Resident doctors are going through a “nerve-wracking” time as competition for specialty training jobs continues to grow, making it harder for them to progress and leaving them in limbo or unemployed.

When UK medical students graduate, they begin two years of foundation training, spending blocks of time in different specialties. They generally then apply for internal medical, core surgical, acute care, GP or other specialist training such as paediatrics or psychiatry.

Unless their programme runs straight through to being fully qualified, after two or three years, they then pursue a higher training pathway in the area in which they want to specialise. New Feature

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In 2024, 4.7 applications were made on average for every core and high

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