National recruitment to UK Emergency Medicine specialty training is delivered by NHSE supported by the EM Heads of Schools who sit on the RCEM Training Standards Committee.
Information on eligibility criteria, recruitment timelines, the application process, shortlisting, interviews and selection process can be found NHSE Medical Specialty Recruitment website. Here you will also find information on competition ratios, fill rates from previous recruitment rounds, Inter-Deanery Transfers (IDTs) and special circumstances.
Access here for Guidance for overseas applicants.
Person specifications for those applying for ACCS, CT/ST3, DRE-EM (ST3), or higher specialty training (ST4-6) in Emergency Medicine are available. Applicants should refer to these person specifications when deciding which entry level to apply for.
ACCS Emergency Medicine Specialty Training Recruitment
Training programmes: CT1 (Core) or ST1 (Run-through)
Recruitment to ACCS Emergency Medicine is offered as a core (CT1) or run-through option (ST1).
Run-through training: with run-through training, applicants are recruited for the full duration of the specialty training programme. Progression is uninterrupted, with applicants starting in specialty training year 1 (ST1), and progressing right through to ST6 automatically, provided the necessary curriculum requirements are fully satisfied. These requirements include satisfactory ARCP outcomes and exam progression. Although run-through training is uninterrupted, there are still plenty of opportunities on a run-through training programme to take time out to fulfil your broader interests. OOPs (out of training programme opportunities) are widely supported in all EM training programmes.
Uncoupled (Core) training: with uncoupled training, applicants are recruited to core specialty training (CT1-CT3). To progress to higher specialty training, trainees must subsequently enter a second stage of competitive recruitment following the first two or three years of core training.
Uncoupled (Core) and Run-through training each give opportunities to the individual trainee. The content of the training programme and its delivery are the same.
Following acceptance of an offer, successful applicants will be given one further opportunity to finalise their training route choice (further guidance on the process of confirming this will be included in the programme offer letter).
Please note, once you commence your training post, it will not be possible to change your training pathway from Core (uncoupled) to Run-through or vice versa. Therefore, it is recommended that decisions regarding the type of training programme to opt for are made after careful thought and consideration, including a recommendation to discuss opportunities with colleagues, mentors or local programme directors.
MSRA (Multi-Speciality Recruitment Assessment)
The MSRA (Multi-Speciality Recruitment Assessment) (40% weighting) and Virtual Interview (60% weighting) option is used for ACCS recruitment as this has been considered the best option for recruitment. Interviews remain virtual, as stipulated by the Medical and Dental Recruitment Selection Committee (MDRS) in October 2020. Longlisted trainees will sit the MSRA as a shortlisting tool for interview.
The MSRA is a computer-based assessment, delivered in partnership with Work Psychology Group and Pearson VUE, which has been designed to assess some of the 6 essential competences outlined in the Person Specification and is based around clinical scenarios. The MSRA contains two elements: a Clinical Problem Solving (CPS) test (75 minutes) and a Situational Judgement test called Professional Dilemmas (95 minutes), both of which are aimed at Foundation level and are suitable for ACCS recruitment. Other specialties to have used MSRA have been Primary Care, Clinical Radiology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Applicants are advised to prepare by reading widely and using situational judgement tests aimed at Foundation level trainees.
Work Psychology Group has analysed data from previous trainees who undertook MSRA for other specialty entry and were subsequently interviewed. The results have shown they performed well at interview. Therefore, there is a clear correlation of the MSRA score to support the application and recruitment process.
The MSRA is delivered by Pearson VUE at assessment centres.
What MSRA resources are available?
HEE will be releasing some generic MSRA resources for applicants. Here are the School of GP resources.
What is the structure of the interview?
The interview will be 30 minutes and will be divided into two components: a 20-minute ‘face-to-face’ interview with 2 panel members via Microsoft Teams, and 10 minutes for the panel to cross-reference the submitted application to complete scoring. Only one of the two panellists will ask questions; however, both will be scoring. The interview capacity for 2023 will remain the same as 2022, with 840 trainees being interviewed.
Evaluation of outputs from both the MSRA and interviews will be conducted towards improving future ACCS EM recruitment.
RCEM Executive and RCEM Training Standards Committee (TSC) will continue to review the findings of evaluations undertaken following recruitment, including longitudinal assessments of candidates’ progress through training after appointment.
Northern Ireland Medical and Dental training Agency (NIMDTA) manages recruitment to ST1 ACCS EM specialty training posts in Northern Ireland. For further information, please visit the NIMDTA specialty recruitment website.
Please note the following:
ST3 DRE-EM and ST4 recruitment is administered by NHSE Yorkshire and Humber Deanery. Full information can be found via the following:
General information about applying to specialty training posts is available on the NHSE medical specialty recruitment website.
Please note: There is now a separate application process for ST3 ACCS Emergency Medicine. If you wish to apply for this route of entry only, please apply to the ST3 ACCS Emergency Medicine vacancy on Oriel. Applications cannot be transferred so please ensure you are submitting the correct application.
Recruitment Process
The interview will consist of 3 stations, designed to assess the selection criteria detailed on the Person Specification. The interview will be split into three 10-minute sections:
Your performance in each domain will be scored using a structured scoring system. The scores from each interview station will be combined to produce your overall interview score. Your ranking will be based upon your overall interview score and your individual station scores.
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has employed the Accreditation of Transferable Competences Framework (ATCF) to allow trainees entering Emergency Medicine training from GMC approved training programmes in ACCS (Anaesthesia), ACCS (General Internal Medicine – GIM), ACCS (ICM), Core Medical Training (CMT), Core Surgical Training (CST), Core Anaesthesia Training (CAT) and GP training to have some of the competences they have acquired in these programmes transferred into their EM training. The table below gives an idea of how much time could be counted in each instance.
| 1st CCT Programme | Transferring to: | Completed component | Expected counted time | Maximum counted time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACCS [Anaesthetics] [GIM] [ICM] | ACCS [EM] | Anaesthetics, GIM, ICM, EM | Time taken for each completed component | 24 months |
| Core Anaesthetics | ACCS EM | Introduction to Anaesthesia | 6 months | 6 months |
| Core Anaesthetics | ACCS EM | ICM | 3-6 months | 3-6 months |
| CMT | ACCS EM | Medicine | 6 months | 6 months |
| CMT | ACCS EM | ICM | 3-6 months | 3-6 months |
| CST | ACCS EM | ICM | 3 months | 3 months |
| GP | ACCS EM | EM, AM | Time taken for each completed component up to a maximum of 4 months each | 8 months |
These transferable components will normally be recognised for a CCT but trainees contemplating transferring to Emergency Medicine should contact the RCEM Training Department for advice.
Training falling within ATCF will be assessed during recruitment and then during enrolment when the College will calculate the trainee’s CCT date. Entry level will depend on the person specification for each year. Trainees must provide ARCP outcome 1s for all relevant periods of training as evidence of successful completion. The College has produced guidance for those applying and an application form.
The appropriate reduction in assessments will be made consistent with the proportion of specific competences recognised and reduction in training time.
NB: It is mandatory that a trainee must have successfully completed at least one whole time equivalent year in their first specialty before elements of their training can be recognised under the ATCF upon entry into the new specialty.
Doctors and practitioners working in Emergency Medicine use their clinical skills and experience to recognise and treat the full spectrum of emergencies in patients of all ages.
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