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Specialist training and recognition in emergency medicine in the United Kingdom


Essentials

  • 1

    Postgraduate medical training in the United Kingdom has become increasingly regulated and controlled by the General Medical Council (GMC).

  • 2

    Changes to immigration rules have occurred in response to insufficient training opportunities for UK and European graduates. This is one of the contributory factors in the deficit in the number of doctors in training in emergency medicine (EM). Nevertheless it is relatively easy for graduates from Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa and the West Indies to undertake postgraduate training in the United Kingdom.

  • 3

    The GMC sets standards for the curricula and training programmes of the royal colleges and faculties.

  • 4

    The route to specialist recognition in the United Kingdom is by completing a full GMC-approved programme of training or for relevant college and GMC approval of training, qualifications and experience gained elsewhere.

  • 5

    EM training lasts for 6 years and comprises a 3-year core programme followed by a 3-year specialist programme and exit examination leading to a fellowship in the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.

Introduction

The changing landscape of postgraduate medical training in all specialties in the United Kingdom that has occurred within the past decade is set to continue. The changes to the structure of training and recruitment have become embedded, and large-scale changes to the regulatory systems have occurred. The system to fund, control and manage postgraduate medical education (PGME) has undergone large-scale changes following legislation relating to health and social care in England. These systems have developed differently in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

An understanding of UK training in EM requires some knowledge of the regulatory bodies and systems—relating to the regulation of training, the shape of training and the content of training—that have been put in place since 2003.

Regulation of training

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