Overview of Histopathology

An overview of Histopathology ST1.

Introduction

Working alongside Royal College of Pathologists we manage a centralised process aimed at delivering a fair and consistent process for all applicants.

For careers advice please visit the Health Careers Website.

These pages aim to provide you with information regarding the 2025 Histopathology ST1 recruitment process.

General information regarding recruitment to all specialty training posts and detailed information including person specifications, competition ratios is available on the Medical Specialty Recruitment page.

Training programmes

If you are considering a career in Histopathology have a look at what the different programmes have to offer.

Summary of 2025 recruitment

Details of the process for 2025 are provided throughout these pages in conjunction with central guidance issued by the national recruitment team that applies across specialties. You can find the central guidance on the Medical Specialty Recruitment pages.

This year, due to the volume of applications, we are introducing additional shortlisting stages throughout the recruitment process. These changes are explained below.

You must read this page and the guidance on the Medical Specialty Recruitment pages before beginning your application.

Histopathology 2025 recruitment will involve the following stages (which are outlined in more detail in the relevant sections of these pages):

1. As part of the Oriel application form you will be asked to provide a self-assessment score based on your personal achievements across a number of domains, details regarding this can be found in the Self-assessment guidance. This score will be used to help the National Recruitment Office shortlist should application numbers exceed capacity at various parts of the recruitment process (details to follow). The verified Self-Assessment score will not contribute to your final score or ranking outcome at the end of the recruitment process
2. If there are a significantly greater number of applications than interview capacity, we may shortlist out candidates whose self-assessment score is too far away from the interview capacity cut off to have a chance of being shortlisted. Where this is the case, the specialty will withdraw candidates at an early stage, usually soon after applications close once numbers can be assessed against capacity. The top scoring applicants will then be invited to upload their achievements to the Evidence Upload Portal
3. Applicants who fail to upload evidence during the advertised window will be withdrawn from the recruitment process

4. Consultants will review the evidence you upload to verify that you have claimed the correct number of points. They may adjust your score if they determine your evidence warrants a different score than your self-assessment. This produces your verified total self-assessment score

5. The National Recruitment Office will review all the scores and identify the following:

   1. The verified self-assessment score needed to be invited to interview

   2. A provisional verified self-assessment score needed to be placed on the interview reserve list

      Applicants will be advised of these scores ahead of the appeals window. 

      Applicants who meet the cut off score for the interview stage will not need to appeal. All other applicants  will have an opportunity to appeal their verified self-assessment scores.

6. After the evidence verification process is complete, the highest scoring applicants will be invited to attend a remote interview
7. Your scores at interview will be used to determine your final total score and ranking

Certificate of Readiness to Enter Specialty Training (CREST) Update

For further information regarding the CREST form and providing proof of Foundation competencies, please see the Medical Specialty Recruitment pages.  

If you are required to submit a CREST, you must do so before at the time of submitting your application. Failure to submit this will result in your application being withdrawn.

Only the 2024 version of the form will be accepted.

New CREST functionality has been added to Oriel meaning that applicants can only upload one CREST per recruitment round. This single CREST will be used across all applications where it is indicated that a CREST is required.

The initial academic round in England is linked to Round 1 for CREST review meaning that any CREST submitted in the academic round will also be used for applications submitted in Round 1 of the same recruitment year.

Where applicants are required to submit a Certificate of Readiness to Enter Specialty Training, but fail to do so, or submit a different type of competency document, their applications will be rejected. 

Round Deadline for submitting a CREST form

When submitting CREST document, the accepted time-period for the post used to evidence competences will be as follows:

Round 1:

For August 2025 recruitment start date, we can accept a CREST for posts undertaken from February 2022 onwards.

It is anticipated that applicants will be able to provide a CREST at time of application.

The CREST upload window will close at 4pm on Thursday, 21 November 2024.