Lying in applications

Medicolegal Adviser Dr Chris Godeseth warns that, despite the intense pressure, dishonesty in specialty training applications may have serious consequences for a junior doctor’s career

What may appear a minor transgression could have serious consequences

The recruitment of junior doctors to core and specialty training positions is already well under way. Doctors face tight deadlines for submission of applications, which take no account of individual on-call commitments. This, combined with the pressure of high competition for training positions, may understandably lead some individuals to take ‘short cuts’ when completing their application forms.

However, what may appear a minor transgression could have serious consequences. Trusts would usually consider dishonesty on an application form as a disciplinary matter, which may ultimately lead to termination of a doctor’s contract of employment. If a doctor intentionally makes a false representation in order to gain a financial advantage, he or she may be guilty of a criminal offence under the Fraud Act 2006. GMC guidance Good Medical Practice states that “You must always be honest about your experience, qualifications and position, particularly when applying for posts”. Indeed, the GMC is known to take a keen interest in matters where a doctor’s probity is called into question.

In the 2007 GP application process, the GMC saw a number of cases where junior doctors were accused of plagiarism on application forms. This led to sanctions ranging from warnings through to erasure from the medical register. Many of the doctors involved had reproduced material from websites, with others being found to have copied from their colleagues. Whilst it is clearly best to avoid any suspicion altogether, if you do find yourself being accused of plagiarism or dishonesty, it is important that you contact MPS to obtain expert advice at an early stage. The earlier we are involved, the better the chances of mitigating any damage to your career.