COVID-19 pandemic interim Foundation Year 1 post and confidence in core skills and competencies: a longitudinal survey

OBJECTIVES: The interim Foundation Year 1 (FiY1) post was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to help bolster the workforce and manage increased clinical pressures. This study aimed to assess the impact of the FiY1 post on medical graduates’ self-reported confidence in common tasks, core skills, competencies and procedures prior to starting FY1, as a measure of increasing preparedness for practice. SETTING: A longitudinal survey was performed at a tertiary teaching hospital in the South East of England. FiY1 posts ran from June to July 2020. PARTICIPANTS: Questionnaires were sent to 122 medical graduates from a single medical school (recipients included FiY1s and non-FiY1s) and to 69 FiY1s at a single Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, irrespective of medical school attended. Initial and follow-up questionnaires had 86 and 62 respondents, respectively. Of these, 39 graduates were matched; 26 were FiY1s and 13 non-FiY1s. The 39 matched results were analysed. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Confidence levels in common FY1 tasks, core procedures and competencies were gathered before and after the FiY1 post through online questionnaires. Change in confidence comparing FiY1s and non-FiY1s was measured and analysed using linear regression. RESULTS: On a 5-point scale, the FiY1 post increased overall confidence in starting FY1 by 0.62 (95% CI 0.072 to 1.167, p=0.028). The FiY1 post increased confidence in performing venepuncture by 0.32 (95% CI 0.011 to 0.920, p=0.045), performing intravenous cannulation by 0.48 (95% CI 0.030 to 1.294, p=0.041) and recognising, assessing and initiating the management of the acutely ill patient by 0.32 (95% CI 0.030 to 1.301, p=0.041). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic FiY1 post improved confidence in core skills and competencies. These findings may help guide future educational interventions in conjunction with further larger scale studies, ultimately aiding to bridge the transition gap between being a medical student and a doctor.