Recruitment And Application Process 2023

Dr Caroline Evans
Consultant Cardiothoracic Anaesthetist
Deputy Director for Secondary Care
RCoA Chair for National Recruitment
@evans_caroliner
• Should I apply for anaesthetics ?
• What is Core Training?
• How do I apply?
• Person Specification
• Online application and the recruitment
timeline
• The Interview
So, you want to be an
anaesthetist……..

• You have passed the test!

• Good Choice

We want enthusiastic people who want to

learn and most of all enjoy their job
Why do you want to be an
Anaesthestist?

• Working in a Team
• Lead a Team
• Expert in applied physiology and
pharmacology
• Deal with the most unwell patients
• Work in all areas of the hospital
• Very rewarding
Who makes a good anaesthetist?

• Good communicator
• Able to work under pressure
• Hard working
• Enjoy and be able to adapt to advances in
medical science
What do I need to know
before I apply?
There is so much information out there to
prepare you…….

• Royal College of Anaesthetists

www.rcoa.co.uk
• Anaesthetic National Recruitment office
anro.wm.hee.nhs.uk
• GMC – Good Medical Practice www.gmc-
uk.org
GMC-Good Medical Practice
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Trust
• Respect
• Competence and Skill
• Patient safety

To patients and colleagues

The anaesthesia stage 1curriculum underpins
these principles
 What is the job I am applying for?
Stages of Training

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

Core:

ACCS:
Recruitment to Anaesthesia

• Anaesthetic Core and Specialist training are

uncoupled
• 2 levels of Entry – CT1, ST4 from February
2023
ACCS - 4 year training programme (From
Aug 2021)

• Recruitment linked to parent speciality:

– Anaesthetics – preference with Anaes CT1
posts
– EM – separate ACCS-EM interviews
– AM – preference with IMT CT1 posts
– You are allowed separate applications to ACCS

• If wish to change parent speciality – re-apply for

new speciality
What will I achieve Stage 1 training?

• Excellent clinical skills

• First 6 months IAC
• At 36 months Stage 1 certificate
• Need Primary FRCA 3 successful ARCP’s
• Person specification for ST4 (by intended
start date)
The Application Process
For August 2021 start…..

• CT1; 1723 applicants, 560 posts

• ST3; 1056 applicants, 372 posts
• Interview capacity
– CT1 1295 (75%)
– ST3 889 (84%)
As a foundation Doctor…..
• You can apply to multiple specialties
• Eg ACCS EM , Anaes and Core medicine, GP
• Read the applicant guidance
• What else do you need to do?
The Process
• Long-listing only
• You will need to complete the MSRA test–
• Complete at a Driving test centre
• 2 parts - SJT and PD
• Need to practice
• 15 % of overall mark
• Candidates who score well perform really well
at interview
• RCoA website has video on how to prepare
 Interview format
• Qpersoft
• Instructions on how to access from ANRO
• Log in
• ID check
• Interviewers enter room
– Structured clinical scenario (15 minutes)
– Structured general interview (15 minutes)
• 2 “independent” assessors in each station(4)
• Lay observers/ External assessors
• Assessment of attributes
• Global rating score
 Part 1 Clinical Part 2 General Overall (Part 1 & 2)
Assessor Interview interview Totals
A B A B A B

Commitment to Specialty 5 5 10

Decision making 5 5 10

Involvement in teaching, audit,

5 5 10
QI, research
Attributes

Reflective practice 5 5 5 5 20

Team working 5 5 10

Qualifications & experience 5 5 10

Working under pressure 5 5 10

10 10
Global Rating 20

20
Interview Total 40 40 100
Example Clinical interview Question

• It is 02:00. You are part of the Hospital at Night team

and the surgical FY1 is struggling to cope with a 68
year old male who is hypotensive (95/50) and
acutely short of breath. He is an insulin-dependent
diabetic, with controlled hypertension who had an
elective anterior resection yesterday. He has an
epidural in place for post operative pain relief. He
has been back on the ward for 10 hours post
surgery.
• What are your next steps?
Personal Attribute: Working Under Pressure

Capacity to make decisions under pressure & retain control. Awareness of own limitations.

(please circle one indicator for each applicable row)

4. Very
1. Unsatisfactory 2. Weak 3. Typical 5. Outstanding
Good
Seemed very
Was tense &
Remained calm relaxed &
agitated most of the
most of the time comfortable with
time
demands of situation
Responded quickly
Was hesitant most Demonstrated & decisively to
of the time decisiveness unexpected
circumstances
The Final Score
• National agreed cut-off score for CT1
– 100 for interview
– MSRA is 15 % of overall score (18 points)
– Total score 118
– England & Wales will be a single transferrable
score(national ranked list)
• UK offers across all specialities
– Candidates cannot hold 2 different specialty offers
• Programme upgrade option
• No clearing interviews but a clearing process
based on national interview score
What do I do with the offer?

• You must answer the email!

• Accept, hold or hold and upgrade
• Holding deadline
• If you do nothing, assumed at 48 hours you
do not want it !!!!!
Our specialty teaches…….

• Working under pressure

• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Clinical skills

• But that is only part of the job…..

Reflection on my own job

• Over what I expected and more

• Some sacrifices…….
• Great career choice
• It could be you….
A day in the life of…..a cardiac
anaesthetist
Core Training in Wales
www.welshschool.co.uk