Deanery Training
** These posts are subject to Labour market test and not normally available to candidates applying from overseas**
A short history of UK Training
Training Structure in the UK has gone through radical change but has always been longer than other countries. This is because of the focus on experience, maturity and knowledge that is often required to become a consultant. It has also encouraged doing a basic medical medical surgical membership before doing specialities like radiology. So The training programme is longer
1. Foundation years (FY1/FY2 years)
Foreign equivalent -Internship/ House-surgeon
Time – 2 years
This includes 4 month posting in various different specialities including medicine, General Practice, psychiatry. General Practice : This is essentially supernumerary to the work force and is supposed to be training posts with a main focus on allowing them time to absorb the complexities of working on different wards , outpatients and allied areas. They are fully registered doctors and can prescribe, do ward rounds, discharge summaries. However they are always expected to work under supervision
2. Core Medical / Basic Surgical/ ST1/ST2 (JCF)
Foreign equivalent – MD registrar/MS (PG registrar)
Time – 3 years
These are posts where you are mainly based on the wards gaining further experience, knowledge procedural skills (LP, Pleural tap etc) You will supervise foundation doctors, clerk patients, make independent decisions and have a ST3+ (registrar) with you. You are expected to work towards your membership examinations at this stage.
3. Speciality Training ST3 – 8 (Senior Clinical Fellow / Registrar)
Foreign equivalent – DM / senior resident
Time – 5 – 8 years (including 2 – 3 years for research)
a) ST3+ posts These are speciality Training posts which get you up towards a speciality. Hence if you are in surgery, you will do 5 years in different hospitals (in your speciality) in a particular deanery. So in the Nottingham deanery, you will have a base hospital and then be posted in 3 -4 hospitals in a 30 – 40 mile radius. over 5 years. You are encouraged to take time out of your training to do research, publish papers and learn research skills. Of the 5 years you will spend a minimum of 2 years in an academic setup doing your pure speciality (i.e. colorectal surgery trainee will only do colorectal surgery for those two years ). The other three will be in a district hospital where you learn and do surgery outside your sub speciality (e.g. General Abdominal/ vascular surgery)
You will immediately note that the training is longer, involves working in different hospitals which may or may not mean that you will need to drive long distances every day. This will involve night an calls of at least 1 in 10 frequency in general Medicine.
You will be under close supervision and will need to complete your portfolio and under go yearly appraisals
You may wish to develop a skill which will give a cut above others (eg research, management or teaching experience as detailed below.
a) Research This is usually an (Out of program experience ( OOPE) where funding will come from other sources (eg research grant, commercial trial physician). These years are crucial to your work as consultant as you will gain transferrable skills (critical reviews), develop a speciality interest, have a “selling point” (i.e. something to set you apart from competitors who are applying for the same consultant post). You will have to find these posts yourself and be sure that you get along with your supervisor. You will have to be self motivated, thinking, creative and develop beyond what you set out to do. (e.g. get a post graduate diploma in medical education.
Opportunities : Commercial research, clinical academic, Professorship
Demonstrate by : certificate of GCP, clinical research physcian
b) Teaching This is a strong skill to develop and will help you take on additional roles like Royal College Tutpr, FY1 program director etc. You can demonstrate this skill by doing a diploma, certificate or masters in medical education.
Demonstrate by completing course in medical education (Diploma, certificate or Masters)
Opportunities : RCP Tutor, Foundation lead, Training program director
c) Management
There are numerous opportunities in management and will help you manage the eg, the role of clinical and medical director, department lead. chairmanship of committees. There is increasing recognition that clinical manager help make good leaders. So it you have the temperament, this is ideal
Demonstrate this by : Kings management course, MBA, starting and delivering on an improvement project.
Suitable posts Clinical and medical director. Leadership of committees.