Help, I'm a specialist! : perspectives of recently qualified geriatricians on the experiences and challenges of working as a consultant geriatrician

Objective: To gain insights into the experience and challenges faced by Australasian geriatricians who have recently made the transition from advanced trainee to consultant. Methods: An interpretative exploratory qualitative study. Geriatricians with five or less years of experience as consultants were recruited by email. Data were collected through semi‐structured interviews, with themes identified through open axial coding. Results: Respondents (n = 20) experienced a transition period in which they adjusted to the roles of final decision‐maker and manager. Respondents felt relatively confident with their clinical skills, but under‐prepared for non‐clinical roles associated with becoming a consultant. Most respondents described challenges with career planning. Support networks were considered critical. Conclusions: This is the first study in Australasia exploring the transition from trainee to consultant geriatrician. Training programs should endeavour to create “consultant‐like roles” during advanced training and address non‐clinical competencies. Participants perceived that there should be more emphasis on career planning and mentorship.