Recruitment into pathology
Oriel is the UK wide portal for recruitment to postgraduate medical, dental, public health, healthcare science and foundation pharmacy training. Applicants should use Oriel for all stages of the recruitment process.
Please see 'Principles for reasonable adjustments to training in GMC-approved pathology specialties' below. This outlines our general approach to reasonable adjustments for prospective and appointed pathology trainees and signposts the relevant organisations that may need to be engaged.
Applying for Higher Specialist Scientist Training
The Higher Specialist Scientist Training (HSST) programme is a 5-year funded training programme supported by a Doctoral level academic award.
If you are interested in applying to the HSST programme, you can find further information here.
Entry requirements for medical specialty training
Entry requirements for chemical pathology
Applicants must:
- be eligible for full registration with, and hold a current licence to practise from, the General Medical Council (GMC) at the advertised post start date for the vacancy.
Physician applicants must:
- have evidence of achievement of core medical capabilities, for the round of application, via one of the following methods:
- current employment in a programme, which leads to successful completion of year 2 of internal medicine stage 1 training by the advertised post start date for the vacancy, via one of these approved routes:
- UK internal medicine stage 1 training
- UK Acute Care Common Stem (ACCS; internal medicine)
- UK broad based training (medicine route)
- Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB) internationally level 3 accredited equivalent internal medicine stage 1 training programme
- UK core medical training or ACCS (acute medicine)
- successful completion of one of the programmes listed above, evidenced by annual review of competence progression
- evidence of achievement of the capabilities required by completion of year 2 of the internal medicine stage 1 curriculum at time of application. Acceptable evidence is permitted via the Alternative Certificate to Enter Group 2 Higher Physician Specialty Training with the Group 1 version being equally valid.
- current employment in a programme, which leads to successful completion of year 2 of internal medicine stage 1 training by the advertised post start date for the vacancy, via one of these approved routes:
Paediatrics applicants must have:
- current employment in a UK paediatric training programme, which leads to successful completion of paediatric capabilities commensurate with a trainee who has completed ST3, as defined by the Paediatric RCPCH Progress+ curriculum, by the advertised post start date for the vacancy
or
- evidence of achievement of paediatric capabilities commensurate with a trainee who has completed ST3, as defined by the Paediatric RCPCH Progress+ curriculum, by point of application. Acceptable evidence is only permitted via the ‘Certificate of Completion of Progress+ Paediatric ST3 Capabilities’. This can be downloaded from PHST Recruitment Documents.
General practice (GP) applicants must have:
- current employment in a general practice training programme at ST3 level and on track to successfully complete ST3 by the advertised post start date
or
- eligibility for the GP register. This must be evidenced either by entry on the GMC GP register, or documentation from the GMC confirming eligibility.
Broad based training applicants must:
- have successfully completed broad based training plus completion of core training in one of the above specialties.
Core Anaesthesia / ACCS Anaesthesia applicants must have evidence of eligibility demonstrated by:
- stage 1 certificate or stage 1 equivalence certificate to be used if you have completed a UK Anaesthetics/ACCS Anaesthetics core training programme
- current employment in a UK Core Anaesthetics / ACCS Anaesthetics training programme and achievement of all required stage 1 domains of learning evidenced by a stage 1 certificate / stage 1 equivalence certificate at the advertised post start date for the vacancy
- current employment in a UK anaesthetics post (a non-training grade post) and achievement of all required stage 1 domains of learning evidenced by a stage 1 certificate / stage 1 equivalence certificate by time of offer
- confirmation of stage 1 equivalence certificate to be used if you have not completed a UK core training programme but have all the required competencies by time of offer
- eligiblility to work in the UK.
Chemical pathology ST3 person specification and entry criteria
Entry requirements for diagnostic neuropathology
Applicants must:
- be eligible for full registration with, and hold a current licence to practise from, the General Medical Council (GMC) at the advertised post start for the vacancy
- have evidence of competence via one of the following:
- current employment in a GMC-recognised histopathology programme (2021 curriculum), which leads to satisfactory completion of integrated cellular pathology training (ICPT) by the advertised post start date for the vacancy
- satisfactory completion of ICPT in a GMC-recognised histopathology training programme (2021 curriculum) evidenced by annual review of competence progression (ARCP)
- satisfactory completion of Stage A and Stage B in a GMC-recognised histopathology specialty training programme (2015 curriculum) evidenced by ARCP
- achievement of ICPT competences via alternative experience to a UK histopathology training programme evidenced by a satisfactory Alternative Certificate of Competence
- be eligible to work in the UK.
Diagnostic neuropathology ST3 person specification and entry criteria
Entry requirements for forensic histopathology
Trainees are eligible for entry to a forensic histopathology training programme following satisfactory completion of integrated cellular pathology training as part of histopathology training.
Entry to histopathology training is possible after satisfactory completion of a UK foundation training programme or equivalent. Entry is also possible following post-foundation clinical training.
Entry requirements for haematology
Applicants must:
- be eligible to work in the UK
- be eligible for full registration with, and hold a current licence to practise from, the General Medical Council (GMC) at the advertised post start date for the vacancy.
Physician applicants must:
- have evidence of achievement of core medical capabilities, for the round of application, via one of the following methods:
- current employment in a programme that leads to successful completion of year 2 of internal medicine stage 1 training by the advertised post start date for the vacancy, via one of these approved routes:
- UK internal medicine stage 1 training
- UK Acute Care Common Stem (ACCS; internal medicine)
- UK broad based training (medicine route)
- Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB) internationally level 3 accredited equivalent internal medicine stage 1 training programme
- UK core medical training or ACCS (acute medicine)
- successful completion of one of the programmes listed above, evidenced by annual review of competence progression
- evidence of achievement of the capabilities required by completion of year 2 of the internal medicine stage 1 curriculum at time of application. Acceptable evidence is only permitted via the Alternative Certificate to Enter Group 2 Higher Physician Specialty Training.
- current employment in a programme that leads to successful completion of year 2 of internal medicine stage 1 training by the advertised post start date for the vacancy, via one of these approved routes:
Paediatric applicants must have:
- current employment in a UK paediatric training programme, which leads to successful completion of paediatric capabilities commensurate with a trainee who has completed ST3, as defined by the Paediatric RCPCH Progress+ curriculum, by the advertised post start date for the vacancy
or
- evidence of achievement of paediatric capabilities commensurate with a trainee who has completed ST3, as defined by the Paediatric RCPCH Progress+ curriculum, by point of application. Acceptable evidence is only permitted via the Certificate of Completion of Progress+ Paediatric ST3 Capabilities. This can be downloaded from PHST Recruitment Documents.
Entry requirements for histopathology
Applicants must:
- hold a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (BMBS, MBBS) degree or other equivalent medical qualification
- be eligible to work in the UK
- be eligible for full registration with, and hold a current licence to practise from, the General Medical Council (GMC) at the advertised post start date for the vacancy
- meet the standards set out in Good Medical Practice, and not be subject to fitness to practise conditions that would prevent you taking up the post or performing fully within it.
Entry requirements for immunology
Applicants must:
- be eligible for full registration with, and hold a current licence to practise from, the General Medical Council (GMC) at the advertised post start date for the vacancy
- be eligible to work in the UK.
Physician applicants must:
- have evidence of achievement of core medical capabilities, for the round of application, via one of the following methods:
- current employment in a programme that leads to successful completion of year 2 of internal medicine stage 1 training by the advertised post start date for the vacancy, via one of these approved routes:
- UK internal medicine stage 1 training
- UK Acute Care Common Stem (ACCS; internal medicine)
- UK broad based training (medicine route)
- Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB) internationally level 3 accredited equivalent internal medicine stage 1 training programme
- UK core medical training or ACCS (acute medicine)
- successful completion of one of the programmes listed above, evidenced by annual review of competence progression
- evidence of achievement of the capabilities required by completion of year 2 of the internal medicine stage 1 curriculum at time of application. Acceptable evidence is only permitted via the Alternative Certificate to Enter Group 2 Higher Physician Specialty Training.
- current employment in a programme that leads to successful completion of year 2 of internal medicine stage 1 training by the advertised post start date for the vacancy, via one of these approved routes:
Paediatrics applicants must have:
- current employment in a UK paediatric training programme, which leads to successful completion of paediatric capabilities commensurate with a trainee who has completed ST3, as defined by the Paediatric RCPCH Progress+ curriculum, by the advertised post start date for the vacancy
or
- evidence of achievement of paediatric capabilities commensurate with a trainee who has completed ST3, as defined by the Paediatric RCPCH Progress+ curriculum, by point of application. Acceptable evidence is only permitted via the Certificate of Completion of Progress+ Paediatric ST3 Capabilities; this can be downloaded from PHST Recruitment Documents.
Medical microbiology and medical virology including dual training with infectious diseases (also known as Combined Infection Training)
Applicants must:
- be eligible for full registration with, and hold a current licence to practise from, the General Medical Council (GMC) at the advertised post start date for the vacancy
- have evidence of achievement of core medical capabilities, for the round of application, via one of the following methods:
- current employment in a programme, which leads to successful completion of year 2 of internal medicine stage 1 training by the advertised post start date for the vacancy, via one of these approved routes:
- UK internal medicine stage 1 training
- UK Acute Care Common Stem (ACCS; internal medicine)
- UK broad based training (medicine route)
- Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB) internationally level 3 accredited equivalent internal medicine stage 1 training programme
- UK core medical training or ACCS (acute medicine)
- successful completion of one of the programmes listed above, evidenced by annual review of competence progression
- evidence of achievement of the capabilities required by completion of year 2 of the internal medicine stage 1 curriculum at time of application. Acceptable evidence is only permitted via the Alternative Certificate to Enter Group 2 Higher Physician Specialty Training
- current employment in a programme, which leads to successful completion of year 2 of internal medicine stage 1 training by the advertised post start date for the vacancy, via one of these approved routes:
- be eligible to work in the UK.
Combined Infection Training ST3 person specification and entry criteria
Entry requirements for paediatric and perinatal pathology
Applicants must:
- be eligible for full registration with, and hold a current licence to practise from, the General Medical Council (GMC) at the advertised post start date for the vacancy
- have evidence of competence via one of the following:
- current employment in a GMC-recognised histopathology training programme (2021 curriculum), which leads to satisfactory completion of integrated cellular pathology training (ICPT) by the advertised post start date for the vacancy
- satisfactory completion of ICPT in a GMC-recognised histopathology training programme (2021 curriculum) evidenced by annual review of competence progression (ARCP)
- satisfactory completion of Stage A and Stage B in a GMC-recognised histopathology training programme (2015 curriculum) evidenced by ARCP
- achievement of ICPT competences via alternative experience to a UK histopathology training programme evidenced by a satisfactory Alternative Certificate of Competence
- be eligible to work in the UK.
Paediatric and perinatal pathology ST3 person specification and entry criteria