The NHS offers extensive training schemes and career development for all of its doctors, and such programmes are recognised as a gold standard across the medical world.
Training in the NHS is always in keeping with advances in medical sciences and the progressive landscape of the medical profession, including the more complex ailments of a growing and ageing population. The NHS frequently updates and develops its training programmes, making them attractive to UK graduates and doctors, as well as overseas doctors seeking the very best training.
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Many IMGs looking to move to the UK (particularly more junior doctors) will be keen to enter into UK Specialty Training at some point, and as such it is important to understand the UK training pathway from start to finish in order to map your NHS career effectively.
Furthermore, greater understanding of the NHS structure and training offered to doctors in the UK will help an IMG to understand at what grade they can likely enter the system and the salary most appropriate for them.
The NHS Training Pathway describes the journey from medical school to completion of specialist training and is the path most commonly followed by UK trainees.
After graduating from a medical school, doctors gain provisional registration with the GMC allowing them to enter the Foundation Programme - a two-year work-based training programme.
Upon completion of the first year (FY1 or F1) doctors will gain full registration with the GMC and can apply for further study and training in a specialised area – known as Core or Specialty Training, depending on the specialty.
Completion of the Foundation Programme allows doctors to apply for Specialty Training in an area of medicine or general practice. There are 60 different specialties to choose from.
A doctor entering year one of Specialty Training is known as an ST1 or CT1 doctor.
Specialty Training programmes can take between three and eight years depending on the specialism chosen.
Doctors can pass through the training quicker depending on how fast they achieve their competencies.
Sometimes doctors do not complete the training pathways in the indicated time for a variety of reasons and it can take between 1 - 4 years longer than indicated in the curricula.
There are two different structures for Specialty Training programmes, and these vary between specialties.
Run-through Training Programmes
For these training programmes, you only have to apply once at the beginning of the programme. This is because you are recruited for the full duration of Specialty Training.
These training programme can last from approximately three years for general practice, to five or seven for other specialties such as histopathology.
Uncoupled Specialty Training Programmes
These programmes are split into Core Training and Higher Specialty Training.
Core Training lasts for either two or three years and once complete, allows you to apply for Higher Specialty Training, which can take from three to five years.
Overall, Specialty Training programmes can take anywhere from 5 – 8 years in their entirety, depending on your medical specialty, for example 6 years for psychiatry.
Doctors are known as ST1-3 or CT1-3 during their Core Training and ST4+ level during Higher Specialty Training programmes.
Higher Specialty Training programmes are very competitive, and completion of a UK Core Training programme does not guarantee a Higher Specialty Training post.
Upon successful completion of either a run-through or coupled training programme, doctors are awarded a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT).
At this point doctors are able to make an application for Specialist Registration (or GP Registration) and are able to take up permanent consultant posts.
As above, competition for places on training programmes within the NHS is very high. As such, we advise that IMGs who are interested in entering core or specialty training in the NHS first obtain a service post for 1 – 2 years.
Following this contract, you can apply for a training post, for which you will be given priority. Not only will this approach give you the best chance of securing excellent training and career progression opportunities in the NHS, it will also give you the chance to settle in to the UK and the NHS system, and help you understand the training post that will suit you the most.
Service posts also offer very competitive rates, so whilst you are getting to know the NHS and settling into life in the UK, you can also ensure that you are financially rewarded.
IMGs that enter the UK training programmes later on and have not completed the full programme can still get on the specialist register via the CESR-CP route (Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration via a Combined Programme)
Check to see if you're eligible for CESR-CP via the GMC website or read through our detailed blog through our IMG Resources library.
You can apply for Trust Doctor or Service Role online via the NHS Jobs website.
However, working with IMG Connect can offer more jobs than are available online with the added benefit of an IMG Consultant speaking directly with services on your behalf to expedite the process and negotiate the best doctor salary for you.
Read more useful articles on finding an NHS trust doctor job, training pathways, doctor salaries in the UK, relocation and much more!
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team to learn more about the opportunities available to you once as an IMG new to the UK.
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When applying with IMG Connect, you’ll have the full support of an expert recruitment team who will be your recruitment and relocation partners throughout the process. We\'ll support you with:
Once you have accepted your new role, you’ll then be supported and led throughout by one of our dedicated relocation executives who will guide you all the way to starting your new role, including: