As part of your application for Vascular Surgery ST3, you will be required to complete a self-assessment along with submitting supporting evidence to justify the score you choose.
On this page
Listed below are the 9 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.
Please review the Self-assessment and verification page before completing your Oriel application.
If the verifying consultant is 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.
If you are applying from the UK
For UK applicants - national refers to activity within the England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or the UK as a whole.
Local would mean at the level of a hospital single Trust or University.
Roles outside healthcare include voluntary activity, arts, and other sciences, but not paid employment.
Scoring
For each domain, please select the descriptor and score which most truly reflects your experience. When more than one descriptor is appropriate for you for a particular domain, choose only the one which results in the higher score. Include evidence which supports your score.
If an achievement legitimately fits under multiple domains, it is valid to claim in both categories (for example, academic work which was presented orally then subsequently published).
Please note scores are finalised when the form is submitted. This means they cannot be edited in the event of a mistake, or an additional achievement completed after the deadline.
Completed achievements only
Only include achievements which are fully completed at the time of submission. Do not include anything which is still in progress. For example:
- Do not include qualifications if you have not yet been awarded an outcome
- Do not include articles submitted for publication if they have not been accepted
- Do not include a presentation if you have not yet presented it
Over-claiming
You should be honest with your evaluation and not attempt to gain unfair advantage by exaggerating or misrepresenting achievements.
If this is identified, it could be considered a probity matter which could lead to outright rejection of your application, and in extreme cases, fitness to practice proceedings.
Your scores will be reviewed by trained assessors and based on your evidence can be revised up or down.
Self-assessment domains
Domain 1
By the end of September 2026, how many months (whole time equivalent) will you have spent after medical school in total in Vascular Surgery in any country? Please do not include any other posts.
| Responses |
Score |
| <2 months |
0 |
| 2 to <4 months |
4 |
| 4 to <12 months |
8 |
| 12 to 16 months |
8 |
| >16 to 24 months |
4 |
| >24 months |
0 |
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 must include dates
Domain 2
At the time of application, how many appendicectomies (laparoscopic and/or open) or femoral artery dissections 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 Femoral Artery Exploration |
Responses Appendicectomy |
Score |
| 0 |
0 |
0 |
| 1 to 5 |
1 to 9 |
1 |
| 6 to 9 |
10 to 29 |
2 |
| 10 to 15 |
30 to 49 |
3 |
| 16 to 20 |
50 to 99 |
4 |
| 21 or more |
100 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)
- The highest score from the two options, either for the appendicectomies or femoral artery explorations, will be used as your score for this domain
Domain 3
At the time of application, how many First author publications have you had published in any PubMed indexed journals? Do not include published abstracts, case reports, letters or technical tips.
| Responses |
Score |
| 4+ |
4 |
| 3 |
3 |
| 2 |
2 |
| 1 |
1 |
| 0 |
0 |
Evidence
- Please provide a PMID (PubMed identifier) for each paper
- Publications included here cannot be also counted in Domain 4
Domain 4
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
|
| 5+ |
5 |
| 4 |
4 |
| 3 |
3 |
| 2 |
2 |
| 1 |
1 |
| 0 |
0 |
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 Domain 3
Domain 5
At the time of application, and in the last two years whole-time equivalent (WTE) of clinical practice 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 |
| 6+ |
6 |
| 5 |
5 |
| 4 |
4 |
| 3 |
3 |
| 2 |
2 |
| 1 |
1 |
| 0 |
0 |
Evidence
Domain 6
Please submit your 2 best closed loop audits and your best additional audit or Quality Improvement Project that have resulted in a departmental presentation of the results at the time of application.
Audits must be at least a full loop (a full audit cycles that involves a second audit following an implemented change) and compared to a published clinical standard.
| Scoring criteria |
Audit mark |
QIP mark |
Total marks |
| 1 audit |
2 |
0 |
2 |
| 2 audit |
4 |
0 |
4 |
| 2 audit plus 1 QIP |
4 |
1 |
5 |
| 1 audit plus 1 QIP |
2 |
1 |
3 |
| QIP only |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Evidence
Notes
- These will be scored against the following criteria
- Please only submit audits/QIPs which have been presented as you will need to provide evidence of presentation
- For each loop of the closed loop audits and for the additional audit/QIP you must provide evidence of your involvement in the design, execution and presentation of the audit/QIP
Applicants should note that to qualify as a closed-loop audit, there must be clear evidence of applicant involvement in both audit cycles. Submissions where the applicant is deemed by the shortlisters to have only been involved in the initial or re-audit will receive zero points. Submissions where no template/evidence is submitted for this question will be deemed ineligible.
Example of a closed loop audit:
- Audit of practice against current published standard
- Implementation of change process
- Re-audit of changes using same criteria to assess change process
The scores are calculated as per the following table:
| Scoring criteria |
Audit mark |
QIP mark |
Total marks |
| 2 audit plus 1 QIP |
4 |
1 |
5 |
| 2 audits |
4 |
|
4 |
| 1 audit plus 1 QIP |
2 |
1 |
3 |
| 1 audit |
2 |
|
2 |
| QIP only |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Insufficient evidence |
0 |
0 |
0 |
You will be asked to provide the dates of your 2 audits.
Domain 7
At the time of application, have you completed and been awarded a stand-alone higher degree or equivalent (see evidence below) examined by thesis/dissertation? (NB: This does not include intercalated degrees or primary medical degrees).
| Responses |
Score |
| PhD, MD |
3 |
| Masters (such as MSc, MMedEd, MS, ChM) |
2 |
| Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate diploma |
1 |
| No higher degree |
0 |
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
Domain 8
Please select one statement that best describes your involvement in leadership or management in the last two years whole-time equivalent (WTE) of clinical practice.
| 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
Domain 9
Please select one statement that best describes your involvement in medical education/teaching in the last two years whole-time equivalent (WTE) of clinical practice.
| Responses |
Score |
| I have provided evidence in my portfolio of a formal teaching role within or outside medicine at a national or regional level |
2 |
|
I have provided evidence in my portfolio of a formal teaching role or management role within or outside of medicine at a local or Trust level
Or,
A substantial interactive and practical teaching qualification (but not a formal degree)
|
1 |
|
I have had no significant involvement in teaching
|
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
- Please note FHEA is not classified as a formal qualification and cannot be used as evidence
- Please note that the PG Cert or equivalent in teaching has now been moved to domain 7
Page last reviewed: 19 November 2025
Next review due: 19 November 2027