Training Standards Committee

The College’s Training Standards Committee has responsibility for translating the College’s aims for specialty training in Emergency Medicine into working systems throughout the UK.

It sets the standards for EM training and assessment within the GMC framework and works with other College committees to develop the curriculum and assessment system.
It provides advice to trainees and trainers in the UK on training and assessment and acts as a link between the EM Schools/deaneries/Specialty Training Committees and the College and the GMC.
It evaluates EM CESR applications received from the GMC and coordinates the Medical Training Initiative (MTI) on behalf of the College.
It works with Health Education England and the devolved equivalents to set standards for entry to training and recruitment to training posts.

This page contains guidance from the committee for trainers, EM Schools, Training Programme Directors, deaneries/HE regions and trainees.

Specialty Tutor (was “College Tutor”)

The Committee advises that:

The title of the role shall be ‘Specialty Tutor’
The role should be accountable to the Director of Medical Education (DME)
Good practice is that the Head of School should contribute to avoid an individual Specialty Tutor giving advice without any counterbalance or checks
The role should include being an examiner so that there is some link with College quality assurance
The Specialty Tutor should be up to date with his/her CPD

The National Association of Clinical Tutors (NACT) has produced a Specialty/College Tutor job description as an appendix to their “Faculty Guide: the Workplace Environment in Postgraduate Medical Training October 2013”.

Educational Supervisor Guide to RCEM Curriculum 2021

Guidance for the 2021 curriculum is now available. (Updated March 2022)

Training Recovery Plans

The Committee has produced guidance on Training Recovery Plans

Level of Evidence form for CESR-CP

The Committee has produced a Level of Evidence form as a guide for those wishing to enter EM training at a level higher than ST/CT1 by having non-GMC-approved training and experience counted on the CESR-CP (Combined Programme) route. Evidence at levels 1 and 2 is required at recruitment interview.

Educational Supervisors (eligibility requirement guidance)

The Committee has produced guidance on eligibility requirements for EM Named Educational Supervisors.

Educational Development Time for EM trainees

The Committee has produced revised recommendations for Educational Development Time

Counting clinical time for EM trainees on OOPR (including higher degree/research fellows)

Training Standards Committee recommendations can be found here.

Bringing Forward CCT
The committee has released its position on reducing training time for EM Trainees.

Management Portfolio

The College has produced guidance for the completion of the management portfolio component of the Emergency Medicine curriculum. The management portfolio is part of the workplace-based assessment (WPBA) schedule for higher training and should be completed within ST3-ST6. Trainees are required to complete a minimum of four assignments which must include the two mandatory assignments: ‘Managing a complaint’ and ‘Managing a critical incident’. At least one of the four assignments must include working with other specialties as part of the assignment. Trainees and trainers are encouraged to use benchmarking to ensure that the four assignments are at the standard expected of a newly appointed consultant.

The guidance contains a list of other Management Portfolio topics and examples of benchmarking criteria for the two mandatory assignments. It will also be useful for specialty doctors gathering evidence for a CESR application.

Management Portfolio guidance (updated March 2019)
Complaint (mandatory assignment)
Critical Incident (mandatory assignment)

Benchmark sheets are also available for the following non-mandatory assignments. Please note that the management course benchmarking sheet can also be utilised to benchmark any of the management training domain projects (leadership, equality and diversity or other relevant).

Training Standards Committee