Delays to specialist applications
We’re currently processing a large number of applications. Thank you for your patience - we’ll aim to progress your application as quickly as we can.
Minimum UK training time for each specialty
If your training consists of both non-approved and approved training posts, then you have trained on a combined programme.
The table below lists the minimum number of years you must have trained on a UK combined programme in order to be eligible for a CCT for each specialty.
Specialties with a minimum training time
If you meet the minimum training time, then you may be eligible for a CCT.
If you have not trained in UK approved training posts for the minimum number of years stated below you can only apply for a CESR/CEGPR.
Specialties without a minimum training time
These are specialties where the minimum training time is listed as ‘No minimum’. If you have completed a combined programme in one of these specialties, you will be eligible for a CCT.
| Specialty | Minimum training time in UK |
|---|---|
| Acute internal medicine |
No minimum |
| Allergy |
No minimum |
| Anaesthetics |
3 years |
| Audio vestibular medicine |
No minimum |
| Aviation and space medicine |
4 years |
| Cardiology |
4 years |
| Cardio-thoracic surgery (also known as thoracic surgery) |
5 years |
| Chemical pathology |
4 years |
| Child and adolescent psychiatry | 4 years |
| Clinical genetics |
4 years |
| Clinical neurophysiology |
4 years |
| Clinical oncology |
4 years |
| Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics |
4 years |
| Clinical radiology |
4 years |
| Community sexual health and reproduction |
No minimum |
| Dermatology |
4 years |
| Diagnostic neuropathology |
No minimum |
| Emergency medicine (also known as accident and emergency medicine) |
5 years |
| Endocrinology and diabetes mellitus |
3 years |
| Forensic histopathology |
No minimum |
| Forensic psychiatry |
No minimum |
| Gastro-enterology |
4 years |
| General (internal) medicine |
5 years |
| General Practice |
3 years |
| General psychiatry |
4 years |
| General surgery |
5 years |
| Genito-urinary medicine |
4 years |
| Geriatric medicine |
4 years |
| Haematology |
3 years |
| Histopathology |
4 years |
| Immunology |
4 years |
| Infectious diseases |
4 years |
| Intensive care medicine |
No minimum |
| Medical microbiology (listed in Annex V as Medical microbiology and virology) |
4 years |
| Medical oncology |
5 years |
| Medical ophthalmology |
No minimum |
| Medical psychotherapy |
No minimum |
| Medical virology (listed in Annex V as Medical microbiology and virology) |
4 years |
| Neurology |
4 years |
| Neurosurgery |
5 years |
| Nuclear medicine |
4 years |
| Obstetrics and gynaecology |
4 years |
| Occupational medicine |
4 years |
| Old age psychiatry |
No minimum |
| Ophthalmology |
3 years |
| Oral and maxillo-facial surgery |
4 years |
| Otolaryngology |
3 years |
| Paediatric and perinatal pathology |
No minimum |
| Paediatric cardiology |
No minimum |
| Paediatric surgery |
5 years |
| Paediatrics |
4 years |
| Palliative medicine |
No minimum |
| Pharmaceutical medicine |
No minimum |
| Plastic surgery |
5 years |
| Psychiatry of learning disability |
No minimum |
| Public health medicine |
4 years |
| Rehabilitation medicine |
No minimum |
| Renal medicine |
4 years |
| Respiratory medicine |
4 years |
| Rheumatology |
4 years |
| Sport and exercise medicine |
No minimum |
| Trauma and orthopaedic surgery |
5 years |
| Tropical medicine |
4 years |
| Urology |
5 years |
| Vascular surgery |
5 years |
