Selection

Transplant units increasingly recognise a need for assistance from psychiatrists and psychologists in the assessment and management of potential transplant recipients and live donors. This arises from the various known associations between mental disorder and the need for transplantation; the intensifying requirement to select carefully among the potential recipients and donors of scarce human organs; and the drive to maximise transplant outcomes by optimising all aspects of treatment after surgery.

Purpose: To compare three separate assessment stations used for selection to Core Medical Training (CMT) and to determine the effect of reducing the number from three to two.Methods: Quantitative analysis of candidates’ assessment station scores, financial analysis of costs of the selection process and quantitative and qualitative surveys of candidates and assessors.Results: The assessment stations used for selection to CMT were reliable and valid for assessing suitability for employment as a CMT trainee.