctors in training in most of the posts.

The findings are based on feedback from doctors in Basic and Higher Specialist Training programmes in 86 training sites across Ireland.

The TPE helps to identify the strengths and weaknesses of specific posts or training sites; allowing us to continually improve the quality of training for our Trainees. RCPI has already started to respond to the issues highlighted by Trainees via the Training Post Evaluation. The actions taken by RCPI to enhance training experiences are included at the end of the report.

Back to top