Sir: Leaman and Lyle (Psychiatric Bulletin, June 2002, 26, 233-234) suggest extending the concept of flexible training to include recognition of well-supervised experience in non-career grades for examination eligibility. I returned to psychiatric training in the late 1980s, early 1990s. The College allowed me to take the MRCPsych Part 1 examination when I was working as a clinical assistant, taking into account 8-months' senior house officer (SHO) experience I had gained 6 years earlier. Encouraged by passing Part 1 at my first attempt I returned to SHO training on what was then called the Doctors with Domestic Commitments Scheme. Some years later, when I came to apply for a consultant post, I know my experience as a clinical assistant was taken into account by the appropriate committee.

Although training part-time has, I believe, in many ways become easier in the past 10 years, it seems that the College should be more flexible in recognising the experience gained in well-supervised, non-career grade posts. With a large number of consultant psychiatry posts vacant in this country, we must do all we can to encourage experienced doctors back from ‘the branch to the mainline’ of psychiatry, while still maintaining examination eligibility standards.