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• Second stage of 2008 recruitme

Please note that the following FAQs apply to England applicants only. For information on MMC in the other three UKcountries please use the related links on the right. 

The FAQs below are for applicants at the end of the first main national recruitment process (ending May 16^th 2008)

 

1.      I haven’t yet found a training post amongst those that have been advertised. What options are open to me?

Those posts that have not yet been filled will be re-advertised by deaneries over the coming weeks and months. Inevitably, the vast majority of vacant posts will be in less popular specialties and training locations. So, if you have not been able to find a post in your preferred specialty and location, you will need to consider alternatives.

However, in addition to these posts, some ST3/ST4 places will become available between now and December 2008, as existing senior Specialist Trainees complete their training or leave for other reasons. These vacancies will be advertised by deaneries during the year as they become available.

It is not possible to provide the exact number of posts that have not yet been filled as part of the national round, or of those ST3/ST4 posts that will be advertised over the rest of the year. However, we estimate that, both known and predicted vacancies into account, there will be up to 1,500 posts advertised in total between May and December.

2.      Where do I find out about these vacancies? How will I know that they are coming up?

All these vacancies will be advertised by deaneries on their websites as they were in the recent national recruitment round.  For quick links to the deanery websites, please click here

Many posts will also be advertised via NHS Jobs, and on the national jobs site operated by RemedyUK. However, it is impossible for us to guarantee that either of these alternatives will pick up every vacancy, so we strongly advise that you review deanery websites on a regular basis as your first option.

3.      What are the rules and guidelines for these jobs?

The same requirements in terms of notice and timing will apply to deaneries and to applicants as they did between January and May. Deaneries will need to provide notice on their websites that they intend to advertise for particular posts at least two weeks before doing so, and will need to advertise them for at least 72 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays) following that notice period. The same 48 hour period for accepting or declining offers will also apply.

4.      I have already accepted a post in the first round. Can I apply for a different job in the next stage of recruitment?

Yes, you can. However, you must make it known to the deanery or Unit of Application to whom you are applying that you have already secured a post in the first round and you will also need to notify the deanery where you had originally accepted the training offer.  You need to do this at the time of applying.

If you are intending to leave the post you have accepted, you will need to check with the employing organisation the period of notice you are committed to. (see also question 7 below)

5.      If I accept a job in this second recruitment round, can I continue to apply for other posts that are advertised during it?

The same arrangements that applied in the first recruitment period (between January and May) will apply.

If you accept a post in this second recruitment round, you will be required to give an undertaking when accepting a post that you have not accepted another post and will withdraw from further recruitment. The exemptions to this that applied in the first round will still apply.

6.      If I have accepted an offer of a post in the first recruitment process, but have not received a contract, am I still expected to give notice?

It is usual for there to be a delay in written contracts being issued by the initial employing NHS Trust on a training rotation. This is because of the time it takes to complete the prescribed employment checks and for rotas to be organised.

If  you have received an offer of employment and accepted it, you are required to give notice. Even though you may still not have received your contract, you should discuss the notice required with your employing organisation.

7.      If I decide to take up a post instead of one I have already accepted can I just not turn up for work on the start date?

No. You have a responsibility for patients and services. As the GMC’s Good Medical Practice points out, patient care may be compromised if there is insufficient medical cover.  The better approach would be to make sure your employer has a reasonable time to make other arrangements (as a minimum, the contractual notice period).

If you do not give the required notice and simply fail to turn up for work on the agreed start date, you will be reported to the General Medical Council. Failure to arrive for work on the start date previously notified by your employing hospital could affect patient services and their care, and may have an adverse impact on the working conditions of medical colleagues. You may be in breach of contract if you do not comply with the minimum contractual notice.

8.      How do I know if my immigration status means I am eligible or ineligible for posts? Have the rules changed recently?

The rules changed for new applicants from outside the European Economic Area on 29^th February 2008. However, this does not affect you if you currently have Highly Skilled Migrant, or refugee status. The full rules, including specific definitions of which immigration categories can and cannot take up specialty training programme places, are set out in the applicant guide for 2008 application and recruitment. 

For the full guide see the Related Documents opposite.  For the specific guidance for overseas nationals, please click here

9.      Is there any competition ratio or other information to guide my future choices this year?

We don't yet have the data to provide detailed competition ratios at this point in the year, although they should become available in June.  However, the information available so far suggests that surgery, general practice and general medicine have all seen high levels of competition, while anaesthetics, paediatrics, mental health and obstetrics & gynaecology have had comparatively fewer applications. Apologies for some of the broad groupings involved, but this may help you decide what specialties to apply for if you have not already found a training place.

10.  How can I find out the detailed rules and guidelines for applications over the rest of 2008?

The guidance that applied to the national round between January and May still applies and can be downloaded from the Related Documents opposite.

11.  What options are there if I do not get a Training Post?

If you do not gain a training post a number of options are available.

There may be LAT or LAS locum posts available. Time spent in a LAT (Locum Appointment for Training) post can be counted towards the total time required for a CCT, whereas time spent in a LAS (Locum Appointment for Service) does not. LATs can only be appointed by a formally-defined appointments panel, whereas the appointment to a LAS may be less formal and carried out at a local hospital level. Both types of locum can offer good and worthwhile experiences and may help in gaining specific clinical skills. Some doctors may choose to take non-training jobs available (e.g. Trust Grade) or jobs in research or abroad.

These jobs may be taken as a permanent career move, or may be considered as a stepping-stone to a future training post.

12.  Why isn’t there a second national process with a single national timetable?

There are two fundamental reasons why 2008 does not have a national ‘Round Two’ as was the case in 2007.

Firstly, a proportion of ST3 posts will only become available as and when current postholders gain their CCTs and leave their training programmes. The timing of these is unpredictable. Clumping those together in a national round would simply waste opportunities and training time for trainees, and would delay filling posts that are critical to the provision of high quality patient care.  Instead of this, deaneries will be able to advertise vacancies as soon as they arise.

Second, the MMC England Programme Board, supported by the conclusions of the Tooke Review, has agreed that we need to move away from a single national timetable. Having every single trainee start work in the first week of August can present significant problems for Trusts and so we need to move back to a more balanced arrangement where posts/programmes are advertised and filled in a way that is more spread out over the year. 2008 is an ‘interim’ year in this respect.

13.  Where can I get personal careers advice and guidance?

Your Educational Supervisor may be able to offer individual careers advice and suggest options to you. You may also be able to speak to the Clinical Tutor or Director of Medical Education in your local hospital.

Many of the Colleges have general advice on their websites for doctors considering a career in their specialty. Some of the Colleges and Specialty Organisations also offer a counseling/advisory service for individuals with career difficulties.  The BMA offer a careers guidance service.  For a list of useful links to these other websites please click here.