2020 Specialty Training Competition Ratios

In 2020 the overall competition ratio for specialty training posts in the UK was 2.39:1 – 28,124 applications were made for 11,779 posts.

CT1/ST1 Level:

  • Applications: 19,262
  • Posts: 8,732
  • Competition Ratio: 2.21:1
  • Most Competitive Specialty: Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery (24.56:1)
  • Least Competitive Specialty: General Practice (1.5:1)


ST3 Level:

  • Applications: 8,016
  • Posts: 2,468
  • Competition Ratio: 3.25:1
  • Most Competitive Specialty: Neurosurgery (22:1)
  • Least Competitive Specialty: Genitourinary Medicine (0.58:1)


ST4 Level:

  • Applications: 846
  • Posts: 579
  • Competition Ratio: 1.46:1
  • Most Competitive Specialty: Paediatric Cardiology (6.29:1)
  • Least Competitive Specialty: Psychiatry of Learning Disability (0.49:1)

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Run Through ST1 Specialties


Core CT1 Specialties


Higher Medical Specialties


Higher Specialties

Surgery:


Psychiatry:

 

Other Specialties Recruiting at ST3/ST4:


Competition Ratios by Year

This data has been taken from the reports available on NHS England’s Medical Specialty Training website (https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/). Data is presented here in a single table to make it easier to sort, filter and make comparisons across specialties, etc. The published data may not include posts in Scotland or Northern Ireland if they manage their own recruitment rather than recruiting via the national recruitment process across the whole of the UK.

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