Due to the UK code for higher education, first degrees in medicine comprises an integrated programme of study and professional practice spanning several levels.
This comprises a minimum of 12 to 18 months of posts in a variety of hospital specialities - often including paediatrics, psychiatry, geriatrics and obstetrics & gynaecology.
[3] The trainee spends the remaining 18 to 24 months as a General Practice Speciality Registrar (GPST) - based in primary care.
Half of the marks available are awarded based on the candidate's performance in a situational judgement test, sat by every applicant for the programme.
[10] During the first summative running of the UKFPO's Situational Judgement Test, issues were identified with the automatic marking process used which led to candidates being given incorrect scores.
Offers were rescinded shortly after being made, and medical schools were required to remark all papers manually, delaying the application process.
This error - identified three months before candidates were due to take up new roles - required job offers to be rescinded and re-issued based on corrected scoring.
Concerns were raised that those candidates whose job offers were in different parts of the country may have already made financial commitments in preparation for moving for their new posts.
The selection process for UK medical schools remains highly competitive, with approximately 27,000 applicants competing for only around 7,000 available places in 2023.
This has led to concerns about accessibility, as many highly qualified students are unable to secure admission despite meeting academic requirements.
Critics argue that the UK’s limited medical school capacity exacerbates workforce shortages in the NHS and forces students to seek education abroad.
Some experts have proposed increasing government support for international training pathways, where students study at accredited European medical schools and return to work in the NHS.