When submitting your application please leave sufficient time prior to the deadline as application volumes may be high and no applications submitted after the deadline will be accepted. Once you have submitted your application you will receive an auto-response from London Deanery confirming that your application has been received.

We will only contact those applicants that are successful in reaching the interview stage. Applicants will be advised via email, please keep checking your nominated email address.

Please note – we can only accept applications submitted in word (.doc) format. Our system can not process other formats.

1.    How do I apply for specialties in the London Deanery area?

London Deanery manages recruitment to most specialties locally. Posts will be announced two weeks prior to applications opening. You will have at least five days to complete your application. All specialty specific information is available in the Specialty Recruitment section of our website.

2.    How long will jobs be advertised and how quickly will I need to apply?

According to Department of Health guidelines, the minimum period a post can be advertised is 72 hours (not including weekends and bank holidays). Excluding the advertisement period you will have at least five days to apply electronically (via email).

If you are offered a post you will have a minimum of 48 hours to accept or decline, excluding weekends and bank holidays.

3.    Where can I access the application form?

Application forms (with exception of College led specialties) will be available on the London Deanery website from Friday December 4, 2009. To access the forms please click on the specialty you wish to apply to under Specialty Recruitment.

4.    Can I see the application form before the recruitment opens?

The application forms can only be viewed and completed once the application window opens. Candidates can start preparing their application forms by reviewing the Medical Specialty Training Person Specifications on their website.  Application forms for nationally managed specialties can be viewed through the relevant Medical Royal College website.

5.    I need help completing my application form, where do I find guidance?

You may find it useful to refer to the Medical Specialty Training Applicant Guide, in particular section 4.3 on submitting your application form.

6.    I’m not sure which level to apply to for my specialty. How can I find out?

Each specialty (and the level at which you would be entering training) has a nationally agreed person specification that lists the required competences for that specialty. In making an application, you will need to provide evidence to prove that you have achieved the specified competences. All information is available on the Medical Specialty Training website. 

7.     How many applications can I submit for specialty training?

There is no restriction to the number of applications that you can make, although only one application can be made to a particular specialty at a given level. 

8.    Do I need to submit supporting evidence demonstrating my competencies with my application form?

Documentary evidence will be required at interview stage and should not be submitted electronically / or by post at the application stage.

9.    Can I make changes to my application once it has been submitted?

No changes can be made after you have submitted your application form and the deadline has passed.

10.    I missed the deadline for the specialty to which I wanted to apply, am I able to apply to it after the deadline?

London Deanery has a strict policy on 2010 applications and will not accept applications after the submission deadline.

There will be two rounds of recruitment in 2010, so we recommend you continue to check the Specialty Recruitment pages of our website for the latest information.  Specialties will be able to recruit up to three times during the year.

11.    Who will score my application form?

A panel of Consultants (from the appropriate specialty) will score application forms. Each form will be double marked and the process will be overseen by a Lay Chairperson.

12.    What period of time should referees cover and how many do I need?

Applicants need to have at least three referees for their employment/training history. Ideally this should include a period which covers two separate employers (where possible), one of which should be their current or most recent employer. Where an individual has been with one employer for five years or more, one reference will be sufficient.

13.  Will London Deanery request references from referees directly or do applicants need to obtain the references in advance?

London Deanery will obtain references directly from referees.

14.    I am not a UK doctor and am applying internationally. I don’t fully understand the UK system, how do I find out more information?

Doctors who are not UK or EEA nationals and whose immigration status entitles them to work without restriction in the UK will be considered on an equal basis with UK and EEA nationals.  Other non-UK or non-EEA nationals with limited leave to remain in the UK and whose employment will require Tier 2 sponsorship are subject to the Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT).  As the RLMT will not be deemed to have been satisfied in Round 1 of the recruitment to this specialty, applicants in this category are asked to consider applying during Round 2.   Applicants may only be considered if there is no suitable UK or EEA national candidate for the post.  Evidence of immigration status should normally consist of a date stamped passport and accompanying letter from the Home Office.  Please visit the UK Border Agency website and the Medical Specialty Trianing website for more information.

For further information please email: img@londondeanery.ac.uk 

15.    How long will jobs be advertised for and how quickly will I need to apply?

The minimum period a post can be advertised for is 72 hours (not including weekends and bank holidays). Excluding the advertisement period, you will have at least five days to apply electronically (via email).

If you are offered a post, you will have a minimum of 48 hours to accept or decline it, excluding weekends and bank holidays. If you have not done so within the agreed deadline, then you will have been deemed to have declined the offer and post and it will be offered to the next highest ranked applicant.

16.    How many recruitment episodes will be taking place in 2009?

There will be two rounds of recruitment in 2010, the largest being Round One which opened on December 4, 2009. For details please refer to the Timetable for 2010.

17.    I accepted a post in 2010 Recruitment Round One.  Can I apply to London Deanery in Round Two?

Round Two is a completely separate recruitment round to Round One. Therefore if you accept a post in Round One, you can still apply for a post within Round Two. If successful you will need to resign from your Round One post (in accordance with your terms and conditions) if you wish to take up the Round Two post.

18.    I would like to do an inter-deanery transfer, what is required?

A recent national review of the Inter-Deanery Transfer (IDT) process has resulted in a set of recommendations to ensure a consistent approach to IDT’s across all deaneries and specialties. If you are a trainee within the London Deanery area and wish to be considered for an inter-deanery transfer to another Deanery, please ensure you give as much notice as possible. Further information is available on our Inter-Deanery Transfers page.

19.   I am a non UK / non EEA national who has qualified from a UK Medical School - what visa do I need?

It has recently been announced that all non UK/non EEA nationals who have qualified from UK Medical Schools  and who are completing their Foundation Programme in 2010  must now apply for a visa under the Tier 1 (post-study work) category of the points based immigration system. Full details of this are yet to be finalised, however recruitment and immigration information is available on the following two NHS Employers web pages: