Can you train during FY1,2/CT1,2 so much that you can reduce specialty training?

No.

Training done during the foundation programme does not and cannot apply towards specialty training. Experience during core training can't be applied to higher (specialty) training. The quoted document refers to using experience gained during time out of training to count towards a CCT.

Is it possible for a doctor with faster grasping ability learn (Higher) Specialty training skills during FY2? I mean, do they allow that if the learner is really adept?

Does a person who has worked in cardiology departments in FY1, FY2, CT1/CT2 usually complete Cardiology specialist training earlier than it is anticipated (the indicative time of 5 years specialist training, which has now recently changed to 4 years due to the introduction of IMT)?

If someone spends 4 months (in FY1/2), 4 months (in CT1) and 4 months (in CT2) for example, does it mean that he can possibly complete training in less than the indicative time as he has much cardiology experience before starting specialty training?

I know that specialty training is competency based, so it isn't rigid. You can complete the training only when you reach the competencies.

So can you get trained at the level of ST3/4 when you are still junior to that given that you have so much cardiology postings during your pre-specialty training?

No.

What stage are you? Being a cardiology FY1 is a far cry from being a cardio reg, and so clearly having done some cardio then, will not count towards your SpR training. You are unlikely to be performing many pacemaker battery changes or PPCI procedures as an FY1, for example.

Yes I know it is competence based but in reality everyone seems to take pretty much the same amount of time. That is what is expected.

Thank you all for your answers and thank you @nexttime in particular.

It's definitely true that being an FY1 Cardio is a far cry from being a Cardiology registrar, but consider someone who has very few experience in a cardio department (say 3 months) but someone else has so much experience in the department (say 1 year in total, before the start of specialty training), how can both of them be trained right from the same level when they commence registrarship?

Or does it make extremely little difference?

@nexttime You could also think of this by taking cardiothoracic surgery as an example. If someone has a 4 month placement in FY1 or 2 in cardiothoracics, and then enters a themed core surgery programme with greater emphasis and time on cardiothoracic surgery training (say 1 - 1.5 years), he certainly would not need to start from the basics when he enters a cardiothoracic specialty training programme unlike the one who has no or very little experience (Say 4-6 months) in the department, is that right?

Please correct me if I am making a mistake anywhere here.

Thanks!

For this example, I don't think there would be much difference if any no. If you're interested in cardiology, you should have decent knowledge of cardiology whatever your job combination is, and if you got a cardio job you will have got through a cardiology interview including clinical questions.


For this example, I guess if you've actually been performing cardiothoracic surgery before you start the job then I guess you'd have a head start yes. However to my knowledge people still don't cut their training short. Surgical training is a bit alien to me so not sure.

There is one clear way to make your clinical training shorter though: academic training. The overall length is the same, but some of your time is spent in academia not clinical work.

Cardiology reg here. Going to echo this. No, your training time will not be shortened regardless of experience at F1/SHO level.