The Most Competitive Medical Specialties in 2024! 🔥 | UK Specialty/Residency Training

Let's take a look at the competition data for UK specialty training in the 2023/2024 cycle.
NHSE Data: medical.hee.nh...
Use my referral link here to get your free doctors.org email address today
LInk: account.doctor...
This video isn't sponsored, they're just nice people and this is a free link placement for them.
Want to find out more about the medical school process?
Head over to www.ollieburton.com!
If you like my content and want to help me make more, you can buy me a coffee at ko-fi.com/olli...
Social Links:
Facebook ► / ollieburton
Twitter ► @ollieburtonmed
Instagram ► / ollieburtonmed
VIDEOS:
Getting SHOCKED in the labs! (for SCIENCE) ► • Getting Shocked in the...
My First Week At Med School! • Year 1, Week 1 Graduat...
UKCAT / INTERVIEWS:
5 Top QR Tips: • UKCAT Quantitative Rea...
4 Great VR Tips: • UKCAT Verbal Reasoning...
Abstract Reasoning For Beginners: • UKCAT/UCAT Abstract Re...

[@finlaywsw]

You should have to specify a 'first choice' option when applying and recruiters prioritise those applicants first for interview slots. I think this would help reduce the double counting problem

[@Ash-gx8ho]

Great video! The BMA should be campaigning harder to remove these bottlenecks in training. Pay is rightly at the top of their agenda, but not very practical if we can't advance to those higher pay positions.

[@Medmey24]

I do think there should be a way to prioritise UK students over IMGs especially if the numbers are there. Other countries do this and feel like we have now ended up in a situation where people have no choice but to do all these alternative posts because they don't get into speciality. I don't suppose you have any idea as to why this is? I'd be interested in the breakdown of IMGs vs UK applicants for each speciality. All this talk of increasing medical school places makes it more perplexing. What's the point if the bottleneck for speciality places is increasing year on year? As someone who is about to graduate in 2025, a career in medicine in this country just looks so bleak. Great video as always Ollie

[@OllieBurtonMed]

'The point' as it were is a broken and desperate workforce that will fight over scraps, that's the reality of it. If the UK govt is able to oversupply doctors at the bottom and limit progression, it forces locum pay down and suppresses wages/conditions for permanent staff. This isn't conspiracy, this has been known for years and govt/NHS execs have forged ahead anyway. Everything about the present situation is manufactured.

[@SingZeon48]

Thanks for what is possibly the most comprehensive and objective take on this issue I’ve seen so far. Yes, competition ratios are increasing every year. But, as you’ve said, they don’t paint the full picture because there are so many confounding variables that it is no longer representative of the reality. I’m tired of seeing people quote competition ratios (alone) on a certain subreddit and go on a rant about specialty training. Yes things aren’t great but we should still be objective about it. As you described, MSRA was initially intended for GP training selection, but has since been used by many other specialties, never mind if it has been validated or not. I believe last year was the first for core surgical training applicants to sit MSRA. I too disagree with the move, but I appreciated the statement explaining the change. They were honest enough to admit that they simply can’t get through so many portfolios and interviews, so have to find a way of first cutting off a large number of people. Whether this is the best method is of course up for debate. Who would have thought that an indirect impact of the state of the NHS would be on selection for specialty trainees? (Aka surgical consultants pressured to operate and cut waiting lists, rather than sieving through portfolios) Similarly, you also highlighted how a significant minority of people are applying to more than one specialty. This is all the more aided by the fact that they only have one single exam (MSRA) to sit for, so there really is no disincentive to do so. Amongst these people, some genuinely are torn between several specialties, but I also know of others who are primarily into one, but apply for others as backups. Unless this is explicitly forbidden in future rounds, who is to say this is ‘wrong’? (Also, how can one differentiate between these two groups?) This might be a rather controversial suggestion, but what about mandating applicants to have at least attempted the relevant part 1 exam in said specialty? So if someone applies to both IMT and CST, they would have attempted MRCP and MCRS part 1 respectively, otherwise the corresponding application won’t proceed. Then any part 1 passes will bump them up shortlisting for interview for the respective application. This might cut down ‘frivolous’ applications to multiple specialties.

[@With-Love-01-wL]

❤ Thank you for useful data 🩺❣️

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Any time!

[@DrZiii]

Nicely explained! I believe it would be better if there are specialty specific exams!

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Would be interesting for sure. The challenge is you need to develop an exam specifically designed for ranking/selection, which is different to an exam to test a competency/base level of performance, like the Collegiate exams (MRCS/MRCP etc). All above needs time, money and expertise. But I would also like to see it.

[@christiancox9614]

Really interesting video Ollie, thanks for your excellent insights. You do raise some very important points about selection. Its like you say the MSRA can be a help or a hindrance depending if you're good at it or not. Personally I would favour maybe specialty specific exams or assessments.

[@OllieBurtonMed]

I wouldn't disagree with specialty specific exams at all. We'd just need to be prepared for it to become an industry unto itself.

[@dthalys]

Another good video, thanks mate

[@Mycophenolate]

Having a look at the IMG vs UK grad ratios it seems that the ratios are much better if you’re a UK grad than it would seem. Still absolutely bonkers imo but maybe some hope

[@OllieBurtonMed]

It just doesn't tell the whole story is the problem. While it is true that very large numbers of IMGs can apply on a seemingly level playing field, they're not successful to the same degree as UK graduates are in actually converting to training posts. Data is more complex.

[@Prudence865]

Thanks for the informative video, can you do a video on the new CST application changes and your thoughts on it please?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Sure thing!

[@lesemma9557]

I just graduated with a 2:1 and my plan was to always go to med school after, but now I'm unsure if I should go to dental school instead. It'd be nice if you could make a video explaining why you chose medicine over dentistry - if you ever considered dentistry.

[@OllieBurtonMed]

It's a really great idea - I just sadly never considered dentistry. Sometimes wish I did!

[@DV-bj9wi]

I could not imagine anything worse than spending 5 years learning about teeth and then a lifetime after that just working on teeth. Im in my last year of Medical school and a lot of maxfax surgeons tried to convince me to pursue maxfax but nothing will convince me to get through dentistry 😂

[@MrCheeseify1]

Increasing medical school places and opening training to give equal footing to IMGs were just government ploys. There are no other countries that do not prioritise their own graduates. IMGs are an important part of the workforce but this stance has further worsened conditions for doctors who can't even find locum work these days when they inevitably miss out on a post despite terrific CVs.

[@faizanulkarim2310]

Racist😢

[@MrCheeseify1]

@@faizanulkarim2310 It's not racist it would be line with every other training model UK are the only ones that don't seem to prioritise their own graduates to at least some degree.

[@faizanulkarim2310]

@@MrCheeseify1 so as long as poaching of IMGS was good for UK grade to keep hospital staffed it was good but when imgs tried to compete on one to one with locals who still got systemic advantages, they need to be snubbed?. Wow. Ask the government to open more training spots instead of turning on colonial genes against Imgs again.

[@Dhanuhammer]

Seems like not much people are interested in core surgical training!

[@nic_a_bic6780]

As an Irish medical student, these competition ratios are just completely bonkers. Good luck to ye.

[@livelife2324]

Do you know where one can check similar stats for Ireland?

[@joshuaodidison4675]

I would say the same but idk if the Irish ratios are better🤣

[@nic_a_bic6780]

@@joshuaodidison4675 ah they definitely are at least for core training. If you look at the spreadsheet you definitely need to put in some hard work, but they really shouldnt be as out of reach as this madness in the UK!

[@RearViEwmirror-3]

Docs! The whole life is competition pawsing exams and disappointments. Meanwhile KAs JAs whatnot, crash in just doing some random course a mediocre exam. 😂

[@stormblaster6781]

What about orthopaedics and trauma or ophthalmology. I thought they would be higher

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Lots of places though. So less competitive in some sense because of it

[@yellownoiseclub]

They should get rid of the interview. In Romania, they have a license exam after medschool and whoever got the top score in the whole country gets 1st choice of training specialty and location. Maybe the UK and do something similar and get rid of the interview maybe introduce exams for the specific specialty or something 🤷

[@RearViEwmirror-3]

UK system is better.

[@awadisk]

Why is ST4 psychiatry ratio so low when CT1 is so high?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

I presume because only those already in psychiatry training would be eligible to apply, and even on top of that there'll be a degree of natural attrition between CT1 and CT3 so you'll lose people that way. Basically anyone in the world can apply for the CT1 post, way fewer are actually eligible to apply for the ST4 post.

[@SingZeon48]

@@OllieBurtonMed does competition ratio take into account eligibility? I thought anyone could apply and be counted into the ratio, but of course it's another matter if their application will progress at all if they were indeed ineligible for whatever reason.

[@OllieBurtonMed]

@@SingZeon48 It doesn't, but even considering that you would see far fewer applicants just from the UK alone which is where the majority of apps will come from. Every UK applicant would know that you'd need to be in psych training to apply for an ST4 post.

[@shibdassarkar9357]

Sir how much do u earn as a doctor in uk? Plz reply. Thanks a lot.

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Would look at the payscales for doctors on the BMA website. I'm out of clinical practice at the moment so my pay is not reflective of working as a doctor.

[@thomasfoteinos3690]

Hey Ollie, is it possible then for a doctor to never actually become a consultant or even get the chance to specialise? Just thinking after F2 sounds like theres absolutely no guarantee you'll get a training post and you'll just stay an F2 forever unless you happen to do well enough on a given cycle? There are way more applicants than jobs so i imagine it follows each year loads of people are unsuccessful and have to just stay as an F2 for another year. Can't that just happen indefinitely? Hope that makes sense!

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Absolutely - there's multiple competitive stages between graduating and consultancy, or even specialising. Yes it can happen indefinitely, and that's why to some degree there's a 'push' to get stuff done to become competitive. There is no guarantee of progress at all.

[@SingZeon48]

since when was specialisation / consultancy a guarantee? even decades ago doctors had to compete to secure training. if anything nowadays there are alternative pathways e.g. SAS for those who are open to it. you also don't stay as an FY2. once you complete the Foundation Programme that's it. you are unemployed. just with any other job, no one is obliged to offer you a post anywhere if you do not apply for it, or if you were sadly unsuccessful. having passed FP you also wouldn't be able to apply for stand-alone FY2 jobs.

[@OllieBurtonMed]

@SingZeon48 There's a difference between 'then' and now I think, which is that consultant tier is actually saturating/has saturated in some specialties already. So while it was always a slog previously, the limit was in consultant/senior posts available. The difference now is that we are actually hitting demand/infrastructure capacity for consultant posts. Neurosurgery is a good example where even if we made loads more consultants tomorrow, there's not enough infrastructure for them to do any more operating. So more likely that unless there's massive investment, our generation/next gen might not have realistic possibility of ever seeing consultancy, instead getting stuck at senior reg sort of tier.