Medical education in the United Kingdom

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Medical education in the United Kingdom includes educational activities involved in the education and training of medical doctors in the United Kingdom, from entry-level training through to continuing education of qualified specialists.

A typical outline of the medical education pathway is presented below, however training schemes vary and different pathways may be available.

[edit] Medical school

Main article: Medical school (United Kingdom)

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[edit] Vocational training

Following completion of medical school, junior doctors then enter a vocational training phase. In the UK a doctor's training normally follows this path:

Newly qualified doctors enter a two year Foundation Programme, where they undertake terms in a variety of different specialities. These must include training in General Medicine and General Surgery but can also include other fields such as Paediatrics or General Practice.

Following completion of the Foundation Programme a doctor can choose to specialise in one field. All routes involve further assessment and examinations.

The majority of doctors the UK work in the community as General practitioners (GPs), who are the first port of call for patients. To train as a GP, after completing the Foundation Programme, one has to complete two years of posts as a Senior House Officer (SHO) in a variety of hospital specialties - often including paediatrics, psychiatry, care of the elderly and obstetrics & gynaecology. The trainee then has to spend one year as a General Practice Registrar - a trainee based in a GP practice. After completing this training and the relevant exams, the doctor can become a GP Principal - working independently as a GP.

Hospital doctors are promoted after sitting relevant postgraduate exams within their chosen specialty (e.g. Member of the Royal College of Physicians MRCP, Member of the Royal College of Surgeons MRCS) and a competitive interview selection process from SHO to Specialist Registrar and eventually Consultant on completion of the CCST (Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training), which is the highest level in a specialty team (with the exception of university-linked professors). The competition is great for those who wish to attain consultant level and many now complete higher degrees in research such as a Doctorate of Medicine (MD) which is a thesis-based award based on at least two years full-time research or PhD which involves at least three years of full-time research. The time taken to get from graduation from medical school to becoming a Consultant varies from speciality to speciality but can be anything from 7 to 10 years, or longer in some specialities.