If you are looking to apply to a physician higher specialty training (PHST/HST) programme in one of the specialties coordinated by the Physician Specialty Recruitment Office (PSRO) national recruitment process, this website contains detailed information to help you. This covers recruitment to UK training programmes in these specialties in England, Scotland and Wales, and also Northern Ireland for clinical genetics, medical oncology, neurology and palliative medicine.

Completion of a substantive HST programme will lead to a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) or a Combined Programme Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration (CESR CP). For more information on certification please see the JRCPTB website.

The recruitment process section of the website is the home to the majority of general information to help you navigate a recruitment round, including: timeline, eligibility criteria planning your application, applying, interviews and offers. For specialty-specific information such as interview dates and post numbers, interview format and data from previous years, please visit the relevant specialty's page.

In addition to the website, we have produced an 'Applicants' Guide' which overviews how the process works and is a good introduction for those new to specialty recruitment. This is available to download from the document library.

It is advisable to view the relevant person specification for the specialty(ies) to which you are intending to apply.

You may also wish to view competition ratios and scoring from previous rounds, which is available under the 'data' tab within the relevant specialty's page.


Group 1 and Group 2 specialties

The revised internal medicine curriculum and introduction of the three-year IMT core programme, led to changes for physician higher specialty training in recent years. Specialties are categorised into two groups: Group 1 and Group 2; the JRCPTB website details which specialties fall into each group. 

  • Group 1 - these specialties' programmes start at ST4-level, require the full three years training in internal medicine training (IMT) or equivalent and all programmes will dual specialise with general internal medicine (apart from single accredited general internal medicine).
  • Group 2 - programmes start at ST3-level, can be entered after two years of IMT or equivalent and do not involve training in general internal medicine. Many of these specialties also accept trainees from a non-physician pathway. 

The group into which a specialty falls impacts on the eligibility criteria.


Stroke medicine

The PSRO also coordinate a national recruitment process for stroke medicine in England and Wales. Please see the stroke medicine section of the website for details about the process.


2025 recruitment

The timeline page contains the major dates for both rounds of the 2025 recruitment process:

  • Round 1  - opens for applications at 10am on 14 November 2024 and closes at 4pm on 5 December 2024, for programmes starting from August to December 2025.
  • Round 2  - opens for applications at 10am on 29 July 2025 and closes at 4pm 14 August 2025, for programmes starting from February to April 2026. Summary information is available on the round 2 page of the website.

Flexible portfolio training

Flexible portfolio training (FPT), offers specialty trainees protected time for non-clinical professional development in one of four pathways clinical informatics, medical education, research, and clinical service improvement The pathways accommodate trainees entering with a wide range of prior experience. Trainees will spend a minimum of one year on their pathway, with the option to continue for the duration of their specialty training.

Find out more about FPT on the website and whether FPT could be an option for you to explore if you are applying for higher specialty training, .

Participants in the flexible portfolio scheme have been interviewed by members of the RCP Trainees Committee, read about their experience in the RCP Commentary.


Latest news

Helpdesk

Our FAQs section has the answers to many common queries but if you cannot find an answer to your question the PSRO runs a helpdesk which can be contacted with any queries relating to PHST recruitment. 

Please visit the contacts section of the website for details of how to get in touch.

Any important announcements will be added to this website and noted in the news section.

Physician Specialty Recruitment Office

Physician Higher Specialty Training Recruitment is managed and coordinated by the Physician Specialty Recruitment Office (PSRO) based in NHS England. We work closely in the governance of the process with the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB) on behalf of the three UK physicians colleges.

Best wishes, and good luck with your application,

Dr Phil Bright
Clinical Lead for the Physician Specialty Recruitment Office