How does Specialty Training/Residency work in the UK? Your Questions Answered | Part 1 of 2

[@adailyfact]

Firstly, why is it becoming more competitive, is this because of the bottlenecks? Secondly, I know a very random question but what do you think about learning a language to do residency abroad, e.g, Germany, where e.g. neurosurgery is nowhere near as competitive as here in the UK, as these rising competition numbers are just scary?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Multifactorial - increasing population of doctors stuck behind the bottlenecks, post-COVID catching up, death of the locum market etc etc Learning a language is a stark but possible option. I'd definitely consider it if I had the guarantee of a specialty training programme.

[@adailyfact]

@@OllieBurtonMed Thank you Dr Ollie, helpful as always. I hope you are succesful getting a neurosurgery NTN this year!

[@zed3063]

They’ve opened up the application to foreign doctors, now they can apply to anything and not just posts nobody else wants.

[@adailyfact]

@@zed3063 Are you referencing removal of the RLMT? If so that has definitely contributed to the competition, but to a lesser extent than believed as usually those appointed are home graduates, but the number of IMGs applying has increased competition in addition to other factors.

[@rimag7883]

Great info, tnx Ollie. Can you pls do elaborate on how u go about publishing in a paper or how do u approach researchers outside of ur uni for work experience? Where do u start?

[@ThomasBoyd-yf5wm]

Awesome. Happy New year 2024.

[@Tan-ns2hr]

Will going LTFT actually increase training time in all specialities? As i thought it was competency based rather than time based. Also heard about some specialities allowing the same progression at 80% LTFT

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Some specialties allow this and some don't. It deserves its own video at some point, but I believe it is practically quite rare.

[@ThomasBoyd-le9nv]

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[@georgebashour4333]

Is supervising and teaching groups of Medical students in research projects considered a good enough teaching experience?

[@DennisBolanos]

Dr. Ollie-could you make a video explaining how the MD research degree in the UK is structured, and its advantages? 🛡🔰⚕

[@lee9650]

Do you think it's worth it starting med school at 29 years old? Would you get the same opportunities as a younger junior doc?

[@irfanullahguhar5951]

Thanks for vidoe, just asking about your post, clinical research fellow.. what is this post and what qualifications is needed for it. I m bit interested in research . Thanks

[@OllieBurtonMed]

It's a non training locally employed post. Go to NHS jobs website and put in clinical fellow - will be plenty to choose from! Many available in different specialties

[@OneKindWord]

I think that revolving brain is watching me with its non existent eyes 👀. Perhaps I should consider psychiatry. I appreciate your videos and content. Thanks

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Don't worry the brain can't hurt you, it hasn't figured out how yet.

[@humaira917]

Helpful video. This whole training thing is stressing me out. On the one hand there are rota gaps and less consultants in the country and on the other hand there are only a small number of training slots. Makes no sense to me.

[@OllieBurtonMed]

It's a complete failure of workforce planning combined with lack of government will to pay for quality services.

[@sergiodavidangulomontano8482]

I am a medical student from Colombia I am interested in doing internal medicine I am between the UK and Canada, which place has better training, I am worried that in the UK there are many complaints and people say that it is purely healthcare and you do not have any training

[@OllieBurtonMed]

This is unfortunately the reputation that IMT (internal medicine training) in the UK gets often. In my last medical job (Neurology) there was no functional difference between what I (as an FY2, second year intern effectively) was doing and the IMT1 and 2s (so up to 2 years more senior than me). Leads lots of us to worry that it's just an extended SHO period for the sake of service provision.

[@darkregions]

But if you wait for a year to apply... would your re-application be given higher consideration due to time sacrificed in hope to get in?... or are you applying on equal footing with first time applicants?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Equal footing. No advantage to having taken more years applying, other than obviously having more time to have achieved stuff.

[@darkregions]

​@OllieBurtonMed Thanks.I can see how this can turn into a nightmarish scenario to ppl who are really passionate about a competitive speciaty. Have you considered applying to R of Ireland? Is the competition for NSurg as high as here? Some of my colleagues are preferring to apply (directly) to Ireland as graduated from the EU...mostly due to the severe competitiveness over here in the UK. Apparently, you skip the intern year if you hold the EU license and get into ST1/CT1.

[@OllieBurtonMed]

@@darkregions Neurosurg competition is high basically everywhere unfortunately, and even though it's very competitive in the UK, it still represents my most realistic chance of getting a spot.

[@darkregions]

@OllieBurtonMed well, I hope your portofolio gets you there eventually... best of luck.

[@nataliareichel240]

How recent do publications/conference presentations need to be when applying for specialty training? I’m currently applying for graduate entry medicine and already involved in some research, if I present at conferences will this still even count in 6 or so years from now when I’d be applying to specialty training?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

I've never seen (thus far) any kind of limitation on the age of these types of work. I also don't know what the utility of that would be. At the moment I would suggest not worrying about it, although I absolutely don't trust one of the relevant overseeing bodies to just randomly decide that works have to be within last 3 years etc. Most future proof advice might be to keep doing academic work until you get your number.

[@nataliareichel240]

@@OllieBurtonMed Perfect thank you, I will carry on as I am!

[@samuelbrainoo]

Hi @nataliareicel240, I am also preparing to make an application but for 2025 entry, and just curious what year you’re applying for? Have you applied already? Will be great to have someone to bounce/share ideas with

[@irum9264]

I’m quite confused regarding the specialised psychiatry programme? I remember reading about an academic one too? Are there any videos you’d recommend that go through what these are etc?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

These are Foundation level programmes, prior to specialty training - more like different types of internships. I'm sure I've talked about it before, will have a look

[@irum9264]

Thanks! Sorry for being a bit slow lol

[@geocachingwomble]

Ollie have you heard if you got your neurosurgery training number yet? I have been hoping you get your training number for neurology

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Nope, no specialties will progress until March time as we all have a national exam to sit soon, so unlikely to hear anything until around then. I haven't applied for neurology training at all, as it requires you to do 3 years of internal medicine training first (IMT1-3 then ST4 onwards is neurology). What I mean to say is that I haven't applied for internal medicine training at my current level, and probably don't see myself ever doing that, which puts neurology off the table.

[@geocachingwomble]

@@OllieBurtonMedgood luck Ollie I know you worked in neurology for your foundation training do you have any specific ideas for potentially what happens if you train out of neurosurgery training will you work towards CESR or would you look towards another specialty if you don’t get your specialty training accepted. Would you want to train across to emergency medicine if you don’t get it?