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Psychiatric secrets of success: who wants to be a specialist registrar?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Debasis Das
Affiliation:
Division of Psychiatry, University of Nottingham, ‘A’ Floor, South Block, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH. E-mail: debasis.das@nottingham.ac.uk
Sujata Das
Affiliation:
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
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Abstract

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Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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Copyright © 2005. The Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Naeem's excellent and informative article (Psychiatric Bulletin, November 2004, 28, 421-424) provided useful tips and advice for trainees aiming for higher specialist training as specialist registrars. However, we would like to point out certain factual inaccuracies which require further clarification.

First, the College's Higher Specialist Training Handbook (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1998) clearly states that higher specialist trainees in lecturer posts who do five or six clinical sessions become eligible for a single certificate of completion of training (CCT) (formerly CCST) after 3 years. It is only when they do 4 clinical sessions that the single CCST is after 4 years.

Second, overseas doctors who are non-European Economic Area nationals and do not have indefinite leave to remain in the UK, are also eligible to apply in open competition for type I specialist registrar training programmes leading to CCT (Department of Health, 1998). If appointed, they are provided with a visiting national training number (VNTN). They can then also apply to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) of the Home Office for permit-free training leave to remain in the UK. This can be further extended by up to 3 years at a time depending on the training needs of the individual and satisfactory progress (UK Visas, 2004). The VNTN automatically becomes a NTN once the doctor gains indefinite right to remain in the UK. Overseas doctors without UK indefinite residence leave therefore are not limited to taking up fixed-term training appointment (FTTA) or type 2 posts, which do not lead to award of CCT, and conversely FTTAs are not limited to overseas doctors without residency rights.

References

Department of Health (1998) A Guide to Specialist Registrar Training. Leeds: NHS Executive.Google Scholar
Royal College of Psychiatrists (1998) Higher Specialist Training Handbook. Occasional Paper OP43. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists.Google Scholar
UK Visas (2004) Guidance-Permit Free Employment. (INF 14). (http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk).Google Scholar
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