Specialty specific guidance for CESR in Clinical Neurophysiology

The new Clinical Neurophysiology curriculum was published in June 2021. For a transition period, you can make a CESR application against either the new curriculum or the previous version.

This option is available until the transition deadline of 30 June 2023.

Specialty specific guidance

We’ve produced guidance documents for each version of the curriculum with the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board.

How to apply

You can apply through your GMC Online account. There is one application form which includes sections for both versions of the curricula. You should declare which curriculum version you wish to be assessed against in sequence one. And only provide evidence in the sections of the application relevant to your curriculum.

2021 curriculum

Our standards for postgraduate medical curricula are Excellence by design and the framework for Generic professional capabilities. These help postgraduate medical training programmes focus trainee assessment away from an exhaustive list of individual competencies, towards fewer broad capabilities needed to practise safely from your first day as a consultant.

As a result, the 2021 physicianly curricula are outcomes based. This means trainees will be assessed against the fundamental capabilities required of consultants in the working week. These include the 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 (Capabilities in Practice – CiPs).

The Clinical Neurophysiology curriculum is made up of 12 CiPs. Six Generic CiPs which are common to all physicianly specialties and six Specialty CiPs unique to Clinical Neurophysiology.

In Clinical Neurophysiology two years Internal Medicine Training will replace Core Medical Training as the core training programme. Applicants will be required to demonstrate maintenance of relevant Internal Medicine Stage 1 capabilities.

Content shared between all physicianly specialties

There are six CiPs which are shared between all physicianly specialties

  • CiP 1 - Able to function successfully within NHS organisational and management systems
  • CiP 2 - Able to deal with ethical and legal issues related to clinical practice
  • CiP 3 - Communicates effectively and is able to share decision making, while maintaining appropriate situational awareness, professional behaviour and professional judgement
  • CiP 4 - Is focused on patient safety and delivers effective quality improvement in patient care
  • CiP 5 - Carrying out research and managing data appropriately
  • CiP 6 - Acting as a clinical teacher and clinical supervisor

Specialty specific content

There are six CiPs which are unique to Clinical Neurophysiology:

  • CiP 1 - Managing and delivering a basic adult and paediatric NCS / EMG service
  • CiP 2 - Managing and delivering a basic adult and paediatric EEG service
  • CiP 3 - Managing and delivering a basic adult and paediatric Evoked Potential (EP) service
  • CiP 4 - Managing and delivering an advanced adult and paediatric NCS / EMG service
  • CiP 5 - Managing and delivering an advanced adult and paediatric adult and paediatric EEG service
  • CiP 6 - Managing and delivering an advanced adult and paediatric Evoked Potential service

Changes in knowledge and skills

It will no longer be possible for Clinical Neurophysiology to dual accredit in Neurology now duel accredits with Internal Medicine.

Core Surgical training with MRCS has been added as an entry route. Some advanced procedures have been removed.