Medical education in the United Kingdom 3557351 215957298 2008-05-30T13:04:24Z Aidan sierra 1191920 /* Vocational training */ '''Medical education in the United Kingdom''' includes educational activities involved in the education and training of [[medical doctor]]s 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. ==Medical school== {{main|Medical school (United Kingdom)}} {{Expandsect|date=January 2007}} ==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 testing|high-stakes examinations]] 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 doctor]]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 House Officer|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 two years of posts as a '''Senior House Officer''' (SHO) in a variety of hospital specialties - often including [[pediatrics|paediatrics]], [[psychiatry]], [[geriatrics|geriatrics]] and [[obstetrics and gynaecology|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 [[Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons|MRCS]]) and a competitive interview selection process from '''SHO''' to '''[[Specialty Registrar (StR)]]''' and eventually ''[[Consultant (medicine)|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]]. == NHS medical career grades == {{NHS medical career grades}} ==Continuing medical education== Continuing medical education is now mandatory for all doctors, under guidelines from the [[General Medical Council]] and [[Clinical governance]]. ==See also== *[[Modernising Medical Careers]] *[[Clinical governance]] *[[Certificate of Completion of Training]] [[Category:Medical education in the United Kingdom]]