Applying

Before you apply for Specialty Training you should check that you're eligible.

All applications must be submitted via Oriel, we are unable to accept any applications outside of this system. Please ensure you are only logged into Oriel in one browser window, on one device, as having multiple windows open may impact updates you make.

Please check your application thoroughly before submitting as no one is able to change information after submission, including the administrative team. Please ensure you submit your application before the 4pm deadline on Thursday 5 December.

Before you apply for Specialty Training you should check that you're eligible against the person specification.

Summary of changes for 2025 recruitment

Self assessment

We have changed the response format for Domains 1, 5a, 5b and 6. These are no longer free text questions but categories. To reassure you will collate the free text response for 5a, 5b and 6 in a separate part of the application form.

Future changes for 2025/2026 recruitment

To be confirmed.

How to apply

Vascular Surgery recruitment to programmes in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is managed via a nationally coordinated process hosted by the recruitment office on behalf of the Vascular Surgery Specialty Advisory Committees (SAC).

Further programme and rotation information will be available at the point of preferencing at a later date in the process. Information will be sent to your Oriel account and copied to your registered email inbox with instructions on how to complete preferencing. In addition, indicative post numbers for each NHSE local office/deanery will be made available on the Medical Specialty Recruitment pages.

Applications will only be accepted through Oriel between 10am Thursday 14 November 2024 and 4pm Thursday 5 December 2024. Please be aware applications received after this time will not be accepted and there will be no exceptions to this.

To register on Oriel, you must ensure you have a valid email address. Communication between the recruitment office and applicants will be primarily via Oriel.

Recruitment process

Reasonable adjustments and Disability Confident Scheme (DCS)

We will ensure, where possible, that reasonable adjustments are made at interview to meet the needs of applicants with disabilities.

You must ensure that you include this on the application form.

Failure to provide the requested information and documentation by the stated deadline will result in adjustments and/or Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) status not being met.

Any applicants applying under DCS will be required to score above the minimum cut-off score in the MSRA exam – this is 201 on each of the 2 components.

For more information regarding reasonable adjustments and the Disability Confident Scheme, visit the support page via the Applicant Support Portal.

Fitness to Practise

Please refer to the Medical Specialty Recruitment pages for guidance on special circumstances.

Any candidate who answers yes to one or more of the questions in the Fitness to Practise section of the application form, must complete the Fitness to Practise (FTP) declaration form providing further details regarding your affirmative/positive answer. 

Please refer to the guidance and relevant forms which can be found within our Applicant Support Portal.

Eligibility

You must meet the entry criteria in order to be considered for specialty training. It is important to note that your application is likely to be rejected prior to the interview stage should you fail a criterion assessed at longlisting. Please refer to the person specifications for full details of entry criteria. 

Longlisting

Your application will be longlisted against the entry criteria as outlined on the person specification. Please be aware that you may still be withdrawn from the application process at any stage if found to be ineligible to apply even if you have been made an offer.

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.

Important information on Certificate of Readiness to Enter Higher Surgical Training (CREHST)

The CREHST is the only acceptable evidence of achievement of all requisite core surgical competences, for all applicants to Vascular Surgery ST3 who will not have completed a recognised UK Core Surgical Training Programme by the post start date.

All competences must be signed off in order for a CREHST to be accepted.

If necessary, competences can be signed off by multiple supervisors where a single supervisor feels unable to sign off the totality of competences.

The CREHST must be submitted by all applicants who are not on or have not completed a UK Core Surgical Training programme. 

The CREHST can either be downloaded from the Oriel resource bank or download the CREHST certificate here.

Shortlisting

The self-assessment will be completed online as part of the Oriel application. 

You will be provided with further instructions about how to upload evidence to the evidence portal in due course. You should ensure that you present the evidence in the requested format.

Failure to do so could result in your evidence being rejected. 

Failure to submit all evidence by the stated deadline will result in your application form being withdrawn by the recruitment team. The upload window is from Wednesday 11 December 2024 to Friday 3 January 2025. 

Recruitment administrators will not be able to upload evidence on your behalf and once the deadline for submission has passed, your access will be withdrawn. 

Submitted evidence will be verified against the self-assessment criteria for all applicants. Where the evidence submitted does not match the score awarded, the score will be adjusted accordingly. 

On completion of the verification process, you will be sent your verified score. Where you disagree with the score awarded, you can lodge an appeal. The verified scores will be used to shortlist candidates for interview.

Appeals received after the 72-hour deadline will not be considered. The outcome of the appeal is final and there is no further recourse if you are dissatisfied. Disagreements over self-assessment scores fall out of scope of the MDRS Complaints Policy.