Modernising Medical Careers

Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) was a major reform of postgraduate medical education in the United Kingdom. It was introduced by the Department of Health and Social Care in 2005 with the aim of improving the training of doctors and ensuring a more structured and streamlined career path.

Background

Prior to MMC, the training of doctors in the UK was considered to be lengthy and inconsistent. The traditional system involved a series of pre-registration house officer (PRHO) and senior house officer (SHO) posts, followed by specialist registrar (SpR) training. This system was criticized for its lack of standardization and clear progression.

Implementation

MMC introduced a new structure for postgraduate medical training, which included the following key components:

• Foundation Programme: A two-year training programme that replaced the PRHO year and the first year of SHO training. It aimed to provide a broad-based training in various medical specialties.
• Specialty Training: Following the Foundation Programme, doctors would enter specialty training, which was divided into core and higher specialty training. This replaced the SHO and SpR grades.
• Run-through training: In some specialties, doctors would enter a run-through training programme that provided a continuous training path from the end of the Foundation Programme to the completion of specialty training.

Controversies

MMC faced significant criticism and controversy, particularly regarding the implementation of the Medical Training Application Service (MTAS) in 2007. MTAS was an online application system for specialty training posts, which was widely criticized for its technical failures and perceived unfairness in the selection process. This led to widespread protests by junior doctors and eventually the abandonment of MTAS.

Impact

Despite the controversies, MMC brought about several changes in the structure of medical training in the UK. It aimed to provide a more transparent and efficient training pathway, although its implementation and the associated issues highlighted the challenges of reforming medical education.

See also

• General Medical Council
• National Health Service
• Postgraduate medical education
• Medical Training Application Service