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6 things that don’t matter when applying for UK specialty training (residency) and 4 things that do

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what matters when applying for uk specialty training residency

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The rules, guidelines and criteria for working as a doctor in the UK change frequently. Please make sure you check the latest official guidance before taking action.

Updated: November 12, 2019

There are a lot of misconceptions that IMGs have about applying to UK specialty training (residency). These are often based on things that are important for residency applications back home, or residency applications in the US, but you’ll be pleased to know that many of them are not applicable to the UK. I hope this article will set the record straight on a few issues.

What doesn't matter

#1 Your PLAB score

Although a high PLAB score may make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, the truth is – nobody else cares. Ouch, I know. But unlike the USMLE, your PLAB score is not used in any way, shape or form, to select applicants for specialty training. It is simply a licensing exam to gain GMC registration to practise as a doctor in the UK. 

So leave your PLAB score out of your CV, and concentrate on other areas of your application that actually matter.

Related: What you need to know about PLAB

What doesn't matter

#2 Your MRCP/MRCS/FRCR/MRCOG score

Postgraduate exams are tough! Just passing them is recognised as an achievement, so raw scores are not taken into account. Having a higher score than the next applicant will not gain you any advantage in your application, so don’t focus on scoring the highest possible, focus on learning the material well and developing your skills and knowledge as a specialist.

What does matter

#1 Your interview score 

Successful applicants for specialty training are selected based on their total application score. For most specialties, the biggest component of this score is the interview performance, followed by the portfolio. 

So if you want to do well in your application, find out all you can about the interview, then practise, practise, practise! Most specialties publish the format and content of the interview in advance so be sure to check it out.

What does matter

#2 Having a well-rounded portfolio

Most specialties score your portfolio as part of your total application score. The different domains typically include things such as research, teaching experience, quality improvement, leadership, publications, presentations, etc. 

You will score more by having achievements in all domains rather than excelling in a single domain. Unfortunately, having world-class achievements in research will not offset a lack of teaching experience, or make up for not completing a quality improvement project.

Be sure to find out how your specialty scores the portfolio and what domains are included. For competitive specialties in particular, you’ll want to score highly in all domains. 

We have an IMG Masterclass that is all about how to achieve this, be sure to check it out!

What doesn't matter

#3 Your Aunt/Uncle/family friend who is an NHS Consultant

UK specialty training applications are highly objective. Your portfolio and interview are marks based on a standardised scoring framework. Applicants are selected on this basis alone. 

The interview panel scoring your performance is usually made up of Consultants from across the region or even across the country. The panel members will interview hundreds of applicants in a day. Their scoring sheet will have your applicant number but no personal details like your name, your age, or where you graduated. There is literally nowhere for connections to put in a good word or ask for favours.

Although some doctors may see this a bad thing, I would advise you to see it as an opportunity. This objectiveness means that the son or daughter of a prestigious professor cannot gain an unfair advantage in the application process, and you have just as good a chance as anyone if you work hard and prepare well.

What doesn't matter

#4 Letters of recommendation (LORs)

This seems to be an extremely important component of US residency applications, but not so much in the UK. 

In UK applications, letters from Consultants are only used as evidence to confirm any achievements you’ve claimed in your portfolio. They generally say, “Dr X organised and led a quality improvement programme that…” or “ I confirm that Dr Y presented at the departmental meeting for…”

They do not need to comment on your suitability for the specialty you’re applying for, your overall career progression, your character, or anything else. The selection panel will determine all of this at interview and award marks according to the official scoring framework.

What does matter

#3 Your work references

Although LORs don’t play much of a role in selecting successful applicants, they do have some importance once you actually land a training job.

When you are successful in securing a job offer (congratulations!), the references you listed in your application form will be contacted. A positive reference will mean your job offer moves forward, while a poor reference can result in your offer being withdrawn. So do make sure you work hard in your previous job and select your references carefully.

It is always best practice to let your Consultant know beforehand that you would like to put them down as a reference. You will get an idea about what they are likely to say in your reference form by their reaction. If they feel you are not ready for training and decline to provide a positive reference, then that’s a good time to discuss any performance issues. Work with them on how to resolve any problems so they will be happy to give you a positive reference. 

What does matter

#4 Your immigration status 

I talk about this a lot here on the blog because it’s the number one thing that IMGs need to understand when it comes to applying for training in competitive specialties. If you have the right immigration status, you have the opportunity to apply for any specialty. 

So what’s the right immigration status? Anything that is considered exempt from RLMT.

RLMT stands for Resident Labour Market Test. It’s an immigration rule that basically says a foreign national cannot work in the UK unless no suitable applicant from the UK or EU can be found for that specific job. Therefore those who are settled UK residents are given priority.

IMGs need to gain exemption from this rule in order to be eligible for competitive specialties like Surgery or Radiology. 

What if you don’t have the right immigration status?

Fortunately on October 6, 2019, all medical jobs were added to the Shortage Occupation List which means that all IMGs can now be considered exempt from RLMT. This opens up many doors for IMGs to apply for training jobs in even the most competitive specialties!

Related: 9 ways the new Shortage Occupation List affects IMGs dreaming of UK specialty training

What doesn't matter

#5 What country you graduated from 

Once you are eligible to apply for specialty training, your place of graduation does not play any role in your application. Your application will only be judged on the content of your portfolio, and your performance at interview. Some specialties will also include the score from the Multi-specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA). 

So if you are eligible to apply and failed to secure a training spot, then unfortunately that means your application was not good enough that year. It will have nothing to do with the fact that you’re an IMG.

What doesn't matter

#6 Your age

Age is not taken into consideration at all when applying for UK specialty training. There is no upper age limit when it comes to postgraduate training. We posed this question to Health Education England:

I’d like to ask please if there is an upper age limit when applying for UK specialty training. 

I understand that age discrimination is illegal but what about mature students who want to enter ST1/CT1 in their 60’s or those who want to retrain in a new specialty at that age? Is there a limit with applying and proximity of age to stage retirement age?

I’d be grateful for your guidance.

This was their response:

Thank you for your email.

 There is no upper age limit to apply for any specialty. When applying for training you’ll be assessed on your eligibility and ability for the post applied.

Harriet Maclennan
Recruitment Officer

There you have it in black and white: an applicant of any age can apply for UK specialty training. So don’t be held back by a self-imposed limitation about age!

Summary

The important factors when it comes to applying for UK specialty training (residency) differ from other countries. Being familiar with what matters and what doesn’t will help you focus your efforts and avoid wasting time and energy on activities that will not bring you any closer to your training job. I hope this article has helped you develop your strategy for your application.

6 things that do not matter when applying to uk specialty training

  1. Your PLAB score
  2. Your postgraduate exam scores
  3. Having “connections”
  4. Letters of recommendation (LORs)
  5. What country you graduated from
  6. Your age

4 things that do matter when applying to UK specialty training

  1. Your interview score
  2. Having a well-rounded portfolio
  3. Your work references
  4. Your immigration status

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Looking for a step-by-step guide?

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Looking for a step-by-step guide?

Subscribe to the Savvy IMG and grab your FREE 2-year roadmap to UK residency as an IMG.

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4 Responses

    1. High academic achievement can get you extra points in your application, but it’s only one part of the score. Low grades have no bearing on an application ie. you do not lose points for low or average grades as long as you pass.

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Marketing communications

Our content, goods and services

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We will continue to send you marketing communications in relation to similar goods and services if you do not opt out from receiving them.

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Transfer and storage of your information

Information for marketing campaigns will be stored outside the European Economic Area on our third-party mailing list provider’s servers in the United States.

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Use of tracking in emails

We use technologies such as tracking pixels (small graphic files) and tracked links in the emails we send to allow us to assess the level of engagement our emails receive by measuring information such as the delivery rates, open rates, click through rates and content engagement that our emails achieve.

Information obtained from third parties

This section sets out how we obtain or collect information about you from third parties.

Information received from third parties

We can often receive information about you from third parties. The third parties from which we receive information about you can include partner events within the marketing industry and other organisations that we have a professional affiliation with.

It is also possible that third parties with whom we have had no prior contact may provide us with information about you.

Information we obtain from third parties will generally be your name and contact details but will include any additional information about you which they provide to us.

Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract or to take steps at your request to enter into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Reason why necessary to perform a contract: where a third party has passed on information about you to us (such as your name and email address) in order for us to provide services to you, we will process your information in order to take steps at your request to enter into a contract with you and perform a contract with you (as the case may be).

Legal basis for processing: consent (Article 6(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Consent: where you have asked that a third party to share information about you with us and the purpose of sharing that information is not related to the performance of a contract or services by us to you, we will process your information on the basis of your consent, which you give by asking the third party in question to pass on your information to us.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: where a third party has shared information about you with us and you have not consented to the sharing of that information, we will have a legitimate interest in processing that information in certain circumstances.

For example, we would have a legitimate interest in processing your information to perform our obligations under a sub-contract with the third party, where the third party has the main contract with you. Our legitimate interest is the performance of our obligations under our sub-contract.

Similarly, third parties may pass on information about you to us if you have infringed or potentially infringed any of our legal rights. In this case, we will have a legitimate interest in processing that information to investigate and pursue any such potential infringement.

Information obtained by us from third parties

In certain circumstances (for example, to verify the information we hold about you or obtain missing information we require to provide you with a service) we will obtain information about you from certain publicly accessible sources, both EU and non-EU, such as Companies House, online customer databases, business directories, media publications, social media, and websites (including your own website if you have one.

In certain circumstances will also obtain information about you from private sources, both EU and non-EU, such as marketing data services.

We will continue to send you marketing communications in relation to similar goods and services if you do not opt out from receiving them.

You can opt-out from receiving marketing communications at any time by emailing hello@thesavvyimg.co.uk

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: Sharing relevant, timely and industry-specific information on related business services.

Where we receive information about you in error

If we receive information about you from a third party in error and/or we do not have a legal basis for processing that information, we will delete your information.

Disclosure and additional uses of your information

This section sets out the circumstances in which will disclose information about you to third parties and any additional purposes for which we use your information.

Disclosure of your information to service providers

We use a number of third parties to provide us with services which are necessary to run our business or to assist us with running our business

These include the following: Internet services, IT service providers and web developers.

Our third-party service providers are located both inside and outside of the European Economic Area.

Your information will be shared with these service providers where necessary to provide you with the service you have requested, whether that is accessing our website or ordering goods and services from us.

We do not display the identities of our service providers publicly by name for security and competitive reasons. If you would like further information about the identities of our service providers, however, please contact us directly by email and we will provide you with such information where you have a legitimate reason for requesting it (where we have shared your information with such service providers, for example).

Legal basis for processing: legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest relied on: where we share your information with these third parties in a context other than where is necessary to perform a contract (or take steps at your request to do so), we will share your information with such third parties in order to allow us to run and manage our business efficiently.

Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract and/or to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Reason why necessary to perform a contract: we may need to share information with our service providers to enable us to perform our obligations under that contract or to take the steps you have requested before we enter into a contract with you.

Disclosure and use of your information for legal reasons

Indicating possible criminal acts or threats to public security to a competent authority

If we suspect that criminal or potential criminal conduct has been occurred, we will in certain circumstances need to contact an appropriate authority, such as the police. This could be the case, for instance, if we suspect that we fraud or a cyber-crime has been committed or if we receive threats or malicious communications towards us or third parties.

We will generally only need to process your information for this purpose if you were involved or affected by such an incident in some way.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: preventing crime or suspected criminal activity (such as fraud).

In connection with the enforcement or potential enforcement our legal rights

We will use your information in connection with the enforcement or potential enforcement of our legal rights, including, for example, sharing information with debt collection agencies if you do not pay amounts owed to us when you are contractually obliged to do so. Our legal rights may be contractual (where we have entered into a contract with you) or non-contractual (such as legal rights that we have under copyright law or tort law).

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest: enforcing our legal rights and taking steps to enforce our legal rights.

In connection with a legal or potential legal dispute or proceedings

We may need to use your information if we are involved in a dispute with you or a third party for example, either to resolve the dispute or as part of any mediation, arbitration or court resolution or similar process.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest(s): resolving disputes and potential disputes.

How long we retain your information

This section sets out how long we retain your information. We have set out specific retention periods where possible. Where that has not been possible, we have set out the criteria we use to determine the retention period.

Retention periods

Server log information: we retain information on our server logs for 3 months.

Correspondence and enquiries: when you make an enquiry or correspond with us for any reason, whether by email or via our contact form or by phone, we will retain your information for as long as it takes to respond to and resolve your enquiry, and for 36 further month(s), after which point we will archive your information.

Newsletter: we retain the information you used to sign up for our newsletter for as long as you remain subscribed (i.e. you do not unsubscribe).

Membership: we retain the information you used to sign up for our memberships for as long as you remain subscribed (i.e. you do not unsubscribe).

Criteria for determining retention periods

In any other circumstances, we will retain your information for no longer than necessary, taking into account the following:

    • the purpose(s) and use of your information both now and in the future (such as whether it is necessary to continue to store that information in order to continue to perform our obligations under a contract with you or to contact you in the future);
    • whether we have any legal obligation to continue to process your information (such as any record-keeping obligations imposed by relevant law or regulation);
    • whether we have any legal basis to continue to process your information (such as your consent);
    • how valuable your information is (both now and in the future);
    • any relevant agreed industry practices on how long information should be retained;
    • the levels of risk, cost and liability involved with us continuing to hold the information;
    • how hard it is to ensure that the information can be kept up to date and accurate; and
    • any relevant surrounding circumstances (such as the nature and status of our relationship with you).

How we secure your information

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to secure your information and to protect it against unauthorised or unlawful use and accidental loss or destruction, including:

  • only sharing and providing access to your information to the minimum extent necessary, subject to confidentiality restrictions where appropriate, and on an anonymised basis wherever possible;
  • using secure servers to store your information;
  • verifying the identity of any individual who requests access to information prior to granting them access to information;
  • using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software to encrypt any payment transactions you make on or via our website;
  • only transferring your information via closed system or encrypted data transfers;

Transmission of information to us by email

Transmission of information over the internet is not entirely secure, and if you submit any information to us over the internet (whether by email, via our website or any other means), you do so entirely at your own risk.

We cannot be responsible for any costs, expenses, loss of profits, harm to reputation, damages, liabilities or any other form of loss or damage suffered by you as a result of your decision to transmit information to us by such means.

Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area

Your information may be transferred and stored outside the European Economic Area (EEA) in the circumstances set out earlier in this policy.

We will also transfer your information outside the EEA or to an international organisation in order to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject (compliance with a court order, for example). Where we are required to do so, we will ensure appropriate safeguards and protections are in place.

Your rights in relation to your information

Subject to certain limitations on certain rights, you have the following rights in relation to your information, which you can exercise by writing to the data controller using the details provided at the top of this policy.

  • to request access to your information and information related to our use and processing of your information;
  • to request the correction or deletion of your information;
  • to request that we restrict our use of your information;
  • to receive information which you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format (e.g. a CSV file) and the right to have that information transferred to another data controller (including a third-party data controller);
  • to object to the processing of your information for certain purposes (for further information, see the section below entitled Your right to object to the processing of your information for certain purposes); and
  • to withdraw your consent to our use of your information at any time where we rely on your consent to use or process that information. Please note that if you withdraw your consent, this will not affect the lawfulness of our use and processing of your information on the basis of your consent before the point in time when you withdraw your consent.

In accordance with Article 77 of the General Data Protection Regulation, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or of an alleged infringement of the General Data Protection Regulation.

Further information on your rights in relation to your personal data as an individual

You can find out further information about your rights, as well as information on any limitations which apply to those rights, by reading the underlying legislation contained in Articles 12 to 22 and 34 of the General Data Protection Regulation, which is available here:http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/reform/files/regulation_oj_en.pdf

Verifying your identity where you request access to your information

Where you request access to your information, we are required by law to use all reasonable measures to verify your identity before doing so.

These measures are designed to protect your information and to reduce the risk of identity fraud, identity theft or general unauthorised access to your information.

How we verify your identity

Where we possess appropriate information about you on file, we will attempt to verify your identity using that information.

If it is not possible to identity you from such information, or if we have insufficient information about you, we may require original or certified copies of certain documentation in order to be able to verify your identity before we are able to provide you with access to your information.

We will be able to confirm the precise information we require to verify your identity in your specific circumstances if and when you make such a request.

Your right to object

You have the following rights in relation to your information, which you may exercise in the same way as you may exercise by writing to the data controller using the details provided at the top of this policy.

  • to object to us using or processing your information where we use or process it in order
  • to carry out a task in the public interest or for our legitimate interests, including ‘profiling’ (i.e. analysing or predicting your behaviour based on your information) based on any of these purposes; and
  • to object to us using or processing your information for direct marketing purposes(including any profiling we engage in that is related to such direct marketing).

You may also exercise your right to object to us using or processing your information for direct marketing purposes by:

  • clicking the unsubscribe link contained at the bottom of any marketing email we send to you and following the instructions which appear in your browser following your clicking on that link;
  • sending an email to info@thesavvyimg.co.uk, asking that we stop sending you marketing communications or by including the words “OPT OUT”.

Sensitive Personal Information

‘Sensitive personal information’ is information about an individual that reveals their racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, genetic information, biometric information for the purpose of uniquely identifying an individual, information concerning health or information concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.

Our website does not allow you to register any ‘Sensitive Information’, however if we ask for this, you will be considered to have explicitly consented to us processing that sensitive personal information under Article 9(2)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation.

Changes to our Privacy Policy

We update and amend our Privacy Policy from time to time.

Minor changes to our Privacy Policy

Where we make minor changes to our Privacy Policy, we will update our Privacy Policy with a new effective date stated at the beginning of it. Our processing of your information will be governed by the practices set out in that new version of the Privacy Policy from its effective date onwards.

Major changes to our Privacy Policy or the purposes for which we process your information

Where we make major changes to our Privacy Policy or intend to use your information for a new purpose or a different purpose than the purposes for which we originally collected it, we will notify you by email (where possible) or by posting a notice on our website.

We will provide you with the information about the change in question and the purpose and any other relevant information before we use your information for that new purpose.

Wherever required, we will obtain your prior consent before using your information for a purpose that is different from the purposes for which we originally collected it.

Children’s Privacy

Because we care about the safety and privacy of children online, we comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA). COPPA and its accompanying regulations protect the privacy of children using the internet. We do not knowingly contact or collect information from persons under the age of 18. The website is not intended to solicit information of any kind from persons under the age of 18.

It is possible that we could receive information pertaining to persons under the age of 18 by the fraud or deception of a third party. If we are notified of this, as soon as we verify the information, we will, where required by law to do so, immediately obtain the appropriate parental consent to use that information or, if we are unable to obtain such parental consent, we will delete the information from our servers. If you would like to notify us of our receipt of information about persons under the age of 18, please do so by contacting us by using the details at the top of this policy.