Guideline For Getting Specialty training (ST3) in Surgery (UK)

This is a rough guideline for surgeons who are interesting in getting into surgical specialty training
program in UK. This has been advised by two surgeons who recently got their training number. As they
did not wanted to disclose their names I would call them subject A & B. There is no proper guideline for
IMGs who are interested in surgery, therefore I am mentioning most of the important points that helped
Subject A & B get a training number. These information have been gather by them in their struggle of
getting a training number.

By the time most of us would be applying for specialty training number ,its would have been more than
7 years from our graduation date, so they expect more from us as they would from the other younger
UK contestants. There is no authentic website to proof this, Its all what these two doctors did and then
eventually got their training number.

1- 40 work base assessment every year, at least half of them should be with consultants,(I think
minimum number is 160 in total, after that you wont get any extra marks even if you have done
more than 200.
2- Minimum 5 presentations, either poster or oral (you need to be the first author)
3- Get any award e.g best presentation award etc ,there is separate marks for it
4- 6 complete cycle of audits
5- Involvement in research
6- MRCS
7- Core training competences
8- Teaching
9- Do at least 7 courses including Basic Surgical skill, CRISPP, ATLS, ALS
10- Get involve in some sort of management for example you are managing audit programme of
foundation doctor, involvement in managing any annual programme in your trust.
11- Maintain your surgical elog book
12- Get additional degree e.g MD
13- Right to work in U.K (You would be U.K national by that time,so dont worry about this)

These are almost all the person specification for any ST3 programme in surgery. So basically one should
be able to tick all the boxes. Go through the ST3 website and see what else is required for ST3. Having a
good personality and communication skills also counts a lot.

Subject B had done 4 years in his home country and then did around 12 years in UK and finally got his
training number last year (2016).Subject A had done 3 years in his home country and than after working
for 8 years in Uk , he got his training number this year(2017).Both of them prepared together for this.
Please dont get disappointed by the time duration these guys spent before getting a training number,
for many years they thought they wont get a training number therefore they never seriously prepared
for it. This is because they were told several times by their consultants that they would not get into
training programme . It was just the last one or 2 years that they started completing the above
mentioned things. The best and easiest way is to complete your MRCS and get into MD
programme.Than you would have enough time to do all the stuff mentioned above.

Preparing for interview is an important part of your application. This can be done by getting in touch
with your seniors who recently started ST3 post.

In a nutshell, Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho ... to puri kainaat usse tumse milane ki koshish mein
lag jaati hai (if you really desire something from the heart ... then the whole universe will work towards
getting you that),---------This is just to cheer up your mood .So guys dont listen to anyone and work hard
towards your goals.As mentioned before something is only impossible because no one before has tried hard
enough to achieve it.If any one wants to add anything to this guideline ,please comment below and I would
update it here.

Regards

Muhammad Waqar