CST application process

1. Building a Surgical Portfolio
Making the most of Surgical
Placements at Medical School for
Foundation Jobs, CST applications
& beyond…
Ramez Antakia
ST8 – General & Colorectal Surgery
@nnuh.nhs.uk

2. Talk Overview
• The pathway to Consultant Surgeon
• Core Surgical Training:
• Application Process
• Competition
• The Surgical Portfolio
• What you can do at Medical School:
• Maximise experience
• Research opportunities
• Gain points for application
• Theatres

3. The Surgical Training Pathway

4. Core Surgical Training Application
• National process run on
Oriel (KSS) – revamped
in 2023!
• MSRA - January
• Interviews held
remotely – February
• Offers – April
• Start - August
4.17 : 1
1200
interviews
609 jobs

5. Core Surgical Training Application
MSRA 100%
(10%)

6. Core Surgical Training Application
MSRA
Self-Assessment
(Portfolio)
100%
(10%)
30%
Oriel
Jan-Feb of
FY2

7. Core Surgical Training Application
MSRA
Self-Assessment
(Portfolio)
Interview
100%
(10%)
30%
60%

8. Core Surgical Training Application
MSRA
Self-Assessment
(Portfolio)
Interview
100%
(10%)
30%
60%

9. Self-Assessment Domains 2022:
1) Commitment to Surgery (16)
2) Post-Graduate Qualifications (4)
3) Prizes and Awards (8)
4) Quality Improvement Project (11)
5) Teaching Experience (8)
6) Training in Teaching (4)
7) Presentations (6)
8) Publications (7)
9) Leadership (8)
Maximum: 72
‘Free’: 57
Intercalation: 3/4

10. Self-Assessment Domains 2023:
1) Commitment to Specialty (14)
2) Quality Improvement/Clinical
Audit (13)
3) Presentations and Publications
(10)
4) Teaching Experience (10)
5) Training Qualifications (5)
Maximum: 52
‘Free’: 44 (85%)
Intercalation: X

11. Self-Assessment Domains – Med School:
1) Commitment to Surgery (14)
Logbook
Elective
Conferences
• ‘So you want to be a surgeon’
– RCSEng
• ASiT Conference
• Future Surgeons

12. The Surgical E-Logbook (elogbook.org):
Operation Note

13. Self-Assessment Domains – Med School:
2) Quality Improvement/Clinical Audit (13)
Placement
‘Active
Participation’

14. Self-Assessment Domains – Med School:
3) Presentations and Publications (10)
Posters
Area of
Interest
AFP/ACF

15. Self-Assessment Domains – Med School:
4) Teaching Experience (10)
4 Sessions
Feedback
• Society Events
• Revision Sessions
• MOSCEs
• Clinical Skills Sessions
Audit
Induction

16. Self-Assessment Domains – Med School:
5) Training Qualifications (5)
MClinEd
Post-Grad

17. Other areas…
Prizes/Awards
Essay/Poster
Competitions
Merits /
Distinctions
Surgical Skills
Leadership
Future
Surgeons
Societies
Reps

18. Person Specification (ACF)

19. Surgical Placements:
• Who is the consultant? NNUH/JPUH/QEH
Websites.
• Procedure?
• Beforehand ideally
• When you arrive – look at list.
• Basics
• Theatre Essentials:
• Eat beforehand!
• Bring drink to theatre (leave in prep room)
• Arrive on time
• Introduce yourself to theatre team – name on board.
• Scrubbing – ask!
• Operation Note - elogbook

20. Conclusions and Tips:
Intercalation
Elective
Courses
Societies
Competitions
Teaching
Logbook
Placement
• Work Smart (and hard)
• Use the criteria
• Person Specification
• Academic Pathway
• Supervisors
• Nothing is ‘pointless’
• Area of interest – set
yourself apart.

21. Thank-you!
Any Questions?
Ramez Antakia
ST8 – General & Colorectal Surgery
NNUH
ramez.antakia@nnuh.nhs.uk

22. Key Resources: