The evaluation of a period of extended shadowing for foundation year one doctors at induction and mentorship schemes at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.

Abstract

Background The 2020/21 cohort of foundation year-1 (FY1) doctors were offered interim foundation year-1 (FiY1) placements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These FiY1 doctors started in June 2020 (2 months ahead of their initial scheduled start date) and a buddy scheme pairing FiY1s and current FY1 doctors was established. FY1 doctors were paired up with FiY1s in the same specialty in which they were due to start in August or a closely allied specialty. Feedback from the scheme was overwhelmingly positive1 so we wanted to apply those modifications to the 2021/22 cohort.

Methods This intake of prospective FY1 doctors starting in August 2021 were invited to start a week earlier than usual for a period of extended shadowing. As we did the previous year, we assigned individual FY1 buddies for the regular and extended shadowing periods. In addition to that, we assigned SHO mentors who would be on the same site or specialty as the new FY1s from August and a near peer group for the year, which was made up of the three FY1s and three FY2s on the same rotational tract as each other. Surveys were used to evaluate the benefit of shadowing and mentorship.