Overview of Specialty Recruitment
Specialty Recruitment applicant guideThis guidance will help you make the best possible application, from choosing the right specialty to guiding you through the entire application process.
You must ensure that you read any specialty specific guidance for the specialty/specialties to which you are considering making an application. Specialty specific guidance will be available from the Recruitment Leads for the individual specialties and from their specialty specific webpages.
HEE Local Offices
Most specialty recruitment is organised nationally by a lead HEE Local Office or devolved nation Deanery on behalf of all local offices and deaneries. This means that you complete one online application and state your preferred geographical location(s), rather than submitting multiple applications.
Important: Important
Throughout the 2023 specialty recruitment process, recruitment will be conducted online and virtually. Individual specialty Lead Recruiters will be able to advise on the exact processes being used.
There will be no interview process for General Practice ST1, Core Psychiatry CT1 or Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ST1. Selection decisions will be made solely on performance in the Multi Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA).
Specialty | Level | Lead Recruiter |
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Specialty Acute Internal Medicine | Level ST4 |
Lead Recruiter
HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Acute Care Common Stem (ACCS) Emergency Medicine | Level ST1 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Allergy | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Anaesthetics and ACCS Anaesthetics | Level CT1/ST4 | Lead Recruiter HEE - West Midlands |
Specialty Audiovestibular Medicine | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Cardiology | Level ST4 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Cardiothoracic Surgery | Level ST1 | Lead Recruiter HEE - Wessex |
Specialty Chemical Pathology | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - East Midlands |
Specialty Child and Adolescent Psychiatry | Level ST4 | Lead Recruiter HEE - North West |
Specialty Clinical Genetics | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Clinical Neurophysiology | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Clinical Oncology | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics | Level ST4 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Clinical Radiology | Level ST1 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Combined Infection Training | Level ST3 / ST4 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Community Sexual and Reproductive Health | Level ST1 | Lead Recruiter HEE - East of England |
Specialty Core Psychiatry Training | Level CT1 | Lead Recruiter HEE - North West |
Specialty Core Surgical Training | Level CT1 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Dermatology | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Emergency Medicine - Direct Route of Entry | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - Yorkshire and the Humber |
Specialty Emergency Medicine | Level ST4 | Lead Recruiter HEE - Yorkshire and the Humber |
Specialty Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus | Level ST4 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Gastroenterology | Level ST4 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty General Practice | Level ST1 | Lead Recruiter GP National Recruitment Office |
Specialty General Surgery | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Genitourinary Medicine | Level ST4 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Geriatric Medicine | Level ST4 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Haematology | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Histopathology | Level ST1 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Immunology | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Intensive Care Medicine | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - West Midlands |
Specialty Internal Medicine Training and ACCS Acute Medicine | Level CT1 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Medical Oncology | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Neurology | Level ST4 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Neurosurgery | Level ST1 / ST2 | Lead Recruiter HEE - Yorkshire and the Humber |
Specialty Nuclear Medicine | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Obstetrics and Gynaecology | Level ST1/ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - North West |
Specialty Occupational Medicine | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Ophthalmology | Level ST1 / ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - South West |
Specialty Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery | Level ST1 / ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - South West |
Specialty Otolaryngology (ENT) | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - Yorkshire and the Humber |
Specialty Paediatric and Perinatal Pathology | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Paediatric Cardiology | Level ST4 | Lead Recruiter HEE - Wessex |
Specialty Paediatric Surgery | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - Yorkshire and the Humber |
Specialty Paediatrics | Level ST1 / ST3 / ST4 | Lead Recruiter HEE - West Midlands |
Specialty Palliative Medicine | Level ST4 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Plastic Surgery | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Psychiatry - Higher Training | Level ST4 | Lead Recruiter HEE - North West |
Specialty Public Health | Level ST1 | Lead Recruiter HEE - East Midlands |
Specialty Rehabilitation Medicine | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Renal Medicine | Level ST4 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Rheumatology | Level ST4 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Sport and Exercise Medicine | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Specialty Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - Yorkshire and the Humber |
Specialty Urology | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - Yorkshire and the Humber |
Specialty Vascular Surgery | Level ST3 | Lead Recruiter HEE - London and Kent, Surrey and Sussex |
Further information on the Lead Recruiters can be found on the Recruitment Leads page of the Oriel recruitment system.
Responsibilities of recruitment office
Each recruitment office is responsible for some or all of the following responsibilities.
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Advertising vacancies
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Providing information on the recruitment process
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Receiving applications
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Longlisting applications against a set of agreed eligibility criteria
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Shortlisting based on set criteria and scoring systems
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Interviewing and selecting successful applicants
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Making offers and receiving acceptances
Communication should be at an acceptable professional standard from recruiters to applicants and from applicants to recruiters. While you may not always agree with selection processes in place, it is important that communications do not become unprofessional. Where communications become unprofessional, recruiters will cease communication and will escalate the issue to the national Medical and Dental Recruitment and Selection (MDRS) team.
National recruitment rounds
Specialty recruitment is split into 5 recruitment rounds throughout the year. It is important that you familiarise yourself with which round the specialty that you wish to apply to is being recruited in.
Round | Description | Date of advertisements |
Academic recruitment |
Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) posts in England are advertised and recruited to. This round encompasses appointments to ACFs at all levels. |
Adverts will appear in October 2022 |
Round 1 |
This encompasses recruitment to all CT1/ST1 specialty training programmes, across the UK and some run through specialties at higher entry levels. Posts appointed in this round will normally start in August 2023 and generally no later than December 2023. |
Adverts will appear in November 2022 |
Round 2 |
This is the first time that ST3 and ST4 specialties in uncoupled training programmes will be advertised. Posts advertised in this round will normally commence between August 2023 and December 2023. |
Adverts will appear in November 2022 |
Round 1 re-advert |
Where training programmes advertised in Round 1 remain vacant, a second round, known as Round 1 re-advert, is run to try and fill the remaining posts. If all posts are filled, this recruitment round will not be run. |
Adverts will appear in March 2023 |
Round 3 |
This round encompasses all recruitment for posts starting later than December 2023 and no later than April 2024. Generally, posts advertised in this round will have a commencement date of February 2024. Not all specialties will advertise in this round. This round includes adverts for posts at all entry levels and is not limited to CT1/ST1 or ST3/ST4 like some of the earlier recruitment rounds. |
Adverts will appear in July 2023 |
Types of programmes
There are 2 types of training programmes.
A run through training programme is one where you apply for your post at the start of the programme and, subject to satisfactory progress, continue for the full duration of the training programme without the need to make a further application. On successful completion of the training programme a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) will be awarded.
Examples of run through specialties include General Practice, Paediatrics and Ophthalmology.
Uncoupled training is for specialties where you must apply at core level and be successful again to enter higher specialty training.
Examples of uncoupled specialties include Anaesthetics and Internal Medicine Training.
Competition
When deciding which posts and specialties to apply for, you are advised to consider carefully the likely levels of competition involved and be prepared to be flexible about your specialty choices. Not all applicants will be successful in getting a place in their first choice specialty and/or region.
Direct links to competition ratios from previous recruitment rounds are available.
These figures do not show what will happen in 2023 but offer a broad indication of the most and least subscribed specialties and areas in the previous recruitment year.
Page last reviewed: 25 October 2022