Specialty Registrar (StR)
Encyclopedia
Specialty Registrar is a new training grade introduced in 2007 into UK medical training as part of the Modernising Medical Careers
programme. It is intended to replace the old Specialist Registrar
training places used to train doctors up to the specialist level needed to become a Consultant
Doctor
. In the UK medical system, a specialist is someone who has the necessary experience and qualifications to be placed on the GMC
's Specialist Register. Only persons on the Specialist Register can be appointed consultants in the National Health Service
(NHS). The knowledge of the role of registrars is necessary to pass many medical school exams.
Training to become a General Practitioner will also involve a Specialty Registrar training scheme and completion will lead to eligibility for entry on the General Practice Register.
Specialty Registrar training involves structured specialist or general practitioner training programmes that begin directly after completion of the 2 year foundation training programme. Completing the training scheme will lead to the award of a Certificate of Completion of Training
(CCT), subject to satisfactory in-training assessment and progress; this is a necessary pre-requisite for entry onto the Specialist Register or GP Register.
The curricular used for the different specialty training schemes will be set by the relevant medical royal college. Under the old system, before applying for the old Registrar
posts, applicants were required to have sat and passed part, or all, of a medical royal college's membership examinations while still a Senior House Officer
. Under the new system Foundation doctors do not need to sit these exams as they play no part in the selection process and are actively discouraged from doing so. It is however still common practice to begin to take these exams during the second year of the foundation programme and is recommended by experts outside MMC . The appropriate royal college exams will now be taken during the first year or two of the Specialty Registrar training scheme.
Modernising Medical Careers
Modernising Medical Careers is a programme for postgraduate medical training introduced in the UK from 2005 onwards. The programme replaced the traditional grades of medical career before the level of Consultant. The different stages of the programme contribute towards a "Certificate of...
programme. It is intended to replace the old 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...
training places used to train doctors up to the specialist level needed to become 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...
Doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
. In the UK medical system, a specialist is someone who has the necessary experience and qualifications to be placed on the GMC
General Medical Council
The General Medical Council registers and regulates doctors practising in the United Kingdom. It has the power to revoke or restrict a doctor's registration if it deems them unfit to practise...
's Specialist Register. Only persons on the Specialist Register can be appointed consultants in the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
(NHS). The knowledge of the role of registrars is necessary to pass many medical school exams.
Training to become a General Practitioner will also involve a Specialty Registrar training scheme and completion will lead to eligibility for entry on the General Practice Register.
Specialty Registrar training involves structured specialist or general practitioner training programmes that begin directly after completion of the 2 year foundation training programme. Completing the training scheme will lead to the award of a Certificate of Completion of Training
Certificate of Completion of Training
CCT or Certificate of Completion of Training is the certificate that physicians in the United Kingdom receive to indicate that they have completed training in their chosen specialty and are eligible to apply for a post as a consultant or a general practitioner .This certificate is awarded by the...
(CCT), subject to satisfactory in-training assessment and progress; this is a necessary pre-requisite for entry onto the Specialist Register or GP Register.
The curricular used for the different specialty training schemes will be set by the relevant medical royal college. Under the old system, before applying for the old 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...
posts, applicants were required to have sat and passed part, or all, of a medical royal college's membership examinations while still a Senior House Officer
Senior house officer
A senior house officer is a junior doctor undergoing training within a certain speciality in the British National Health Service or in the Republic of Ireland. SHOs are supervised by consultants and registrars, who oversee their training and are their designated clinical supervisors...
. Under the new system Foundation doctors do not need to sit these exams as they play no part in the selection process and are actively discouraged from doing so. It is however still common practice to begin to take these exams during the second year of the foundation programme and is recommended by experts outside MMC . The appropriate royal college exams will now be taken during the first year or two of the Specialty Registrar training scheme.
External links
- Modernising Medical Careers website
- Modernising Medical Careers - publication by the Department of HealthDepartment of Health (United Kingdom)The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government with responsibility for government policy for health and social care matters and for the National Health Service in England along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish,...
- Medical Training Application Service