Trainees complete a curriculum and an e-portfolio which focus on the basic levels of General Internal Medicine (GIM) (Acute). In order to progress towards a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), different competencies must be met. These encompass good medical practice, symptom competencies (including emergency and common presentations), system specific competencies, investigation competencies and procedural competencies. Assessment of competence is documented through workplace-based assessments and the MRCP(UK) which is a mandatory requirement to enter specialty training at ST3. A full breakdown of what is involved can be found on the website of the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board.  Acute Care Common Stem (ACCS) is an alternative training programme and entry route to specialty training. It provides an overview of acute internal medicine, emergency medicine, anaesthetics and intensive care medicine.

The two year training programme for CMT will vary slightly between different local education and training boards (LETBs) but will normally consist of four to six month rotations in a blend of some of the larger acute specialties i.e. cardiology, geriatrics and gastroenterology in different locations and various hospital settings. Whilst the training programme has a set structure, LETBs may be able to alter the programme for those trainees with particular career aspirations.

For CMT, please visit http://www.ct1recruitment.org.uk/. For information about ST3 recruitment, please visit ST3recruitment.org.uk

Core medical training (CMT) is mandatory generic post Foundation training, designed to provide the skills and knowledge to follow a career in a branch of acute medicine at ST3 or above.  It is also an opportunity to investigate several possible career paths.  These cover options as disparate as Allergy, Infectious Diseases and Sport and Exercise Medicine.  Look to the menu on the left to access further detailed information on the 27 different pathways within medicine, also CMT is one of the entry routes into the new ICM ST3 pathway and into ST3 in occupational medicine.

Trainees complete an e learning curriculum and an e portfolio which focus on General Internal Medicine (GIM) (Acute).  In order to progress towards a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) in discrete areas of medicine, different competencies must be met. 

These encompass good medical practice, symptom competencies (including emergency and common presentations), system specific competencies, investigation competencies and procedural competencies. Assessment of competence is documented through workplace-based assessments and the MRCP(UK) which is a mandatory requirement to enter specialty training at ST3. A full breakdown of what is involved can be found on the website of the Joint Royal College of Physicians Training Board.

Acute Care Common Stem (ACCS) is an alternative training programme and entry route to specialty training. It provides an overview of Acute Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Anaesthetics and Intensive Care Medicine.

The website for Modernising Medical Careers contains a person specification which lists eligibility criteria for CMT, plus the personal, academic and clinical criteria on which recruitment is based.

For most trainees,  CMT will extend their skills, and broaden both their outlook and their choice of career,  but they still face competition when applying for the next phase of their professional life.  A back up plan(s) is necessary in case the first preference is not possible.

The NHS Careers website has information on pay rates for doctors. The site gives a top-line, summarised idea of what you can earn throughout your career as a doctor within the NHS: http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/details/Default.aspx?Id=553.

The site contains information for the following:

• Junior doctors.
• Specialty doctors and associate specialists (SAS doctors).
• Consultants.
• General practitioners.

For information on NHS pay circulars which inform doctors about changes to pay please go to the following website: http://www.nhsemployers.org/

You can find out more about the role of the Royal Colleges at the links below:

 The Royal College of Physicians

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

You can also read the spotlight article written for us by the Royal College of Physicians.

The BMJ Careers team have kindly given us permission to link to the following audio-cast:

Jeremy Levy - Core Medical training (Oct 2010)