Enrolment in the higher specialist training programme

Faculty Enrolment Form [PDF]

Who must enrol?

All trainees who enter higher specialist training programmes in public health, whether SpRs or SpTs, are required to enrol with the Faculty within three months of appointment in order to qualify for a CCST in the specialty of public health medicine, or to register as a Generalist Specialist with the Voluntary Register for Public Health Specialists. The enrolment process enables the Faculty to oversee and monitor the progress of trainees throughout their training and maintain national standards of training by ensuring the excellence of the training provided in programmes.

It is not possible to enrol for higher medical training from a locum or temporary appointment, irrespective of grade.

Criteria

In order to be eligible for enrolment a Specialist Registrar must:

  • have completed a minimum of two years general professional training after full registration, and
  • have been appointed to a substantive post which is approved for higher medical training by the Faculty (NHS or honorary) in the Specialist Registrar grade

A Specialist Trainee must:

  • have a good first degree (or equivalent professional qualification) in a health related discipline, held for at least 2 years, and
  • have a minimum of 4 years' experience relevant to public health practice, which might include health, local authority or voluntary sector experience

In addition, trainees who have been appointed to a substantive (SpR/SpT) training post will be issued a unique individual training number, called the National Training Number (NTN), by the Postgraduate Dean. There are variations on this number for trainees in particular categories; e.g. those on Visitor's visas will receive a VTN, those in FTTAs, an FTN, and those on research programmes, an RTN.

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Applications

Application forms for enrolment must be obtained directly either from the Faculty of Public Health, 4 St Andrew's Place, London NW1 4LB or from a regional Faculty Adviser. Completed forms and supporting documents should be returned to the Faculty Education office. Applications should be accompanied by a full Curriculum Vitae and a signed copy of RITA form A. The applications should be countersigned by the Faculty Adviser, who will check for accuracy and also for appropriateness for the total training programme of that trainee.

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Date of Completion of training

When the enrolment application and fee have been received, the Faculty Education Department will formally advise the trainee of the provisional date of the completion of their training, although this date may already have been determined informally with the Faculty Adviser. Any amendments to this provisional completion of training date must be made at the RITA annual assessment meetings, and copies of RITA Form B, noting the amendment, must be sent to both the Faculty and the local postgraduate dean.

During the training programme, the trainee may apply for recognition of relevant experience (Retrospecitve Recognition) gained in previous supervised posts towards the required total of four years higher specialist training.

Subject to demonstrating satisfactory progress with Parts I & II MFPH, training and documentary evidence of annual appraisals using the RITA competency framework, trainees will be issued a certificate of completion of training. At the end of the 5 year period this will lead to specialist registration with the GMC (SpRs) or a recommendation for registration with the Voluntary Register (SpTs).

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Trainee Membership

Trainee Membership of the Faculty will be offered at the time of enrolment. Membership of the Faculty offers many benefits, such as mailings, financial benefits, participation in Faculty activities and speaking at the AGM etc.

One of the financial benefits for those taking up Trainee Membership at time of enrolment is the Five-year membership package, which is only available at the start of training, which allows discounts on fees and spreads the cost evenly over the 5 years of training.