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The Structured Clinically Relevant Interview for Psychiatrists in Training (SCRIPT): A New Standardized Assessment Tool for Recruitment in the UK

Received Nov. 4, 2006; revisions received Jan. 26 and Apr. 17, 2007; accepted May 2, 2007. Address correspondence to Dr. Rao, King’s College, London, Department of Psychiatry, North Southwark Community Team, The Gatehouse, 1 Ann Moss Way, Rotherhithe London SE16 2TS, United Kingdom; tony.rao{at}kcl.ac.uk (e-mail)

OBJECTIVE: The multifaceted nature of training and the diverse backgrounds of potential Senior House Officers (Postgraduate Residents) require a novel approach to the selection of trainees wishing to pursue a career in psychiatry. The author reports the properties of a semi-structured interview (the SCRIPT) for assessing doctors short-listed for a large Senior House Officer Training Scheme in psychiatry in South East England.METHODS: Data from 3 recruitment periods between 2005 and 2006 was examined to assess both interrater reliability and variation in scoring between interviewers. All questions were operationally defined and were modeled on General Medical Council (UK) guidelines for Good Medical Practice.Result: For 3 consecutive recruitment periods, interrater reliability (measured by Cronbach alpha) retained a high level of significance (p<0.001). Differences between the maximum and minimum mean scores between panels differed by only 6% of the total possible score and differences between mean scores at the same (p values between 0.8 and 0.9) and different (p values between 0.2 and 0.4) interviews showed no significant differences.CONCLUSIONS: The development of a valid and reliable method for selecting Senior House Officers in Psychiatry shows promise in the recruitment of "tomorrow’s psychiatrists." Prospective data on the positive predictive value of individual scores in career development awaits further exploration. Given the birth of a new ‘Run Through Grade,’ the interview may have its place in the assessment process within Modernising Medical Careers in the United Kingdom.

Key Words: Evaluation • Careers in Psychiatry • Residents: Recruitment

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