Associate Specialist
Encyclopedia
In the United Kingdom
, an associate specialist doctor is one who is appointed to a permanent position in the middle ranks. The rank is the highest that a doctor not seeking to be made a consultant
may achieve, and is usually conferred upon staff grade
doctors after several years experience (although it is possible to go from specialist registrar
to associate specialist if one chooses at that stage to leave the consultant career path).
and is always nominally accountable to one, but as associate specialists do not count as junior doctors they are able to have their own clinic lists and see patients independently. Associate specialists are normally (but not always) on the specialist register of whichever field of medicine in which they practice, and can be specialists in any field. Promotion from staff grade
is normally on experience rather than qualification, although an associate specialist is free to sit any required exams and become a consultant (often without having to have been a specialist registrar first) if they wish. An associate specialist can sit for an exam at any time.
and then reaching this rank with seniority. It is however possible for anyone not yet a consultant to leave the consultant career path and take up either this rank or staff grade
depending on experience.
An associate specialist is a hospital doctor and is generally treated as a senior doctor. Pay is usually lower than that of a consultant (though as associate specialists sometimes have fewer duties they may be also be paid less overall).
The main difference between an associate specialist and a consultant is that an associate specialist is more of a for-hire role, generally called in to look at specific patients, or treat a list of patients with one common specific ailment. Associate specialists can be part time or work across many hospitals far more easily than consultants can, and are often not responsible for the teaching of medical student
s and junior doctors.
The Associate Specilaist Grade is no longer open to new entrants since the 2008 Specialty Doctor contract was introduced. However there remains some 6,000 Associate Specialists in England alone.
s can also be viewed as a type of associate specialist but due to similar training and pay, their autonomy in practice, and level of responsibility are often more comparable to consultant
s (although the time spent as a Specialty Registrar in training will be shorter than that of a consultant
). In the final year of GP specialty training (known as ST3 for GP trainees in the UK), trainees are known as GP Registrars.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, an associate specialist doctor is one who is appointed to a permanent position in the middle ranks. The rank is the highest that a doctor not seeking to be made a consultant
Consultant (medicine)
In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...
may achieve, and is usually conferred upon staff grade
Staff grade
In the United Kingdom, a staff grade doctor is one who is appointed to a permanent position as a middle grade doctor. Doctors may have been appointed to this position based on experience and not all doctors will have done postgraduate examinations to reach this position. In the past Staff grades...
doctors after several years experience (although it is possible to go from specialist registrar
Specialist registrar
A Specialist Registrar or SpR is a doctor in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland who is receiving advanced training in a specialist field of medicine in order eventually to become a consultant...
to associate specialist if one chooses at that stage to leave the consultant career path).
Rank and Speciality
An associate specialist ranks below a consultantConsultant (medicine)
In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...
and is always nominally accountable to one, but as associate specialists do not count as junior doctors they are able to have their own clinic lists and see patients independently. Associate specialists are normally (but not always) on the specialist register of whichever field of medicine in which they practice, and can be specialists in any field. Promotion from staff grade
Staff grade
In the United Kingdom, a staff grade doctor is one who is appointed to a permanent position as a middle grade doctor. Doctors may have been appointed to this position based on experience and not all doctors will have done postgraduate examinations to reach this position. In the past Staff grades...
is normally on experience rather than qualification, although an associate specialist is free to sit any required exams and become a consultant (often without having to have been a specialist registrar first) if they wish. An associate specialist can sit for an exam at any time.
Difference from Consultants
An associate specialist is normally reached by doctors taking what is known as the non-consultant career path which involves becoming (after being a Foundation Doctor) a staff gradeStaff grade
In the United Kingdom, a staff grade doctor is one who is appointed to a permanent position as a middle grade doctor. Doctors may have been appointed to this position based on experience and not all doctors will have done postgraduate examinations to reach this position. In the past Staff grades...
and then reaching this rank with seniority. It is however possible for anyone not yet a consultant to leave the consultant career path and take up either this rank or staff grade
Staff grade
In the United Kingdom, a staff grade doctor is one who is appointed to a permanent position as a middle grade doctor. Doctors may have been appointed to this position based on experience and not all doctors will have done postgraduate examinations to reach this position. In the past Staff grades...
depending on experience.
An associate specialist is a hospital doctor and is generally treated as a senior doctor. Pay is usually lower than that of a consultant (though as associate specialists sometimes have fewer duties they may be also be paid less overall).
The main difference between an associate specialist and a consultant is that an associate specialist is more of a for-hire role, generally called in to look at specific patients, or treat a list of patients with one common specific ailment. Associate specialists can be part time or work across many hospitals far more easily than consultants can, and are often not responsible for the teaching of medical student
Medical Student
Medical Student may refer to:*Someone studying at medical school*Medical Student Newspaper, a UK publication...
s and junior doctors.
The Associate Specilaist Grade is no longer open to new entrants since the 2008 Specialty Doctor contract was introduced. However there remains some 6,000 Associate Specialists in England alone.
General Practitioners
General practitionerGeneral practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
s can also be viewed as a type of associate specialist but due to similar training and pay, their autonomy in practice, and level of responsibility are often more comparable to consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
s (although the time spent as a Specialty Registrar in training will be shorter than that of a consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
). In the final year of GP specialty training (known as ST3 for GP trainees in the UK), trainees are known as GP Registrars.