Advanced training posts
Hand Surgery is an “Interface Specialty” in that training can be provided by either or both of two parent specialties; Plastic Surgery and Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery. Each discipline will provide its own perspective on the treatment of various conditions in hand surgery and its own balance of skills training.
Those undertaking an “Interface” Advanced Training Post would receive training in both parent specialties. This would in theory produce a specialist who could work as a hand surgeon in the department of either parent specialty, i.e. a plastic surgeon working as a hand surgeon in an orthopaedic department or vice versa.
Advanced trainees will have made a career decision that as a specialist they will wish to take a major interest in Hand Surgery or work purely as a hand surgeon. Between the inception of the posts in 1992 and 2010, over 150 surgeons have completed either six or 12 months in an Advanced Training Post. These prestigious posts represent the pinnacle of training in Hand Surgery in the U.K
The Advanced Training Posts in Hand Surgery are open to both T&O Surgery and Plastic Surgery Type 1 trainees in years 5-6 or MMC trainees in ST7-ST8. Candidates must hold a National Training Number in either Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery or Plastic Surgery, and must have passed the full Intercollegiate Specialty Board Examination, FRCS(T&O) or FRCS(Plast), prior to taking up the post. Trainees who are successful in obtaining one of these posts will carry their National Training Number with them.
There is currently funding for 10 appointments, each of which will be for 12 months. The successful candidates, who will be centrally appointed, will be able to select from 13 currently approved posts. Other units are currently being considered.
These posts count as “Out of Programme Training” (OOPT). They are pre-CCT posts and must be completed within the CCT date. If the CCT date falls within the tenure of the post then the CCT date can be extended to accommodate this. One of the referees for these appointments must be the trainee’s current Training Programme Director (TPD). The OOPT form can be downloaded from the Deanery website and must be filled in by the trainee and the TPD.
Advanced Training Posts
Oxford - Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre (2 posts)
Manchester - Wythenshawe Hospital (2 posts)
Sheffield - Sheffield Teaching Hospitals
Derby
Newcastle
Norwich - Norfolk & Norwich Hospitals
Birmingham (2 posts)
Wrightington
Nottingham (Queen’s Medical Centre)
Leeds
A brief description of each unit is here (pdf)
For further details of these posts, please contact the individual units. Details may also be available from the JCST here
The Advanced Training Posts in Hand Surgery to commence in February 2013 will be advertised on the Severn Deanery Website from April 13 2012 http://www.severndeanery.nhs.uk/recruitment/vacancies/ with an intended interview date for June 1st.
Interested trainees may contact Miss Cristel Santos (csantos@jcst.org ), Specialty Manager for the Training Interface Group for Hand Surgery, directly if they require further information.