1.    Where can I find additional general background information about Medical Specialty Training and the recruitment process?

Please refer to the Medical Specialty Training website for further information. Please also refer to their Quick Guide to Specialty Training 2011.

2.    How will the specialty recruitment process work in 2011?

The recruitment process for specialty training will be similar to 2010. Some recruitment will be managed locally by Deaneries and some specialty recruitment will be managed nationally by Deaneries and Royal Colleges. Applicants can apply to as many specialties as they like, assuming they meet the relevant person specifications for the specialty and post. Information about both local and national specialty recruitment for posts in London will be available on the 2011 Recruitment Timetable.
For a detailed and comprehensive guide to the 2011 recruitment process, please download the 2011 Applicant's Guide.

3.    I would like some feedback on my interview. How do I obtain this information?

It is London Deanery’s policy that requests for shortlisting feedback will begin to be provided at least seven days after all interviews are completed. Feedback on rank, shortlisting and interview scores can be provided seven days after all offers have been made.

For further information please email RecruitmentEnquiries@londondeanery.ac.uk

4.    Where can I find general careers advice?

You should contact your education supervisor or your clinical tutor in your local trust to discuss your career options. They may then suggest other sources of information which may be of help to you.

5.    What do I do if I have not decided upon a specialty career path?

You will need to explore what information is already known about the entry requirements for particular specialties. Look at relevant websites for information, for example, the website for the Royal College in question and the Medical Specialty Training website. Once you have found a specialty you are interested in, ask your local postgraduate medical education centre if there is anyone locally who you would be able to see to speak to with your questions. You may also be able to enquire directly to the relevant Royal College. If you are going to meet a tutor to discuss a specialty in more detail then take care to prepare for the meeting so that the time allocated can be used effectively.

6.    What are Fixed Term Specialty Training Appointments? (FTSTA’s)

FTSTAs are fixed-term contracts for up to one year and will only provide training in the early years of specialty training – ST1 and ST2 for most specialties (plus ST3 in paediatrics and psychiatry only). Training will be in accordance with the early competences in the given specialty and will use the appropriate elements of the curriculum to define the content of the training.

6.1.    What are LATs?

LATS are ‘Locum Appointments of Training’ and are fixed term posts for a period of between 3 and 6 months.

7.    What are pre-employment checks?

It is essential that every doctor working in the NHS is fit and safe to work with patients. This is emphasized in the GMC publication “Good Medical Practice”.

You will be asked to make key declarations on your application form relating to your honesty and probity. In addition, further pre-employment checks will be carried out by the employing trust / service provider on all successful applicants recommended for medical training. These checks will include verification of references, Fitness to Practice updates from GMC, occupational health clearance, Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosures and immigration status checks. They may also include validation of the evidence you presented at the selection centre / interview, such as English language proficiency. The recruitment and selection process aims to match you to the most appropriate training programme or FTSTA (where applicable), but the final contract of employment is issued by the trust / service provider, including any required work permit submissions.

8.    What happens if I haven’t found a training post by the end of Round One offers?

This is not the end of the process. There may be unfilled posts that we will continue to recruit to throughout 2011.

9.    What do ‘run-through’ and ‘uncoupling’ mean?

One of the original changes implemented in 2007 was that a high proportion of training should, providing they passed the right tests, allow trainees to progress from ST1 to 2, 3 and higher without having to reapply. This provided security for doctors and better planning for patients. However, it also meant that doctors had to make choices about their preferred specialties early on in their career.

The principle of run-through training works better in some specialties than in others. In 2008, specialties who felt that run-through training was of benefit retained it, while a number of specialties who felt that their trainees would benefit from greater flexibility chose to ‘uncouple’ and offer posts which last a year. In other words, if you apply for a post in an ‘uncoupled’ specialty, you will get the benefit of greater freedom to reconsider your chosen specialty, but at the cost of having to re-apply for a training post in the future.

10.    What do ‘core training’ and ‘specialty training’ refer to? What’s the difference between them?

Core training is a term frequently used to describe the early years of specialty training, usually the first two years, before moving on to specialty training.

More specifically, Core Training with the terminology CT1, CT2 (and CT3 for Psychiatry and Emergency Medicine) has been agreed with the General Medical Council (GMC).  These terms refer to one of the following approved training programmes:

• Core medical training
• Acute care common stem (ACCS)
• Core surgical training
• Core psychiatric training

For full details on these programmes, see the Medical Specialty Training website.  

If you are offered core training in a specialty, this does not guarantee progression through to CCT.  There will be another round of open competition at the end of core training CT2 (CT3 for Psychiatry and Emergency Medicine).

For those specialties that are offering run-through training, the early years of specialty training are denoted ST1, ST2 (ST3 for Paediatrics and Neurosurgery).

11.    What is the best way to make a choice of specialty and pick the best jobs to apply for?

It is best to consider your choice in conjunction with advice from your clinical tutors. There are computer-based models and questionnaires available on the internets that assign personality types and traits to different specialties. However, this is an area of some controversy and such questionnaires should only ever be taken as a rough guide to choosing a specialty. A far better option is your experience within the Foundation Programme or in other areas of your previous practice, closely allied to the advice of your clinical tutor, careers counsellor or supervising consultant.

12.    Can I visit the hospitals where the posts are being offered?

No. We are unable to provide these details until you have accepted an offer.

13.    Has the London Deanery taken appropriate measures to safeguard against viruses and other I.T. security threats?

Yes, the London Deanery has a robust security infrastructure in place to deal with all incoming and outgoing network traffic.

The London Deanery use the MessageLabs service to scan all incoming email and associated attachments for viruses, spyware, spam, malicious links and inappropriate content prior to it reaching our network. When it reaches our network there are a further two points of checking with differing security products before it reaches individual mailboxes. Outbound mail also uses this process.
All inbound web traffic to the network is filtered through an Intrusion Detection System and Firewall.  Our web servers are further protected by anti-virus software.