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Tips about specialization :)

Hi guys

I'm an Italian girl who studies Medicine and want to know something more about specialization in UK. Can someone help me telling his/her personal experience?
Thank you :smile:

Reply 1

jadys10

you start general in the first three years and then have a year doing several different types of jobs, working as a junior doctor before then specialising depending on what you are interested in

Reply 2

theresheglows

Original post by jadys10

you start general in the first three years and then have a year doing several different types of jobs, working as a junior doctor before then specialising depending on what you are interested in

I'm not sure were you got this, but I think you may be confusing the last three years of the degree with actually working as a doctor.

In the UK you do a 5 year medical degree, the last 3 years of the degree are the clinical training years where you spend a lot more time on placement in hospitals, but you are still a student.

After graduation you do 2 Foundation Years (previously known as the junior doctor years), during which you rotate through various specialties - during this time you are being paid as you train. As an FY doctor you are not yet fully trained, and only have provisional membership of the GMC - full registration depends on passing your FY exams.

In your FY2 year you decide which specialty you would like to apply for. You have to compete for your preferred specialty with everyone else who wants it, this is based on your performance in your degree and as an FY doctor.

You then train in your specialty - at this point you are a registrar in that specialty. This stage of training can take 5 to 10 years depending on the specialty that you chose. If you pass all your training while working as a registrar doctor you become a consultant in that specialty. As a consultant you still need to continue updating your knowledge, and are encouraged to do additional training to improve your knowledge and skills and/or further specialise within your specialty.

Reply 3

nexttime

Original post by jadys10

you start general in the first three years and then have a year doing several different types of jobs, working as a junior doctor before then specialising depending on what you are interested in

This is wrong. Ignore this.

Original post by theresheglows

As an FY doctor you are not yet fully trained, and only have provisional membership of the GMC - full registration depends on passing your FY exams..

...You then train in your specialty - at this point you are a registrar in that specialty...

...This stage of training can take 5 to 10 years depending on the specialty that you chose...

Minor corrections:

You are fully registered with the GMC when you start FY2

There are no "FY exams". You might choose to do Royal College memberships but that's all and its up to you dependent on your ambitions.

Registrar is generally used to refer to people who have done 2-3 years of speciality training already.

Post-FY training is 3-8 (and very occasionally 9) years under current programs. Of course, that totally ignores years out of medicine, years in non-training jobs, maternity/paternity leave, years out for research, part time workers, etc, plus might change in the near future anyway.

Reply 4

Anomis

Thank you for all this informations :smile:

but I wonder, is there any test to pass in order to became a FY doctor after graduation or any score based on curriculum? If yes, is there a max number of people admitted?

Reply 5

theresheglows

Original post by nexttime

Minor corrections:

You are fully registered with the GMC when you start FY2

yes, but I was pointing out that you do not start out with full registration or a licence to practice - for this you need to complete FY1

Original post by nexttime

There are no "FY exams". You might choose to do Royal College memberships but that's all and its up to you dependent on your ambitions.

Not entirely correct - my terminology was lazy here - but throughout FY1 there is ongoing assessment "Evaluation of your progress during F1 comprises the completion of a range of ongoing assessments, including case-based discussions (CBD), mini clinical examinations (mini-CEX), direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS), a logbook of procedural skills (which you must keep updated), and teaching development assessment. All these are recorded in your portfolio, which is a vitally important document to maintain throughout foundation training." (RCP)
- this is necessary to attain a licence to practice.
In FY2 you have to demonstrate competencies (this involves more assessments tied into your portfolio) to achieve the Foundation Achievement of Competencies Document, which is necessary to move into specialty training.

The FY years are not exam-free!

Reply 6

theresheglows

Original post by Anomis

Thank you for all this informations :smile:

but I wonder, is there any test to pass in order to became a FY doctor after graduation or any score based on curriculum? If yes, is there a max number of people admitted?

You have to sit the SJT exam, your score from this is combined with your EPM (a score based on your academic performance). The process is competitive, places are limited - everyone usually gets a place, but you compete for the one you want. Sometimes though there can be more applicants than places (nationwide), in which case those with higher scores get a place.

You might find this website helpful http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/medical-students

Reply 7

nexttime

Original post by theresheglows

yes, but I was pointing out that you do not start out with full registration or a licence to practice - for this you need to complete FY1

Not entirely correct - my terminology was lazy here - but throughout FY1 there is ongoing assessment "Evaluation of your progress during F1 comprises the completion of a range of ongoing assessments, including case-based discussions (CBD), mini clinical examinations (mini-CEX), direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS), a logbook of procedural skills (which you must keep updated), and teaching development assessment. All these are recorded in your portfolio, which is a vitally important document to maintain throughout foundation training." (RCP)
- this is necessary to attain a licence to practice.
In FY2 you have to demonstrate competencies (this involves more assessments tied into your portfolio) to achieve the Foundation Achievement of Competencies Document, which is necessary to move into specialty training.

The FY years are not exam-free!

To catergorise those as 'exams' is a huge exaggeration and completely not what a pre-FY would take from your statement.

Reply 8

theresheglows

Original post by nexttime

To catergorise those as 'exams' is a huge exaggeration and completely not what a pre-FY would take from your statement.

Nevertheless, my point is that there is assessment, whereas your statement would seem to indicate to a pre-FY there past graduation there is no longer any assessment. Exams are not the same in FY as in the degree, but they still exist, and some of them are pretty much the same as an OSCE exam.

Reply 9

nexttime

Original post by theresheglows

... and some of them are pretty much the same as an OSCE exam.

I can tell you're not a doctor yet! They really really aren't comparable.

They're like what an OSCE would be like if it were one station, the assessor isn't really paying attention to you, and your assessor was a friend of yours anyway.