Working and training as an intern: a national survey of Irish interns

The Medical Council of Ireland recently introduced some initiatives to enhance the education and training of interns. These include the development of a generic job description, a logbook to monitor training outcomes and a national network of supervisors to plan and oversee intern training. To get feedback on the impact of these reforms, the Medical Council surveyed all interns with Irish addresses in March 2003. Three hundred (65%) of 461 interns responded. The majority provided positive feedback on many aspects of their education and training, their work environment and professional relationships. However, a majority also reported a lack of protected time for education, a lack of formal educational programmes, insufficient feedback on performance and an unnecessarily stressful work environment. Overall, 61% reported being bullied and 4% had experienced sexual harassment. While feedback on the Irish internship experience is generally positive, further work is necessary to address the problems identified.