Changes we are making to Portfolio pathway applications

In May 2017, we launched new standards for curricula development. Our new standards required all royal colleges and faculties to include generic professional capabilities by the end of 2020. Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic there have been some delays to timeframes for some specialties.

What this means for Portfolio pathway applicants?

Portfolio pathway applicants are assessed against the standards expected for the specialty they have applied in. Specialty standards are laid out in the high level learning outcomes of the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) curriculum for that specialty.

Incorporating generic professional capabilities into specialty curricula will change the structure of the curricula, so they’re based around high level learning outcomes.

Once a curriculum has been updated you may be given the opportunity to make your Portfolio pathway application in either the new curriculum or the previous version of the curriculum.  This 'dual running' of curricula will likely be available until CCT training for the relevant specialty is implemented. Some specialties may extend this 'dual running' past the point of implementation if necessary. You should check the guidance for your specialty to learn whether it will be dual run.

If you have already started an application in GMC Online, we’ll get in contact with you to keep you updated on the progress of curriculum development in your specialty and how this will affect your application.

If you haven’t started your application in GMC Online yet, it’s really important that you keep checking for updates to the curriculum for your specialty. If you choose to apply under the new curriculum you will need to submit evidence for any updated competencies in the curriculum approved at the point you submit your application.

View the curriculum for your specialty.

Changes to physician training curricula

The Joint Royal Colleges Physician Training Board (JRCPTB) are changing their specialist curricula for to align with the Excellence by Design standards we launched in 2017.

The JRCPTB has also published information and advice about the portfolio pathway. 

What are the changes to physician specialty curricula?

The new curricula are outcomes-based. This means that trainees will be assessed against the fundamental capabilities required of consultants in the working week. These are known as ‘Capabilities in Practice’ or ‘CiPs’.

The capabilities include general skills which all doctors need to have, as well as those needed to carry out all the specific day to day tasks undertaken by a consultant physician.

Internal Medicine Training Stage 1 now forms the first three years of post-foundation training. 12 months of further Internal Medicine (Stage 2) will be integrated with specialty training in a dual programme for the main specialties supporting acute medical care. These specialties are known as ‘Group 1’.

This model enhances training in internal medicine, preparing doctors for the challenge of managing acutely unwell medical patients, who may also have complex needs.

Visit the JRCPTB website.

When are the physician curricula changing?

The JRCPTB has produced new curricula for all the specialties it manages. All new curricula are going through curriculum approval with the GMC. The JRCPTB has published timelines for publication of the Group 1 curricula, following their approval. All Group 2 curricula have been approved and were implemented for training in August 2021.

There will be a transition period once a curriculum has been published. During this period, you can make your Portfolio pathway application in either the new curriculum or the previous version. The transition will continue for a period agreed on a specialty-by-specialty basis.

If you have already started an application in GMC Online, we’ll keep you updated on the progress of your curriculum development and how this will affect your application.

If you haven’t started your application in GMC Online yet, it’s important that you keep checking your specialty curriculum for updates.

You’ll need to provide sufficient and relevant evidence in your application for the curriculum under which you are applying. If you choose to apply under the new curriculum you will need to submit evidence for any updated competencies.

Deciding which curriculum to apply under

This is your choice, but we’d be happy to discuss your options with you.

You may want to consider the different requirements of both available curricula, the supporting specialty specific guidance, and your own unique body of evidence.

Once you have decided, you can indicate which curriculum you wish to apply against within GMC Online. You should then provide evidence in the specific sections for the curriculum you have chosen.

Applying against the previous curriculum

If you want to apply under the previous curriculum, you need to submit your application and pay your fee before the deadline published by the JRCPTB. If you miss this deadline, your application will be assessed against the new version of the curriculum. You will need to reorganise your evidence in GMC Online to reflect this.

We don’t anticipate making any further extensions to curricula transition periods. The JRCPTB will post updates on its Portfolio pathway webpage if this changes.

Will individual requests be considered for extensions to the availability of previous curricula?

We won’t be able to accommodate individual requests for an extension of the transition period set out for each specialty. You need to submit your application and pay your fee by the published deadline if you want to apply under the previous curriculum.

If you miss this deadline, your application will be assessed against the current version of the curriculum. You will need to reorganise your evidence in GMC Online to reflect this.

Why is a second specialty being awarded to applicants who apply in particular specialties?

A key aspect of the new curricula for Group 1 physician specialties is that the internal medicine learning outcomes are embedded in the curricula to meet service needs. To complete the speciality, doctors need to demonstrate internal medicine capabilities to the level of unsupervised practice.