Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40341155›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Changes to national postgraduate medical education during COVID-19: a scoping review of practice and impact within the UK.

Megan E L Brown, Gabrielle Finn, Bryan Burford, Gillian Vance

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Megan E L BrownSchool of Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK megan.brown@newcastle.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9334-0922
Gabrielle FinnUniversity of Manchester, Manchester, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0419-694X
Bryan BurfordSchool of Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4687-7556
Gillian VanceSchool of Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesExplore what is known about the impact of changes made at a national level to UK postgraduate medical education during COVID-19.

designA scoping review, following Arksey and O'Malley's framework, reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews Checklist. DATA SOURCES: Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase and ERIC were searched for peer-reviewed literature, and grey literature was searched via DuckDuckGo. The initial search was conducted on 17 January 2023 and updated on 5 June 2024. Forward citation tracking was performed. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: English-language studies of any design examining national-level adaptations to postgraduate medical education (eg, curricula, examinations and Annual Review of Competency Panels (ARCPs)) within the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies were excluded, which focused solely on undergraduate education, international settings, grassroots-level changes (eg, to individual teaching sessions), or where full text was unobtainable. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Data were extracted using a piloted charting form and analysed thematically to identify recurring patterns across studies. Basic numerical data were collected to describe study characteristics.

resultsOf 1067 records screened, 30 studies met inclusion criteria. Most were cross-sectional surveys, with a strong representation from surgical and craft specialties. Four themes were identified: (1) impact on career development (including concerns about career delays and shifts in aspirations); (2) impact on trainee progression (highlighting delays due to ARCP outcomes 10.1/10.2 and reduced procedure accreditation); (3) changes in teaching and learning (such as a shift to online learning and cancelled rotations) and (4) supervision and support (revealing mixed experiences, with reports of burnout and inadequate organisational guidance). The systemic impact was uneven across specialties and training stages.

conclusionsNational-level changes mitigated immediate educational disruptions but are beginning to reveal long-term consequences for career development, workforce planning and trainee well-being, highlighting the need for resilient and equitable future frameworks.

Indexed as

COVID-19Education, Medical, GraduateCurriculumHumansPandemicsSARS-CoV-2United KingdomCOVID-19EDUCATION & TRAINING (see Medical Education & Training)MEDICAL EDUCATION & TRAINING

Identifiers

PMID40341155
PMCPMC12067778

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.