Changes to Medical Specialty Training recruitment for 2026 

We would like to inform applicants of some key changes to 2026 specialty training recruitment including changes to the GMC registration requirement and a limit to the number of applications that can be submitted.

There was an unprecedented 60% rise in the number of applications to medical specialty training in Round 1 2025.  This meant that competition for places was tougher than ever before, and many eligible applicants missed out on training opportunities.

Over the last few months, discussions have been taking place to look at fairer ways to increase applicants’ chances of securing a training post this year and making sure the system works as effectively as possible.  This is a UK process and we have been working closely across the four nations and wider stakeholders to find a way forward.

Applicants to 2026 specialty recruitment which opens on Thursday 23 October 2025 will now need to be fully registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) at point of application.  Applicants to Round 1, where competition is at its highest, will only be allowed to submit a maximum of five applications in changes announced today. 

We know that applying for full registration with the GMC can take several months to process.  We have seen applicants withdrawing from their acceptance at a late stage if registration is not obtained, leaving gaps in rotas which ultimately could impact patient safety as well as wasting training capacity.  To ensure that all applicants are eligible to commence a specialty training programme, they will now need to ensure that they are already fully registered with the GMC at the time they apply. 

It is important to note that the GMC registration change also applies to those applying for Academic Clinical Fellowships (ACF) which open on Thursday 2 October 2025.

Figures also show that the average number of applications an individual submits in Round 1 is increasing every year with the average number now being 2.37. 

By limiting the number of applications that can be submitted competition ratios are anticipated to fall, helping applicants to focus on the specialties they have a genuine interest in and increase their chances of successful appointment. Limiting competition in this way will mean a fairer spread of opportunities with interviews spread across a wider field of candidates.

We will closely monitor the impact these changes have on reducing competition to recruitment, and we hope these initial steps will help ease some of the issues that applicants have been facing, while we work towards delivering wider reform of the system as set out in the Ten Year Plan for Health.