International surgical training program

The ISTP comes under the generic Medical Training Initiative (MTI) scheme run by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and provides a route to obtain sponsorship for General Medical Council (GMC) registration and the Tier 5 visa so that specialist trainees and recent specialist graduates can undertake training and development in British hospitals for a maximum of 24 months.

The scheme aims to:

• Contribute to improving the quality of healthcare internationally
• Provide overseas surgical Trainees with a period of training and development in the United Kingdom before returning to their home countries where their patients and colleagues can benefit from the skills and experience they have obtained in the United Kingdom
• Foster relationships between British hospitals and international institutions
• Support the United Kingdom's international development objectives.

Recent Fellows and Trainees who meet the eligibility criteria and are interested in any of the advertised positions are invited to apply to the Dean of Education for a letter of support.

To be eligible for a letter of support from the Dean of Education, a Trainee must:

• Be in their final six months of training
• Not be on probation

RACS Trainees and Fellows eligible to register for an ISTP post must:

• Be working within an ISTP overseas Partner Institution
• Must have no rights of residence in the United Kingdom/European Union/European Economic Area/Switzerland at the time of application.
• Hold a primary medical qualification recognised by the General Medical Council (GMC).
• Have completed an acceptable internship (or equivalent) of not less than twelve months following undergraduate training.
• Have completed at least three years of full-time clinical practice/training (equivalent to ST3 or above in the United Kingdom) since obtaining their primary medical qualification, including the most recent 12 months. Clinical attachments/observerships do not count.
• Have passed the MRCS (UK) or hold an acceptable alternative qualification.
• You must not have previously attempted the GMC Professional and Linguistics Assessment Board (PLAB) test.

Details of the UK training programmes for specialist international medical graduates (SIMGs) can be found on the Royal College of Surgeons of England website. It includes guidance on how to apply using an online process.

If you are interested in submitting an application to the International Surgical Training Programme (ISTP) you may find the following quick link helpful: International Surgical Training Programme (ISTP)

The webpage includes information on:

• Eligibility criteria
• Supporting documents required for your application
• ISTP Partner Institutions
• ISTP application journey and process.

You can make contact with the Royal College of Surgeons of England via this link.

You can also refer to the MTI program guide.

Contact RCS ISTP Officer at istp@rcseng.ac.uk or phone on +44 20 7869 6634