Career plans of French residents in Psychiatry: Results of a National Survey

Introduction. For many years, the numerus clausus limiting the number of medical students has increased in France. The government wants to reform the residency process to homogenize medical studies. However, the suggested residency program changes would imply changes in the Length of residency, in the mobility of residents after residency, their access to unconventional sectors, and more generally, the responsibility of the resident and his/her status in the hospital. In this context, we have investigated the future plans of all psychiatry residents in France. Goals. To study the desires of psychiatry residents in France, regarding their training, their short and long-term career plans, and to analyze the evolution of those desires over the last 40 years. Methodology. A survey was carried out among residents in psychiatry from November 2011 to January 2012. An anonymous questionnaire including four parts (resident's description, residency training and trainees choice, orientation immediately after residency, professional orientation in 5-10 years) was sent by the French Federative Association of Psychiatrists Trainees (AFFEP) to all French psychiatrist trainees, through their local trainee associations (n=26) and through an on line questionnaire. Results. The questionnaire was answered by 853 of the 1615 psychiatry residents (53%), of which 71% were women. At the end of the residency, 76% of residents reported that they would Like to pursue a post-residency position (chief resident, senior physician assistant university hospitals); 22% reported wanting to work in another city. Between 5 to 10 years after completion of the residency, 71% reported wanting to work in a hospital, and 40% preferred to have their own private practice. Almost a third of the trainees wished to work in the child and adolescent psychiatry field, for some of them in an exclusive way, for others, combined with a practice in adult psychiatry. (C) L'Encephale, Paris, 2013.