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Training and development (ED)

Download full image of endocrinology and diabetes pathway

The approved postgraduate training programme for endocrinology and diabetic medicine is available from the GMC.

You will need to complete core training after your two-year foundation programme. Core training has a choice of two pathways:

• core medical training – CMT, which is a two-year programme
• acute care common stem – ACCS (acute medicine), which is a three-year programme

Programmes generally consist of four to six placements in medical specialties which must include direct involvement in the acute medical take. Trainees record their workplace based assessments in an ePortfolio which they continue to use in specialty training. A significant proportion of trainees are training less than full time.

Applicants for specialty training at ST3 should also hold the full MRCP (UK). Not all applicants who meet the required standard to continue will necessarily be offered a post due to the level of competition.

Specialty training lasts for a minimum of four years (ST3-6). The majority of trainees, however, seek to acquire the additional competencies to enable them to achieve a dual CCT in Acute Internal Medicine or General Internal Medicine and for them in most cases training will take a further year (ST3-7).

The JRCPTB has detailed information on the curriculum and assessment for endocrinology and diabetes.

Detailed entry requirements and all essential and desirable criteria are listed in the person specification 2017 for endocrinology and diabetes ST3.

All 2017 person specifications can be found on the NHS specialty training website. Please note that these documents are updated every year in the autumn before the recruitment round opens.

This information is correct at the time of writing. Full and accurate details of training pathways are available from medical royal colleges, local education and training boards (LETBs) or the GMC.

Getting in tips

These tips will give you valuable experience to add to your CV. Whether you're a medical student, foundation trainee or doing your core specialty training, there's information below to help you. 

• Speak to doctors already working in Endocrinology and Diabetes – ask them about their careers, and what they see as the rewards and challenges of their work.
• Take every opportunity to attend outpatient clinics and multidisciplinary team meetings.
• Join a specialist society, eg join the Society for Endocrinology or Young Diabetologists and Endocrinologists Forum and consider becoming a Student Ambassador. Specialist societies often offer member benefits (particularly for students and undifferentiated trainees) such as grants for conference attendance, journal access, and networking opportunities. They are also a great source of careers advice, and can help you navigate your way through the training pathway.
• Consider undertaking a special study module, project, audit or case report in endocrinology and diabetes.

• Medical students

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  • join your university medical society
  • attend conferences for medical students – many are free – this will give you an opportunity to network and meet your future colleagues
  • get involved with the GMC (General Medical Council), eg medical students can participate in visits to medical schools as part of the GMC’s quality assurance process
  • consider becoming a student member of the BMA (the British Medical Association is the trade union and professional association for doctors and provides careers advice)
  • make your specialty decisions in good time so that you can test it out before committing yourself, eg by using hospital visits and clinical placements arranged as part of your course to ask questions and observe people at work
  • choose the topic of your supervised research project carefully to test out your career thinking

• Foundation trainees

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  • remember your first priority is to demonstrate that you have developed the personal, learning, clinical, practical and management skills needed by all doctors
  • think laterally when applying for rotations – vacancies may not be available in endocrinology and diabetes so apply for a rotation in a related field such as general internal medicine
  • contact the Endocrinology and Diabetes education leads at medical schools in the UK for advice
  • talk to your clinical and educational supervisors about particular areas of interest to explore
  • use full placements to experience specialties that you might be interested in or apply for taster experiences if you can’t get a placement, eg UKFPO provides advice on how to benefit from a taster week and the Young Diabetologists and Endocrinologists Forum organises taster evenings
  • talk with your peers about their career ideas and experiences – you may be able to help each other
  • listen to information and advice from more experienced doctors but make your own decisions
  • taking part in a clinical audit is important for your development as a doctor but you may be able to choose an audit project related to a specialty that interests you
  • ensure your Foundation e-portfolio has plenty of medical evidence and that this is kept properly up-to-date
  • try to gain teaching and management experience
  • look at competition ratios (ie the number of applicants to places) critically. Find out what is happening this year and spot any regional differences in competition ratios
  • view the resources on the Foundation Programme website
  • write case reports or make presentations (in acute medicine, for instance) with an endocrinology and diabetes focus
  • enter essay prizes and competitions

• Core and specialty trainees

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  • ensure a good grounding in acute general medicine
  • speak to consultants about what the role is like
  • read as much information as you can on the websites of relevant professional bodies
  • impress interviewers by showing that your interest in the specialty is intrinsically motivated, ie you are drawn to the work and not just attracted by admiration of someone you have shadowed (You will also be happier in your career in that specialty many years later!)
  • be prepared to move to where the vacancies are
  • study for the examinations for the membership of your chosen Royal College
  • continue to develop your practical and academic expertise
  • undertake a research project
  • try to get some of your work published and present at national and international meetings
  • join or start a Journal Club (a group who meet to critically evaluate academic research)
  • teach junior colleagues
  • take on any management opportunities you are offered