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Medical students' job offers withdrawn after exam 'scoring errors' Medical students' job offers withdrawn after exam 'scoring errors'
(35 minutes later)
Thousands of medical students have been left in the dark after their first hospital job offers were withdrawn because of "scoring errors" in their final exams.Thousands of medical students have been left in the dark after their first hospital job offers were withdrawn because of "scoring errors" in their final exams.
On Monday, 7,200 students were told to which city they would be assigned from this August – essentially their first jobs as junior doctors. However, a day later the UK Foundation Programme Office, the examining body, contacted all those medical students – nearly every student in that year – to rescind the offers because of the marking mistakes. On Monday 7,200 students were told to which city they would be assigned from this August – essentially their first jobs as junior doctors. However, a day later the UK Foundation Programme Office, the examining body, contacted all those medical students – nearly every student in that year – to rescind the offers because of the marking mistakes.
The position of hundreds of these students could now change, leaving almost the entire batch of medical students with an anxious week-long wait before the UKFPO goes through all the papers.The position of hundreds of these students could now change, leaving almost the entire batch of medical students with an anxious week-long wait before the UKFPO goes through all the papers.
There is some concern that hospitals will need to provide extra cover in the summer if medical students they thought would arrive are instead sent elsewhere. New medical graduates could miss the August start date as they wait for criminal record and other employer checks that cannot be carried out until a final-year student has been placed. These checks can take up to eight weeks.There is some concern that hospitals will need to provide extra cover in the summer if medical students they thought would arrive are instead sent elsewhere. New medical graduates could miss the August start date as they wait for criminal record and other employer checks that cannot be carried out until a final-year student has been placed. These checks can take up to eight weeks.
There is speculation that the errors were caused by ink-stained photocopied sheets which could not be read by the automated marking system. There is speculation that the errors were caused by ink-stained photocopied sheets that could not be read by the automated marking system.
Unions representing doctors said "mistakes needed to be corrected urgently". The co-chairs of the BMA medical students committee, Alice Rutter and Will Seligman, and the chair of the BMA junior doctors committee, Ben Molyneux, said they would express their anger at the "unacceptable situation" in a joint letter to UKFPO.Unions representing doctors said "mistakes needed to be corrected urgently". The co-chairs of the BMA medical students committee, Alice Rutter and Will Seligman, and the chair of the BMA junior doctors committee, Ben Molyneux, said they would express their anger at the "unacceptable situation" in a joint letter to UKFPO.
Rutter said: "Students who initially will have been delighted to receive their foundation school allocation may now be concerned that their job could be at risk. This is completely unacceptable. We view this problem very seriously indeed and will be taking action to ensure students who are affected are kept updated and supported."Rutter said: "Students who initially will have been delighted to receive their foundation school allocation may now be concerned that their job could be at risk. This is completely unacceptable. We view this problem very seriously indeed and will be taking action to ensure students who are affected are kept updated and supported."
The BMA says it expected to be kept fully informed of what steps the UKFPO and the Medical Schools Council, which discovered the error, were taking. The BMA said it expected to be kept fully informed of what steps the UKFPO and the Medical Schools Council, which discovered the error, were taking.
The union said there were already concerns with the system as almost 300 medical students had been placed on a reserve list "because of a third year of oversubscription". Critics say that medics failed to get jobs because of NHS cuts.The union said there were already concerns with the system as almost 300 medical students had been placed on a reserve list "because of a third year of oversubscription". Critics say that medics failed to get jobs because of NHS cuts.
The examining body has admitted it has had problems with the "computerised scoring of the new SJT (situational judgment test)". The test, a multiple-choice exam, is a key factor in getting a good first job – the higher the score, the more chance medical students have of securing their first-choice foundation school.The examining body has admitted it has had problems with the "computerised scoring of the new SJT (situational judgment test)". The test, a multiple-choice exam, is a key factor in getting a good first job – the higher the score, the more chance medical students have of securing their first-choice foundation school.
The BMA has called for a telephone helpline for affected students, and for a clear timetable for new offers to be made, supported by regular emails and updates on the UKFPO website.The BMA has called for a telephone helpline for affected students, and for a clear timetable for new offers to be made, supported by regular emails and updates on the UKFPO website.
Lyndon James, a final-year medical student at UCL, described it as "an appalling affair". He wrote: "Along with many of my colleagues, I simply cannot understand why this wasn't discovered in the six weeks between the exam date and the release of results. What's worse, the email we received informing us of the debacle did not even contain an apology.
"It's an eagerly awaited result because it gives us the rough geographical area we will be working in for the next two years. This is a huge consideration for important life decisions. I know of people whose partners were putting in offers for properties on the day of the results, and I have even heard that some partners of our prospective junior doctors were planning to quit their jobs to move to where the applicants had been placed. With so many knock-on effects, this really is a shambles. Why, oh why wasn't it dealt with weeks ago?!"
Others emailed to the Guardian a UKFPO message that read: "Please be assured that the decision to re-run the algorithm will not be taken lightly, but if any discrepancy in scores is detected then it will be the fairest and most transparent way of ensuring that any applicants who received a lower mark because of this error are awarded the marks they deserve."
Chris, a final-year medical student in Sheffield, said: " I don't think they realise the rebound effect this error will have – people have bought train tickets for welcome days, people's partners have accepted jobs or further training places as a result of this decision."