Hi my name is Pranshu Khurana. I am an IMG from India, and I recently moved to the UK to start my NHS journey as a Junior Clinical fellow in Paediatrics Emergency Medicine at St Thomas's Hospital, London. I am writing this blog to enlighten you about the pathway to apply for Paediatrics training in the UK. I will discuss the following in the Blog:
- What is the Paediatrics training programme?
- Requirements for the Applications
- Timelines
- How to Improve Your Portfolio?
Paediatrics Training in the UK
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), is the membership body that looks after the Paediatricians in the UK and around the world. They help you with postgraduate medical education, professional standards research and policy.
Paediatrics training is a run-through programme that contains 8 grades, so if u start at a basic level as ST1 it will take you around 8 years until you become a consultant. This is further divided into 3 levels, Levels 1 and 2 are General Paediatrics curriculum, and from level 3 you can decide your sub-speciality or continue General Paediatrics. You can enter the training at any level (ST1/ST2/ST3/ST4), according to your experience and then complete your training.
Application Requirements:
* Most basic is your MBBS degree and your internship.
* Full GMC license with current license to practice.
* CREST form signed by any consultant you worked under in the past 3 years for at least 3 months.
* References from your past or current employee.
Desirable requirements:
* Clinical experience related to the field of Paediatrics.
* Academic skills for example Audit, QIPs and Research work.
* Clinical courses such as APLS/EPALS, NLS or Safeguarding Level 3.
Timelines for the Applications:
Usually, the Vacancies get published around the first week of November, and you get around a month to fill in the application form via ORIEL. The application window closes in the first week of December and then your applications get short-listed and you would get an interview invite in the following 2-3 months.
If everything goes as planned and you ace the interview then you get to fill in your preferences and you can start training in August/September. The competition ratio is around 2.35, in simple words for every seat there are at least 2-3 candidates.
Improving Portfolio
The whole application process is marked and on that basis, you get shortlisted, so to make a strong application you would require a strong CV, that too related to Paediatrics. If working in the NHS then you can easily do Audits/ QIPs/Research/CBDs and make your CV stronger and gain more marks in the application.
But our IMGs who are not yet working in the NHS and want to start training straight away can do some courses online to improve your CV as Management and Leadership courses, APLS, Online Safeguarding level 3, and many more.
Need more tips and advice?
I would be happy to respond to your questions regarding Paediatrics Training on TrewLink website. You can find me as Ambassador and follow my profile Pranshu Khurana to get more help and guidance.