Overview – UK Medical Specialty Training Program 2020
In this Guide, Quam.cc will show you the UK Medical Specialty Training Program 2020, Quam will list all job opportunities available for doctors in the UK.
This guide is intended to help you make the best possible applications, starting with your specialty choices and continuing through the entire application process. In addition to reading this guide, you must also ensure that you read any specialty-specific guidance for the specialty/specialties to which you are considering making an application. Specialty specific guidance will be available from the recruitment leads for the individual specialties.
Specialties and lead recruiters for 2020
| Specialty | Level | Lead Recruiter |
| Acute Medicine | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| ACCS Emergency Medicine | ST1 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Allergy | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Anaesthetics and ACCS Anaesthetics | CT1 | HEE – West Midlands |
| Anaesthetics | ST3 | HEE – West Midlands |
| Audiovestibular Medicine | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Cardiology | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Cardiothoracic Surgery | ST1 ST3 | HEE – Wessex |
| Child and Adolescent Psychiatry | ST1 | HEE – North West |
| Clinical Genetics | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Clinical Neurophysiology | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Clinical Oncology | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Clinical Radiology | ST1 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Combined Infection Training | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Community Sexual and Reproductive Health | ST1 | HEE – East of England |
| Core Psychiatry Training | CT1 | HEE – North West |
| Core Surgical Training | CT1 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Dermatology | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Diagnostic Neuropathology | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Emergency Medicine – Direct Route of Entry | ST3 | HEE – Yorkshire and the Humber |
| Emergency Medicine | ST4 | HEE – Yorkshire and the Humber |
| Endocrinology and Diabetes | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Gastroenterology | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| General Practice | ST1 | GP National Recruitment Office |
| General Surgery and Vascular Surgery | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Genitourinary Medicine | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Geriatric Medicine | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Haematology | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Histopathology | ST1 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Immunology | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Intensive Care Medicine | ST3 | HEE – West Midlands |
| Internal Medicine Training and ACCS Acute Medicine | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex | |
| Medical Oncology | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Medical Ophthalmology | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Metabolic Medicine | ST3 | HEE – East Midlands |
| Neurology | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Neurosurgery | ST1 ST3 | HEE – Yorkshire and the Humber |
| Nuclear Medicine | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Obstetrics and Gynaecology | ST1 ST3 | HEE – North West |
| Occupational Medicine | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Ophthalmology | ST1 ST3 | HEE – South West |
| Oral and Maxillo Facial Surgery | ST1 ST3 | HEE – South West |
| Otolaryngology (ENT) | ST3 | HEE – Yorkshire and the Humber |
| Paediatric and Perinatal Pathology | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Paediatric Cardiology | ST4 | HEE – Wessex |
| Paediatric Surgery | ST3 | HEE – Yorkshire and the Humber |
| Paediatrics | ST1 to ST4 | HEE – West Midlands |
| Palliative Medicine | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent Surrey and Sussex |
| Plastic Surgery | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Public Health | ST1 | HEE – East Midlands |
| Rehabilitation Medicine | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Renal Medicine | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Respiratory Medicine | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Rheumatology | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Sport and Exercise Medicine | ST3 | HEE – London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
| Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery | ST3 | HEE – Yorkshire and the Humber |
| Urology | ST3 | HEE – Yorkshire and the Humber |
Further information on the lead recruiters can be found on the Recruitment Leads page of the Oriel recruitment system: https://www.oriel.nhs.uk/Web/RecruitmentLead
Each recruitment office is responsible for some or all of the following:
- Advertising vacancies.
- Providing information on the recruitment process.
- Receiving applications.
- Onglisting applications against a set of agreed eligibility criteria.
- Shortlisting based on set criteria and scoring systems.
- Interviewing and selecting successful applicants.
- Making offers and receiving acceptance.
National Recruitment Rounds
Specialty recruitment is split into five recruitment rounds throughout the year. It is important that applicants familiarise themselves with which round the specialty that they wish to apply to is being recruited in.
- Academic Recruitment – Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) posts in England are advertised and recruited to. This round encompasses appointments to ACFs at all levels. Adverts will appear on October 2019.
- Round 1 – this encompasses recruitment to all CT1/ST1 specialty training programs, across the UK and some run through specialties at higher entry levels. Posts appointed in this round will normally start on August 2020 and generally no later than December 2020 Adverts will appear in November 2019.
- Round 2 – this is the first time that ST3 and ST4 specialties in uncoupled training programs will be advertised. This round may also include ST3 entry-level posts in run through specialties. Posts advertised in this round will normally commence between August 2020 and December 2020. Adverts will appear in late January 2020.
- Round 1 Re-Advert – where training programs advertised in Round 1 remain vacant, a second round, known as Round 1 re-advert is run to try and fill the remaining posts. Adverts will appear on February 2020.
- Round 2 Re-Advert – this round encompasses all recruitment for posts starting later than December 2020 and no later than April 2021. Generally, posts advertised in this round will have a commencement date of February 2021. Not all specialties will advertise in this round. This round includes adverts for posts at all entry levels and is not limited to CT1/ST1 or ST3/ST4 like some of the earlier recruitment rounds.
Competition – UK Medical Specialty Training Program 2020
When deciding which posts and specialties to apply for, applicants are advised to consider carefully the likely levels of competition involved and be prepared to be flexible about their specialty choices; not all applicants will be successful in getting a place in their first choice specialty and/or region.
The medical specialty training website http://specialtytraining.hee.nhs.uk provides direct links to competition ratios from previous recruitment rounds.
These figures do not show what will happen in 2020 but offer a broad indication of the most and least subscribed specialties and areas in the previous recruitment year.
Planning your Application
Once you have decided which specialty or specialties you wish to apply for it is essential that you first ensure that you are eligible to make an application. Person specifications are available from https://specialtytraining.hee.nhs.uk
You should familiarise yourself with the application period, find out where and how you access the application form and make sure you read all the guidance information provided by the lead recruiter for that specialty.
We advise that you do this as soon as possible to ensure that any queries you have can be resolved in good time, ahead of you beginning your application.
See Annex B for links to further information
Eligibility to apply for UK Medical Specialty Training Program 2020
There are strict eligibility requirements when applying for specialty training, with some person specification criteria being essential. If you are applying for more than one specialty, ensure you read the person specification for each specialty/level to which you are applying.
Fitness to Practise
If an applicant makes a Fitness to Practise declaration on their application form, they must complete a form and submit it to the lead recruiter providing further information. This must be provided at the time of application. The approach taken will depend on the recruitment model used by the specialty to which the applicant is applying.
Applicants should provide their supporting information form by email to either the lead recruiter or the region in which they are being interviewed/considered for appointment. Each specialty lead recruiter will advise on the process that should be followed.
Forms are available from the resource bank on the specialty training website (www.specialtytraining.hee.nhs.uk).
Further details on the nature of the declaration may be requested and should be provided prior to the deadline for the submission of applications. Failure to provide this detail by the closing date may result in the application being rejected.
Contact details are available in Annex C
Vacancies and Applications
Advertisements and where to find them
All recruitment offices will work to a nationally coordinated advertisement and application window.
Academic Clinical Fellow (ACF) Recruitment
For further information on the ACF recruitment process, please visit the National Institute for Health Research website: http://www.nihr.ac.uk
| Applications open | Monday 7 October 2019 |
| Applications close | Monday 4 November 2019 |
| Interview window | Wednesday 6 November to Friday 20 December 2019 |
| Initial offers released from | Monday 6 January 2020 |
| Hold deadline | Monday 13 January 2020 |
Round 1 – UK Medical Specialty Training Program 2020
Predominantly recruitment to CT1/ST1 for commencement between August and December 2020.
| Advertisements | Thursday 6 31 October 2019 |
| Applications open | At 10 am on Thursday 7 November 2019 |
| Applications close | At 4pm on Thursday 28 November 2019 |
| Interview window | Thursday 2 January to Friday 6 March 2020 |
| Initial offers released by | By 5pm on Monday 9 March 2020 |
| Hold deadline | At 1 pm on Friday 13 March 2020 |
| Upgrade deadline | At 4pm on Friday 20 March 2020 |
| Hierarchical deadline | At 4 pm on Wednesday 25 March 2020 |
Round 1
Re-Adverts Re-advertisement of posts still vacant following completion of Round 1
| Advertisements | Thursday 13 February 2020 |
| Applications open | At 10 am on Tuesday 25 February 2020 |
| Applications close | At 4 pm on Thursday 12 March 2020 |
| Interview window | Monday 6 April to Friday 24 April 2020 |
| Initial offers released by | By 5pm on Tuesday 28 April 2020 |
| Hold deadline | At 9 am on Friday 1 May 2020 |
| Upgrade deadline | At 5pm on Friday 1 May 2020 |
Round 2 – UK Medical Specialty Training Program 2020
Predominantly recruitment to ST3/ST4 for commencement between August and December 2020
| Advertisements | Wednesday 22 January 2020 |
| Applications open | At 10 am on Wednesday 29 January 2020 |
| Applications close | At 4 pm on Wednesday 19 February 2020 |
| Interview window | Monday 2 March to Wednesday 22 April 2020 |
| Initial offers released by | By 5 pm on Thursday 23 April 2020 |
| Hold deadline | At 1 pm on Wednesday 29 April 2020 |
| Upgrade deadline | At 4 pm on Friday 1 May 2020 |
| Hierarchical deadline | At 4 pm on Tuesday 5 May 2020 |
Round 2 Re-Advert – UK Medical Specialty Training Program 2020
Recruitment to posts at all levels commencing between January and March 2021
| Advertisements | Thursday 16 July 2020 |
| Applications open | At 10 am on Tuesday 28 July 2020 |
| Applications close | At 4 pm on Thursday 13 August 2020 |
| Interview window | Tuesday 25 August to Friday 2 October 2020 |
| Initial offers released by | By 5 pm on Monday 5 October 2020 |
| Hold deadline | At 1 pm on Wednesday 7 October 2020 |
| Upgrade deadline | At 4 pm on Friday 9 October 2020 |
| Hierarchical deadline | At 4 pm on Tuesday 13 October 2020 |
