Applying for GP Training

 

General Practice is great fun with diverse challenges which ensure it remains both personally and professionally stimulating! So if you’re considering a career in General Practice why not read our overview of the application process and perhaps dip into other parts of our website to get a feel for the type of support you’ll receive during your Training here at Pennine.

The Application Process - updated for 2011

 

Applicants make one application for up to four preferred deaneries (A deanery is the local organisation responsible for post graduate medical education e.g. The Yorkshire Deanery or Wales Deanery). The list of deaneries is available from the excellent National Recruitment Office for General Practice Training  (click) which explains the application process in great detail.

 

Stage One of the assessment is simply ensuring you satisfy the minimum eligibility criteria:

• To hold a recognised primary medical qualification.
• To be fully registered with the UK GMC at the time of application OR passed both parts of PLAB and be eligible for full UK GMC registration. 
• To have achieved foundation programme competence or equivalent.
• To hold a current valid driving licence OR able to provide satisfactory alternative as a means of providing emergency and domiciliary care.
• Evidence of English Language Proficiency – applicants whose primary medical degree was not taught in English or those who have not achieved an overall IELTS score of 7.0 will not be considered. Applicants will be required to produce evidence of English language proficiency when attending the Selection Centre.

 

Stage Two will now be held at Pearson VUE centres (as are the theory driving tests) rather than Deanery organised venues across the UK. Applicants will be required to produce photographic ID (passport or driving licence) when attending Stage Two. Applicants who do not produce photographic ID will not be able to sit the assessment.

 

The Stage Two assessment is a MCQ. Applicants are expected to achieve the minimum acceptable standard for their application to be considered further. The results will be standardised to produce a ranked score.

 

Stage Three - Having successfully achieved the standard required at Stage Two you will be invited to a Selection Centre, usually at your first choice Deanery; this will be dependant on the availability of places.

 

Applicants will be required to bring all supporting documentation to the Selection Centre including evidence of foundation competence and references. Applicants will be given a full list of documents required in advance.

 

 

Each UK Selection Centre will involve candidates completing 2 exercises which are observed and assessed by trained selectors. The exercises will consist of three short simulated scenarios (doctor-patient, doctor-health care professional, and doctor-relative) and a written exercise (The group exercise and the long simulated patient-doctor consultation have now been dropped). They explore competences in areas such as communication skills, problem solving, coping with pressure and professional integrity.  There are no interviews.

 

At the end of each phase of the Selection Centre day there is a “Moderation” session; this allows facilitated discussion of the overall performance of all individual candidates which is reviewed by the selectors involved. This discussion allows the deanery to make a final recommendation about the suitability of the candidate to be taken onto a standard Specialty Training Programme for General Practice. None of the GP assessors take part in or endorse any preparation courses or books. All the information you need to prepare for and participate in GP Selection Centre is available from the NRO for GP Training (click)

 

Stage four - GPST Programmes will be allocated to successful candidates depending upon performance at the Selection Centre, the training programme required and availability of a suitable vacancy. It is expected that deaneries will be unable to offer all successful candidates a training programme. The NRO will attempt to ensure that any remaining vacancies are offered to suitable candidates from other deaneries where appropriate.

 

Make sure you access the website NRO for GP Training (click)

 

 

What are my chances of getting a GPST post?

In February 282 applicants to the Yorkshire Deanery made it to Stage Three, 275 attended the Selection Centre, 21 failed to demonstrate Foundation Competency on that day and could not be allowed to progress to selection. Of the 254 remaining applicants 160 were appointed and offered posts, which equals a 63% success rate for candidates making it to Stage Three. Nearly all were offered a post in their first choice GPST Programme.

 

A map of GP Training (click)