Commissioned by the Association of Anaesthetists, we were asked to put together a series of interviews with previous UK anaesthetic trainees who left the traditional training structure to pursue another career path.

The interviews conducted by Dr. Stuart Edwardson give a rare and honest insight into the work of anaesthetics, and interviewees reflect on why they left the profession, but also discuss what could have been done for them to stay.

The project in itself is not to focus on the shortcomings of working within the field of anaesthesia, but it allows the field to reflect and hopefully adapt training pathways to improve retention and equity.