Candidate evaluation of national recruitment in oral surgery

Aim: To ascertain the perceptions and experiences of candidates of national recruitment and multi-station interviews for the selection of oral surgery specialty trainees to UK during the first 3 years of being introduced. Material and methods: A pre-piloted questionnaire was administered in paper format to applicants immediately following completion of the final recruitment day. Applicants were asked six questions regarding appropriateness of each of the stations using a Likert scales (1 strongly disagree to 5 strongly agree). Results: During a 3-year period, feedback was favourable for those stations most likely to be associated with a career in oral surgery, which was in stark contrast to the critical appraisal station which consistently received feedback regarding the time allocated to it. Survey feedback each year was presented to the working group and helped to develop and inform future stations. Conclusions: Candidates considered national recruitment to be both a fair and transparent process, which the majority supporting the move away from traditional CV-focused interviews.