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Supporting Information
Evidence (1 of 2)
1. General Surgery Portfolio Questions
Listed below are the 7 questions which appear on the 2025 General Surgery ST3 application form along with the possible responses to each question and details of suitable evidence to substantiate your responses. A guide to the scoring for each question is provided, with descriptions of the quality indicators where appropriate.
An FAQ section can also be found in your attached 2025 General Surgery Handbook, that can be found in the ‘document tab’ in the advert content section.
For each question a description of the evidence required is given. You will only be awarded marks if the evidence provided matches the description of the evidence required for that domain.
Applicants are not required to submit any response to the 7 questions below at the point of completing this application on Oriel, we encourage you to read through for guidance, and in preparation for collating your portfolio evidence.
Applicants must record their responses to all 7 questions using the provided templates. Applicants can access the 7 templates under the ‘document tab’ in the advert content section. All 7 templates must be signed where required (typed signature will not be accepted).
Candidates are reminded that the information they provide on the templates will form the basis of their scores. Therefore, full and detailed descriptions of their involvement in audits, publications and presentations are essential. Any evidence of plagiarism, including the use of AI in the templates will be treated as a matter of probity. Probity concerns will be treated with utmost seriousness and may result in candidates being withdrawn from the application process and referred to the GMC.
After filling out the 7 templates with your responses, applicants must upload their templates, with supporting evidence to the Evidence Upload Portal, which opens on Monday 16th December 2024. You will receive further information on how to access the Evidence Upload Portal nearer to the time.
Portfolio templates and evidence can only be accepted via the dedicated Evidence Upload Portal. Evidence provided to the London Recruitment Team by any other means will not be accepted. Failure to upload any completed template(s) and evidence is likely to result in your application being withdrawn from the process.
Maintaining trust by being open and honest and acting with integrity is one of the key elements of Duties of a Doctor (GMC). If it is subsequently discovered that any statement made on your application is false or misleading, evidence will be collected, and you may be referred to a Probity Panel.
If you experience any issues with uploading evidence, you must inform the London Recruitment team prior to the evidence portal window closing date (5pm on Thursday 16th January 2025).
Question 1:
By the end of July 2025, or by the completion of Core Training if this is later, how many months will you have spent in total in General Surgery in any post-Foundation job in any country? Please do not include any other posts.
Maximum points: 6
Responses | Score |
0 to 3 months | Score ineligible for appointment |
4 to 12 months | 2 |
13 to 24 months | 4 |
25 to 36 months | 6 |
37 to 48 months | 4 |
49 to 60 months | 2 |
61 months or more | 1 |
Evidence: Template countersigned by Educational Supervisor (or equivalent) with printed name and GMC number (or equivalent).
In addition
Question 2:
By the end of July 2025, or the completion of Core Training, will you have spent at least 4 months in T&O, Plastic Surgery, Neurosurgery, ENT Surgery, Cardiac/Thoracic surgery, A&E, ITU, Paediatric Surgery, Urology, Vascular or OMFS posts since completing your Foundation Programme?
Eligible posts must include working for a minimum of 4 months full time (or equivalent if LTFT) in both unselected emergency and elective work within the relevant specialty.
Maximum score: 4
Responses | Score |
I will not have spent 4 months in any of these specialties | 0 |
I will have spent at least 4 months in a post in 1 of these specialties | 2 |
I will have spent at least 4 months each in posts in 2 or more of these specialties | 4 |
Evidence: Template countersigned by Educational Supervisor (or equivalent) with printed name and GMC number (or equivalent).
In addition
Question 3:
Before the time the evidence upload window closes, how many appendicectomies (laparoscopic and/or open) have you completed which have been done either STS or STU or P or T? These must be recorded in a validated logbook and each sheet signed by a consultant.
Maximum score: 4
Responses | Score |
0 to 5 | Score ineligible for appointment |
6 to 15 | 1 |
16 to 25 | 2 |
26 to 35 | 3 |
36 to 80 | 4 |
81 or more | 1 |
Evidence: Template countersigned by Educational Supervisor (or equivalent) with printed name and GMC number (or equivalent).
Question 4:
Publications: Please submit your 2 best publications, published in any PubMed indexed journal. In order to be eligible for this section, publications must have a PubMed ID, and be published before the evidence upload window closes.
Do not include articles which have not yet been published. Collaborative papers, abstracts, case reports, letters or technical tips are acceptable. Points will be awarded for candidate contribution, level of authorship, quality of study and impact factor of publication.
Maximum score: 10 (5 per publication)
Evidence: Template countersigned by Educational Supervisor (or equivalent) with printed name and GMC number (or equivalent).
In addition
Question 5:
Academic Presentations: Please submit your 2 best presentations. In order to be eligible for this section, the presentation must have been published before the evidence upload window closes.
You may include poster presentations.
Points will be awarded for candidate contribution, being the presenter of the work, quality of study and scope of meeting (regional, national or international).
Maximum score: 10 (5 per presentation)
Evidence: Template countersigned by Educational Supervisor (or equivalent) with printed name and GMC number (or equivalent).
In addition
The responsibility for providing adequate, clear and unequivocal evidence lies with the applicant
Question 6:
Audits and QIPs: Please submit your 2 best closed loop audits and your best additional audit/QIP. Please only submit audits/QIPs which have been presented as you will need to provide evidence of presentation. For each loop of the closed loop audits and for the additional audit/QIP you must provide evidence of your involvement in the design, execution and presentation of the audit/QIP.
Points will be awarded for candidate involvement, reference standard, study design, importance of clinical question and impact of work.
Applicants should note that to qualify as a closed-loop audit, there must be clear evidence of applicant involvement in both audit cycles. Submissions where the applicant is deemed by the shortlisters to have only been involved in the initial or re-audit will receive zero points.
Submissions where no template/evidence is submitted for this question will be deemed ineligible.
Maximum score: 21 (8 per closed loop audit and 5 for audit/QIP)
Evidence:
Template countersigned by Educational Supervisor (or equivalent) with printed name and GMC number (or equivalent).
In addition:
Please provide a copy of the presentation (6 slides per page).
Question 7:
This category has now been broadened to include PG Certs, Diplomas and taught Masters degrees. Points will not be awarded unless evidence is provided that the qualification has been awarded.
Maximum points: 5
Responses | Score |
PG Certificate | 1 |
Diploma/Masters degree without thesis or dissertation | 2 |
Masters with thesis or dissertation (eg. MSc, MMedEd, MS, ChM) | 3 |
MD | 4 |
PhD | 5 |
Evidence: Template countersigned by Educational Supervisor (or equivalent) with printed name and GMC number (or equivalent).
In addition:
Please continue and answer the MRCS Question in the Supporting section of the application form.
Supporting (2 of 2)
1. MRCS
In order to be eligible for appointment to this specialty, you must have successfully completed MRCS by examination (full qualification) by the day after results for the February 2025 examination diet are released.
At the time of application have you successfully completed MRCS by examination (full qualification)? (Yes | No )
Answer NO if you have not yet successfully complete [sic] all parts of the examination.
I confirm I have read the guidance published on the Speciality Training Website and the General Surgery ST3 Applicant Handbook 2025 attached to the advert before submitting my application. (Yes | No )
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