Medical education in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
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 here. However training schemes vary and different pathways may be available.
In 2003 a number of UK medical schools began to work together to increase quality assurance activities in the area of assessment as part of the Universities Medical Assessment Partnership (UMAP). UMAP is a collaborative item banking project seeking to build a quality assured written assessment item bank suitable for high-stakes examinations
at all UK medical schools.
s 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, Anaesthetics 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 UK doctors work in the community as General practitioner
s (GPs), who are the first port of call for patients. To train as a GP, after completing the Foundation Programme, a doctor must complete eighteen months of posts in a variety of hospital specialities - often including paediatrics
, psychiatry
, geriatrics
and obstetrics & gynaecology
. The trainee also has to spend eighteen months as a General Practice Specialty Registrar - a trainee based in a GP practice. After completing this training and the relevant exams, the doctor can become a GP and can practise independently.
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 Specialty Registrar (StR)
and eventually Consultant
on completion of the CCT (Certificate of Completion of Training
), which is the highest level in a specialty (with the exception of university-linked professors).
The competition is significant 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 medical school graduation to becoming a consultant varies from specialty to specialty but can be anything from 7 to more than 10 years.
In the United Kingdom, doctors' training will rapidly evolve in the next twelve months, with the introduction of run-through training. A doctor, after completing their two foundation years, will apply for a single specialty (including general practice) and be trained solely in that specialty for a fixed period of years (typically seven) before being awarded a CCT. These changes will take place in accordance with the government-instituted plan for Modernising Medical Careers
.
and Clinical governance
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, from entry-level training through to continuing education of qualified specialists. A typical outline of the medical education pathway is presented here. However training schemes vary and different pathways may be available.
Assessments
Like many other university degrees, UK medical schools design and deliver their own in-house assessments. This practice is different from, for example, the United States, where a national licensing examination has been in place for over 20 years. Each UK undergraduate summative assessment in medicine is subject to the scrutiny of a formally appointed external examiner.In 2003 a number of UK medical schools began to work together to increase quality assurance activities in the area of assessment as part of the Universities Medical Assessment Partnership (UMAP). UMAP is a collaborative item banking project seeking to build a quality assured written assessment item bank suitable for high-stakes examinations
High-stakes testing
A high-stakes test is a test with important consequences for the test taker. Passing has important benefits, such as a high school diploma, a scholarship, or a license to practice a profession...
at all UK medical schools.
Quality assurance of undergraduate medical education
The UK General Medical Council (GMC) has the ability to reverse its endorsement of any medical undergraduate training course as part of its regular visiting schedule should a course fall short of the high standards expected.Vocational training
Following completion of medical school, junior doctorJunior doctor
Junior doctors in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland are those in postgraduate training, starting at graduation with a medical degree and culminating in a post as a Consultant, a General Practitioner, or some other non-training post, such as a Staff grade or Associate Specialist...
s 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
Foundation House Officer
A Foundation Doctor is a grade of medical practitioner in the United Kingdom undertaking the Foundation Programme - a two-year, general postgraduate medical training programme which forms the bridge between medical school and specialist/general practice training...
, where they undertake terms in a variety of different specialities. These must include training in General Medicine and General Surgery
General surgery
General surgery, despite its name, is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal organs, e.g., intestines including esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland . They also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, soft...
but can also include other fields such as Paediatrics, Anaesthetics 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 UK doctors work in the community as General practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
s (GPs), who are the first port of call for patients. To train as a GP, after completing the Foundation Programme, a doctor must complete eighteen months of posts in a variety of hospital specialities - often including paediatrics
Pediatrics
Pediatrics or paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician or paediatrician...
, psychiatry
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
, geriatrics
Geriatrics
Geriatrics is a sub-specialty of internal medicine and family medicine that focuses on health care of elderly people. It aims to promote health by preventing and treating diseases and disabilities in older adults. There is no set age at which patients may be under the care of a geriatrician, or...
and obstetrics & gynaecology
Obstetrics and gynaecology
Obstetrics and gynaecology are the two surgical–medical specialties dealing with the female reproductive organs in their pregnant and non-pregnant state, respectively, and as such are often combined to form a single medical specialty and postgraduate training programme...
. The trainee also has to spend eighteen months as a General Practice Specialty Registrar - a trainee based in a GP practice. After completing this training and the relevant exams, the doctor can become a GP and can practise independently.
Hospital doctors are promoted after sitting relevant postgraduate exams within their chosen specialty (e.g. Member of the Royal College of Physicians MRCP
MRCP
MRCP may be:* Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, in medical imaging, a technique to visualise the biliary tract and pancreatic ducts....
, Member of the Royal College of Surgeons MRCS
Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons
MRCS is a professional qualification for surgeons in the UK and IrelandIt means Member of the Royal College of Surgeons. In the United Kingdom, doctors who gain this qualification traditionally no longer use the title 'Dr' but start to use the title 'Mr', 'Mrs', 'Miss' or 'Ms'.There are 4 surgical...
) and a competitive interview selection process from SHO to Specialty Registrar (StR)
Specialty Registrar (StR)
Specialty Registrar is a new training grade introduced in 2007 into UK medical training as part of the Modernising Medical Careers programme. It is intended to replace the old Specialist Registrar training places used to train doctors up to the specialist level needed to become a Consultant Doctor...
and eventually Consultant
Consultant (medicine)
In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...
on completion of the CCT (Certificate of Completion of Training
Certificate of Completion of Training
CCT or Certificate of Completion of Training is the certificate that physicians in the United Kingdom receive to indicate that they have completed training in their chosen specialty and are eligible to apply for a post as a consultant or a general practitioner .This certificate is awarded by the...
), which is the highest level in a specialty (with the exception of university-linked professors).
The competition is significant 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
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
, which involves at least three years of full-time research. The time taken to get from medical school graduation to becoming a consultant varies from specialty to specialty but can be anything from 7 to more than 10 years.
In the United Kingdom, doctors' training will rapidly evolve in the next twelve months, with the introduction of run-through training. A doctor, after completing their two foundation years, will apply for a single specialty (including general practice) and be trained solely in that specialty for a fixed period of years (typically seven) before being awarded a CCT. These changes will take place in accordance with the government-instituted plan for Modernising Medical Careers
Modernising Medical Careers
Modernising Medical Careers is a programme for postgraduate medical training introduced in the UK from 2005 onwards. The programme replaced the traditional grades of medical career before the level of Consultant. The different stages of the programme contribute towards a "Certificate of...
.
Continuing medical education
Continuing medical education is now mandatory for all doctors, under guidelines from the General Medical CouncilGeneral Medical Council
The General Medical Council registers and regulates doctors practising in the United Kingdom. It has the power to revoke or restrict a doctor's registration if it deems them unfit to practise...
and Clinical governance
Clinical governance
Clinical governance is the term used to describe a systematic approach to maintaining and improving the quality of patient care within a health system. The term became widely used in health care following the Bristol heart scandal in 1995, during which anaesthetist Dr Stephen Bolsin exposed the...
See also
- Modernising Medical CareersModernising Medical CareersModernising Medical Careers is a programme for postgraduate medical training introduced in the UK from 2005 onwards. The programme replaced the traditional grades of medical career before the level of Consultant. The different stages of the programme contribute towards a "Certificate of...
- Clinical governanceClinical governanceClinical governance is the term used to describe a systematic approach to maintaining and improving the quality of patient care within a health system. The term became widely used in health care following the Bristol heart scandal in 1995, during which anaesthetist Dr Stephen Bolsin exposed the...
- Certificate of Completion of TrainingCertificate of Completion of TrainingCCT or Certificate of Completion of Training is the certificate that physicians in the United Kingdom receive to indicate that they have completed training in their chosen specialty and are eligible to apply for a post as a consultant or a general practitioner .This certificate is awarded by the...