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 in the UK in order to be eligible for a CCT for each specialty.
If you have not trained in UK approved training posts for the minimum number of years stated below, or your specialty has no minimum training time listed, you can only apply for a CESR/CEGPR.
If you do meet the minimum training time, then you may 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 |
