Appendices

Vascular Surgery

Find out more about longlisting and self-assessment.

Appendix 1 – Longlisting

At the longlisting stage your application will be reviewed in line with the entry criteria set out in the nationally agreed person specification for Vascular Surgery ST3. It is essential that you provide the evidence below in your application form. If you fail to follow these instructions, it is highly likely that your application will be withdrawn from the recruitment process.

The following criteria will be assessed at longlisting stage.

Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) or equivalent
Action required Please include your Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), or equivalent, qualification in the ‘Entry Qualifications’ section of the application form. Please indicate this as your primary qualification.
Membership of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (MRCS) or equivalent (by time of post start date)
Action required You must have passed full Membership of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (MRCS) by the time of the offer date. You should list MRCS in the ‘Entry Qualifications’ section of the application form, in addition to confirming that you have MRCS at time of application where asked “Do you currently have full MRCS?”. Alternatively confirm that you will be sitting/have sat the MRCS exam by the offer date when asked “Are you sitting an MRCS examination in the February 2024 diet (TBC) (or earlier) that will lead to full MRCS qualification”.
Complete employment history
Action required You must provide details of all posts undertaken following the award of your primary medical qualification. This includes Foundation posts and work undertaken overseas. 
Evidence of achievement of CT1 competences in surgery by time of application and CT2 competences in surgery by time of appointment
Action required Candidates not currently undertaking Core Surgical Training will be required to submit evidence proving achievement of the requisite competences, of which an Annual review of competency progression (ARCP) 1 at CT2 level or a signed certificate of readiness to enter higher surgical training (CREHST) are the only acceptable documents. If you provide incomplete or unsatisfactory evidence, you will be provided with 48 hours to submit satisfactory evidence.

Appendix 2 - Vascular Surgery Self-Assessment form

Listed below are the 10 Self-Assessment questions that appear on the application form along with the possible responses to each question and details of suitable evidence to substantiate your responses.

If the interviewers are unable to verify that your evidence matches the answers you provided on your application form, you will not be awarded any marks for those criteria.  

If it is subsequently discovered that any statement is false or misleading, evidence will be collected, and you may be referred to a Probity Panel. 

Please note all time periods specified in the Self-Assessment form refer to full-time equivalent.

Question 1

By the end of July 2024, or by the completion of Core Training if this is later, how many months (whole time equivalent) will you have spent in total in any job in medicine post foundation programme (or equivalent)? This includes clinical and non-clinical jobs in any speciality. 

Responses N =
  • 0 to 39 months
 1
  • 40 to 51 months
 2
  • 52 to 73 months
 3
  • 74 to 88 months
 4
  • 88 months or more
 5
  • The value attributed to this question “N” will not contribute to the overall Self-Assessment score.
  • The recruitment team will divide the final scores recorded for questions 5a, 5b and 6 by “N”.

Evidence

  • Please provide evidence of completion of training posts.
  • For non-training posts please provide a copy of the front page of your contract of employment, which includes dates.
Question 2

By the end of July 2024, or by the completion of Core Training if this is later, how many months (whole time equivalent) will you have spent in total in Vascular Surgery and/or General Surgery in any post-Foundation job (or equivalent) in any country?  Please do not include any other posts.

Responses Score
  • 0 to 9 months
 2
  • 10 to 16 months
 6
  • 17 to 20 months
 7
  • 21 to 30 months
 8
  • 31 to 59 months
 4
  • 60 months or more
 1

Evidence

  • Please provide evidence of completion of training posts.
  • For non-training posts please provide a copy of the front page of your contract of employment, which includes dates.
Question 3

By the end of July 2024, or the completion of Core Training, will you have spent at least 4 months in T&O, Plastic Surgery, Neurosurgery, ENT Surgery, Cardiac/Thoracic surgery, A&E, ITU, Paediatric Surgery, Urology or OMFS posts since completing your Foundation Programme (or equivalent)? 

Responses Score
  • I will not have spent 4 months in any of these specialities
 0
  • I will have spent at least 4 months in a post in 1 of these specialities
 1
  • I will have spent at least 4 months in posts in 2 or more of these specialities
 2

Evidence

  • Please provide evidence of completion of training posts.
  • For non-training posts please provide a copy of the front page of your contract of employment, which includes dates.
  • If the front page of your contract does not include both start and finish dates other evidence will be required to confirm the duration of post for example, Letter from HR/Head of Service/Supervising Consultant.
Question 4

At the time of application, how many appendicectomies (laparoscopic and/or open) or femoral artery explorations have you completed which have been done either STS or STU or P or T? The higher of the two scores will count. These must be recorded in a validated logbook.

Responses

Appendicectomy

Score

Appendicectomy

Responses 

Femoral Artery

 Score Femoral artery exploration
  • 0 to 9
 1 0 to 5 1
  • 10 to 29
 2 6 to 20 2
  • 30 to 49
 3 21 to 40 3
  • 50 to 99
 4 41 to 50 4
  • 100 or more
 1 50 or more 1

Evidence

  • You must provide full logbook evidence. Consolidation sheets from a validated logbook are acceptable. You will be asked for a log of your index procedures (appendicectomies, inguinal hernias, cholecystectomies and femoral artery dissections).
Question 5a

At the time of application, how many 1st author publications have you had published in any PubMed indexed journals? Do not include published abstracts, case reports, letters or technical tips.

Responses Score
  • Numerical count of first author papers with PMID (PubMed identifier)
 2 per paper

Evidence

  • Please provide a PMID (PubMed identifier) for each paper.

  • Collaborative papers may be included in this section if you provide evidence of significant involvement in the design/steering/writing up of the study. Maximum of 1 paper per collaboration.

  • Publications included here cannot be also counted in Question 7.

Question 5b

At the time of application, how many other publications have you had published in any PubMed indexed journals? Do not include published abstracts, case reports, letters or technical tips.

Responses Score
  • Numerical count of other papers with PMID (PubMed identifier)
 1 per paper

Evidence

  • Please provide a PMID (PubMed identifier) for each paper.

  • Collaborative papers may be included in this section to a maximum of 1 paper/point for each collaborative project in which you have been referenced as a contributor.

  • Publications included here cannot be also counted in Question 7.

Question 6

At the time of application and since graduation as a doctor, how many national and international presentations have been given of work in which you are a listed author? Do not include poster presentations.

Responses Score
  • Numerical count of presentations
1 per evidence

Evidence

  • Please provide a copy of the relevant page of the meeting programme(s).

  • Presentations included here cannot be also counted in Question 7.

Question 7

Submit evidence of the 4 best audit/quality improvement projects that you have developed, against a published clinical standard and have resulted in a presentation of the results at the time of application. These will be scored against the following criteria.

Scoring criteria Score
  • Less than 4 projects that you have delivered, against a published clinical standard and have resulted in presentation at the time of application.
 0
  • 4 projects of which one includes more than 50. subjects/patients/cases.
  • 3 projects have 2 cycles.
  • One project has evidence of a local change in clinical practice with positive patient outcomes.
  • One project has been peer reviewed and presented (including posters) at a national or international meeting affiliated with a medical or surgical society, or published (including abstracts) in a Pubmed indexed journal.
 2
  • 4 projects of which 2 or more include more than 50 subjects/patients/cases.
  • All 4 project have 2 cycles.
  • 2 or more projects have evidence of a local change in clinical practice with positive patient outcomes.
  • 2 or more projects have been peer reviewed and presented (including posters) at a national or international meeting affiliated with a medical or surgical society, or published (including abstracts) in a Pubmed indexed journal.
 4

Evidence

  • Please provide a summary of the project and evidence of presentation/publication/change in practice.

  • Evidence that exceeds the descriptors for a score of 0 but does not meet the descriptors of a score of 2 can be scored 1.

  • Evidence that exceeds the descriptors for a score of 2 but does not meet the descriptors for a score of 4 can be scored 3.

Question 8

At the time of application, have you completed and been awarded a stand-alone UK higher degree or equivalent (see evidence below) examined by thesis/dissertation? (NB: This does not include intercalated degrees).

Responses Score
  • No higher degree
 0
  • Masters (such as MSc, MMedEd, MS, ChM)
1
  • PhD, MD
 2

Evidence

  • Please provide your degree certificate.

  • If your degree was taken outside the UK, you must also provide evidence of its equivalence (for example, a letter from the institution confirming that it was awarded following the production of a research-based thesis and full examination together with a copy of your results transcript). 

  • We are aware of organisations such as UK NARIC however the Selection Leads will be the final arbitrators. 
Question 9

Please select one statement that best describes your involvement in leadership or management since your primary medical qualification. 

Responses Score
  • I have provided evidence in my portfolio of a formal leadership or management role within or outside of medicine at a national or regional level.
 2
  • I have provided evidence in my portfolio of a formal leadership or management role within or outside of medicine at a local or Trust level.
 1
  • I have had no significant involvement in leadership or management.
 0

Evidence

  • Please supply evidence to support your response.

Question 10

I have a formal qualification in teaching (PG cert or equivalent). 

Responses Score
  • PG Cert or equivalent.
 2
  • A substantial interactive and practical teaching qualification.
 1
  • None.
 0

Evidence

  • Please supply evidence to support your response which should include a clear description of the learning outcomes achieved, programme content and teaching methods employed. Undertaking a particular named course is not required but mapping  to the learning outcomes of the RCSEng is essential.

Self-Assessment weighting

Below are details on the formulas used to weight the self-assessment scores.

The value attributed to Q1 (N) does not contribute to the overall score. N is used to weight Q5a, Q5b, and Q6. Candidates may score more in these questions as a reflection of increased time in various posts. N is therefore used as a denominator to balance this anomaly. The scores for Q5a, Q5b, and Q6 will be divided by N. A maximum score is also applied to these questions.  

The maximum achievable self-assessed score is 34 and the minimum score is 3.

Please see the table below for the score per item, the weighting applied and the maximum score for questions 5 to 6. 

Question Score available Weighting formula Maximum score
Question 5a Score available 2 per paper Weighting formula ((Q5a x 2) + Q5b) / N Maximum score 8
Question 5b Score available 1 per paper Weighting formula ((Q5a x 2) + Q5b) / N Maximum score 8
Question 6 Score available 1 per presentation Weighting formula Q6 / N Maximum score 2

For example, a candidate who has worked for 3 years (clinical or non-clinical) since Foundation Training will score an N of 2. If they have 8 first-author publications, 6 other publications and 2 national presentations which have been validated then their score will be as follows.

Question Validated score Weighting formula Weighted score
Question 5a Validated score 8 Weighting formula (8 x 2) + 6) / 2  = 11 Weighted score 8 (maximum score)
Question 5b Validated score 6 Weighting formula (8 x 2) + 6) / 2  = 11 Weighted score 8 (maximum score)
Question 6 Validated score 2 Weighting formula 2 / 2  = 1 Weighted score 2

Page last reviewed: 8 November 2023
Next review due: 8 November 2024