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More details to follow shortly. To access our free downloadable guide to the GP Application process for 2011/2012 please enter your name and email adress in the above box. This will be sent to you via email. This will conatain details about the GP Exam for 2011/2012.
GPST / GPVTS SELECTION PROCESS - NEW FORMAT IN 2011
Coodinated by the The National Recruitment Office, the GP Specialty Training Programme recruitment process has a new look for 2011. The following stages make up the process:
- Stage 1 - Applications, longlisting, F2 competencies
- Stage 2 - Online Clinical and Professional Dilemma Papers
- Stage 3 - Selection Assessment Centre
- Stage 4 - Job allocation
2011- 2012 GPST Round 1 - All posts to commence August 2012 |
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Applications can be submitted from |
9.00am Monday 14th November 2011 |
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Applications MUST be submitted by |
NOON on Friday 9th December 2011- No late applications accepted |
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Foundation Competence evidence submitted by |
NOON on Friday 9th December 2011 |
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Stage 2 - (Computer Based Test) |
From Saturday 14th January up to and including Saturday 21st January 2012 |
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Stage 3 - (Selection Centre) |
From 20th Feb - 2nd March 2012. Places must be booked by 10/2/12 |
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Offers out |
From 9th March 2012 |
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Offers accepted by |
Within 48 hours of offer |
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Local Clearing commences |
From 12th March 2012 as offers are accepted / declined |
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National Clearing |
from 2nd April 2012 or earlier if possible |
GPST Stage One: Online Application Form
The very first stage in the recruitment process for GP specialist training consists of an online application form. Used to assess your eligibility in regards to the basic eligibility criteria as laid out by the NRO the form requires mainly personal, qualification and professional career information, as opposed to establishing your clinical competencies which is assessed in Stage 2. .For the 2011 entry online applications be submitted from 14th November until 9th December and each applicant can apply only ONCE, indicating in preference order up to 4 Deaneries they would like to work for.
Applicants are assessed on the following eligibility criteria:
- To hold a recognised primary medical qualification
- Fully registered with UK GMC at the time of application OR eligible for GMC registration at time of application
- Current employment on UK Affiliated Foundation Programme OR evidence of Foundation Competencies
- Driving licence OR provide alternative as means of providing emergency care
- Evidence of English Language Proficiency
- To be able to legally work in the UK
- To not have more than 18 months previous experience in a GP training programme
- To not have resigned or been released from a UK GP training programme
This stage is an important stepping stone to beginning you career up the ladder towards being a GP as it is the time you will need to choose in preference order the 4 deaneries where you wish to undertake your training. If you proceed through the GPST process to stage 4, these deaneries will have the initial opportunity to give you an offer of undertaking a programme, assessment success dependent of course! The decision of where to preference is not a small one, many factors need to be taken into account such as your own lifestyle and geographical area, and also the competition ratios of deanery applicants, which varies greatly throughout the country.
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Click here for more information |
GPST Stage Two: Online Papers
Based around clinical scenarios the two papers you will undertake are designed to assess your clinical competences. Lasting together around 3 hours, this third stage is made up of Paper one- Situational Judgement (Professional Dilemmas) and Paper Two- Clinical Problem Solving. These two papers are designed to give all candidates an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to apply basic clinical knowledge at the level of a second year foundation doctor and an understanding of key issues in professional behaviour, assessing applicants for competences outlined in the National Person Specification. Every applicant sits the same exam regardless of the deanery applied for.
Paper one- Professional Dilemmas Ranking and Multiple Best Answer (MBA)
Designed to assess your understanding of the appropriate behaviour for a doctor in difficult situations, this initial paper presents candidates with a number of scenarios, and a list of responses to each scenario to choose from. Some but not all of these are clinical based. The Professional Dilemma or Situational Judgement test is structured to give optimum opportunities for applicants to demonstrate application of key competencies, such as:
- Empathy & Sensitivity: Takes in others' perspectives & to treat others with understanding
- Communication Skills: Adjusts behaviour & language as appropriate to needs of differing situations
- Conceptual Thinking & Problem Solving: Thinks beyond the obvious, with analytical and flexible mind
- Coping with Pressure: Recognises own limitations and develop appropriate coping mechanisms
- Organisation & Planning: Organises information/time effectively in a planned manner
- Managing Others & Team Involvement: Works effectively in partnership with others
- Professional Integrity Takes responsibility for own actions and demonstrate respect for all
There are two formats for paper one questions:
| Ranking: |
You are given with a scenario with 5 possible actions that you could take in response to the scenario. You are then asked to rank in order the 5 responses in terms of the most, to the least appropriate action to take |
| Multiple Best Answers: |
Again you will be presented with a scenario, and also a number of possible actions that you could take when faced with the scenario in your workplace. You will then be asked to identify the three actions you deem the most appropriate from the list, NOT ranking these in any way. |
Paper two- Clinical Problem Solving Extended Matching Question (EMQ) and Single Best Answer (SBA) - 75 Minutes
The clinical problem solving paper is much more diverse in format that the previous paper, testing not specifically your knowledge, but rather an assessment of your ability, use of judgement, and problem solving skills to determine appropriate diagnosis and management of patients when faced with specific clinical scenarios.
Paper two presents you with actual clinical scenarios, to which you will have to choose a response to the scenario from the list of given responses according to your own clinical judgement. As with the previous paper topics are taken from areas with which a Foundation Programme Year 2 doctor would be expected to be familiar.
Typically topics are drawn from the following areas:
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Cardiovascular Dermatology / ENT / Eyes Endocrinology / Metabolic Gastroenterology / Nutrition Infectious disease / Haematology / Immunology / Allergies / Genetics Musculoskeletal Paediatrics Pharmacology / Therapeutics Psychiatry / Neurology Reproductive (male and female) Renal / Urology Respiratory |
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Click here for more information GPST Stage TWO Clinical Problem solving and Professional Dilemma |
GPST Stage Three- Selection Assessment Centre (SAC)
Changed for the 2011 applications the new Stage Three process is designed to give you the most effective opportunity to demonstrate your competencies in line with theNRO personal specification. Unlike in recent years whereby a group exercise had to be performed, the process now only includes two separate exercises; a written exercise and a number of patient simulations.
The 2011 GPST stage three now consists of two exercises
- The Written Exercise
- Simulation Exercise
The Written Exercise
The written exercise asks you to consider a situation which will typically replicate one of a busy clinical environment. You will be provided with a number of tasks that need to be completed within that situation in a short amount of time and have to rank these tasks in order of prioritisation. You will also have space on the paper to write down justification for your order of prioritisation chosen; this is the most important aspect of your written answer. This task is designed to assess your ability to logically and competently prioritise within a medical situation, utilising other team members and importantly identifying areas where more information on tasks may be needed. For a full outline of this task and example questions go to Stage 3.
The Simulated Consultation Exercise (Role Play)
3X10 Minute Consultations
This part of the stage 3 assessment consists of three small role play sessions, or simulated consultations, in which you are asked to consult with a patient/relative or colleague (played by an actor) whilst an assessor watches (but plays no role). The focus for the role play exercise is on communication skills, professional integrity, empathy, sensitivity and your ability to cope with pressure, and the marking criteria covers the same areas and competencies as were assessed in the stage two papers
In order to asses these competencies assessors will mark your behaviour and responses throughout the consultation, areas such as the following are common:
- Your communication and interaction with the patient/relative (both verbal and body language).
- Empathy and listening skills, use of the information provided by patient
- Means of presenting information to the patient and language used.
- Whether you achieve a successful outcome to the consultation
- How you measure the patients understanding, deal with the patient's concerns and answer their questions
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Click here for more information visit GPST Stage THREE Explained |
GPST Stage Four- Allocation Offers Made
The stage everyone wishes to get to and see the offers role in!
At this stage you will be fairly keen to know how you have got on throughout the various stages. For UK applicants first offers in Round 1 will be issued by 11 March 2011 and will be made by e-mail via the GP application system. Once you have received an offer you will have only 48 hours (including bank holidays and weekends) to decide whether to accept it, reject it or hold it so you have to make sure you are contactable and available during this period of time. If you want to hold an offer you can do so but only until 25th March, and you can only hold one offer at a time, prompting difficult decisions if you’re lucky enough to receive multiple offers!
If you don’t receive any offer all is not lost: Applicants will often find they are ‘reserve candidates’- put on hold in case others refuse offers. There is also local and national level clearing for unfiled vacancies which are offered to candidates without other offers.
Although offers are made using a number or organisation and deanery factors, the most important factor is your ranking throughout the various stages you have been through in getting to stage 4. So the moral is to work hard and do lots of preparation, receiving an offer from your first choice deanery will make it all worthwhile at the end!
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