Supporting Information
1. Career Progression, CCT / CESR or Specialist Register
Do you already hold, or are you eligible to hold a CCT/CESR in Urology or are you currently eligible for the specialist register in this specialty? (Yes | No)
2. Membership Examination
In order to be eligible for appointment to this specialty, you must have successfully completed your MRCS by examination (full qualification) by 5pm on Tuesday 15th April 2025.
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 all parts of the examination.
3. Additional Information
Would you like to opt in to receive email notifications of recommended Urology courses for ST3 level trainees e.g. Urology Bootcamp? (Yes | No)
Please note:-This is not a comprehensive service, only a limited number of emails containing details of specific courses will be sent, applicants should therefore continue to refer to existing sources of information regarding available courses.
Self-Assessment
1. Self-Assessment Guidance 2025
The 2025 National Urology ST3 self-assessment scoring process will involve the prior publication of the scoring mechanism. Candidates will self-score as part of their application, and the verification of candidate’s self-assessment scores will occur between applications closing and the interview date. The process is outlined in more detail below with further details available in the 2025 National Urology Handbook.
1. Information regarding the portfolio station and self-assessment will be published in advance of the interviews via this document, including:-
2. Applicants will give themselves a self-assessment score as part of their application form. This will involve answering a series of multiple-choice questions. Details of the questions are available later in this document (questions may appear slightly differently on the application form).
3. All scores must only be based upon elements that have been completed and awarded by the closing date of applications on the 7thDecember 2023. Elements completed between the application closing date and the interview will not be accepted during self-assessment validation.
4. Candidates will be given a 7 day window to upload evidence to substantiate the answers given during Self-assessment. This evidence must be provided as a single PDF file per question, applicants will therefore be required to combine several documents into one PDF if supplying more than 1 piece of evidence for a single question. There is a ‘Urology Self-Assessment Checklist 2024’ available from the download section on the National Urology recruitment webpagefor applicants to use whilst preparing their documents. More information is available in the 2024 National Urology Handbook, and full details of the self-assessment validation process will be supplied to applicants in due course.
5. Your self-assessment evidence will be validated and scored online, applicants will then be provided with feedback containing details of any adjusted scores. Applicants will then have 72 hours to appeal their score, any appeals will be assessed by an appeals panel and their decision will be final.
Please note:-
2. Postgraduate degrees and qualifications in medical science
Where a thesis of significant length (minimum of 2 years of full time study equivalent) and contribution to research can be demonstrated and an oral examination of the thesis can be demonstrated. It is important to recognise the UK degrees carry significant component of research and non-UK degrees need to demonstrate equivalence. A degree certificate alone without significant research will not be awarded the marks
Exclusions
eg MD (where basic medical degrees equivalent to MB BS) and MS (where not requiring completion of a thesis).
Non-UK higher degrees should be stand alone qualifications, not integral to primary medical qualification, with regulations equivalent to the relevant UK qualifications. Intercalated degrees during the undergraduate course ( eg: BSc or automatic MA with primary qualification ) does not attract any points.
1) How many of the following qualifications have you been awarded? Peer reviewed theses in medical science eg :- DPhil, PhD, MD, MCh, MS
2) How many of the following qualifications do you have? Peer reviewed theses in medical science which have been submitted, but not yet awarded. eg :- DPhil, PhD, MD, MCh, MS.
3) How many of the following qualifications do you have? MSc or equivalent, Post graduate degree without orally examined thesis.
3. Paper Publications
‘Formally accepted’ papers and video papers to count, (but NOT ‘abstracts’).
(Acceptance letters or papers/book chapters to be presented at interview as evidence).
Definition of peer reviewed publication = “Manuscripts (articles) which are evaluated by at least one subject specialist in addition to the editor before being accepted for publication”. The paper must have a PMID number or equivalence. Equivalence will be assessed during validation. If it is in a Urology journal, we accept those without PMID number provided it is listed in Urology Green list. Here is the list of the journals – https://urologygreenlist.wordpress.com A non-Urology publication without PMID number will be awarded credit at the discretion of validating panel members depending on the robustness of the journal’s peer review process.
Please note, Books must have an ISBN number (books related to exam revision or interview preparation courses will not count). No publications may count in more than one category
4) Since leaving medical school, how many first author peer reviewed papers or first author book chapters have you had published?
Where max points achieved in this category additional papers may be counted as ‘NON-first author peer reviewed’ in Question 5
5) Since leaving medical school how many NON-first author peer reviewed papers have you had published? Co-authors and collaborative authors are considered as non-first authors.
Where max points achieved in this category additional papers may be counted as ‘NON-peer reviewed papers’ in Question 6
6) Since leaving medical school how many Non- peer reviewed paper / e-publications / podcasts / letters to editors within urology have you had published?
4. Audits and Quality Improvement Projects
(Please provide supervisor confirmation of your role using the standardised national selection audit/QIP supervisor form)
7) Since leaving medical school, how many ‘closed loop’ / 2 cycle audits / QIPs, on separate topics, where you were the primary auditor (ie initiated, designed and completed the audit/QIP have you completed?
Where max points achieved in this category additional audits/QIPs may be counted as ‘single cycles of audit’ in Question 9
8) How many of the ‘closed loop’ / 2 cycle audits / QIPs awarded points in question 7 were Urology based.
9) Since leaving medical school, how many single cycles of audit, on separate topics, where you were the primary auditor (ie initiated, designed and completed the audit have you completed?
10) How many of the single cycles of audit awarded points in question 9 were Urology based.
5. Presentations. (Including audits/QIPs) since medical school
Examples of International / National meetings: EAU, BAUS and BAUS section meetings, AUA, WCE, SIU, ISU (Irish) RSM Urology2020 onwards
Examples of Regional Meetings: East of England, South Thames, Welsh, Scottish, RSM Urology pre 2020
(Both in person and virtual presentations will be accepted)
(Please supply abstracts and conference/meeting programmes as evidence)
Please note:- A moderated poster session is where the author must be present during the entire session to allow the author to explain and illustrate his/her concepts, techniques or research findings. It may or may not have a short presentation component in some conferences depending on their format. There usually is a panel of moderators. An unmoderated poster is where the poster is displayed but the authors are not required to be present.
1st author poster presentation
(including audits) since medical school :
11) How many times have you given a 1st author unmoderated poster presentation (including audits) at a national / international meeting, since medical school?
Where max points have been achieved in this category, additional poster presentations may be considered as ‘regional’ and as such can be used in Question 12)
12) How many times have you given a 1st author unmoderated poster presentation (including audits) at a regional meeting, since medical school?
1st author podium/moderated poster presentation (including audits): since medical school
(evidence provided must contain wording stating “Podium” or “Moderated poster” or “Equivalent” to attract points)
13) How many times have you given a 1st author podium/moderated poster presentation (including audits ) at a national / international meeting, since medical school?
Where max points achieved in this category additional presentations may be counted as ‘regional’ in Question 14)
14) How many times have you given a 1st author podium/moderated poster presentation (including audits) at a regional meeting, since medical school?
(exclude ‘in house’ hospital meetings)
6. Postgraduate Medical Teaching / Experience / qualifications
(Please supply relevant evidence)
Please note, A course (to attract 3-4 points in Question 15) must be for a minimum of 4 hours or carry educational content equivalent of 4 CPD points. It excludes departmental teaching. A document explaining the role of the trainee as a principal organiser is required, and must state length of course or CPD points
15) Have you been involved in medical teaching / training delivery?
16) Do you have a qualification in medical education? (Non-Medical Qualifications are not accepted).
7. Medical postgraduate prizes
(Please supply relevant evidence)
17) Have you been awarded any medical postgraduate (ie gained after medical school) 1st prizes (including research awards and travelling fellowships)?
(exclude best presentation prizes)
18) Have you been awarded any (first place) ‘best presentation’ prizes?
8. Surgical logbook
Evidence of having performed the following Urological procedures with evidence of WBA’s (work based assessments). WBAs must be validated by a consultant level or above supervisor within the last 5 years.
The evidence for this must be uploaded in WBA format with logbook entries to support this evidence BUT NOT as a substitute for the WBA . Logbook entries alone ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE
(supporting evidence should be presented in e-logbook summary format clearly listing procedure, code and number for each code)
19) What is the highest level Scrotal procedure that you have performed?
e.g. excision epididymal cyst / hydrocele excision / scrotal exploration
20) What is the highest level Cystoscopy (any) procedure that you have performed?
21) What is the highest level Circumcision procedure that you have performed?
22) What is the highest level Stent insertion procedure that you have performed?
9. Medical Management or leadership roles
(Please supply evidence of these roles).
23) Have you undertaken any formal medical management or leadership roles since leaving medical school eg: Mess President, BMA local or regional rep, trainee rep on committee, rota manager for rota of 6 or more people for at least 6 months?
Specialty Applications
This site provides data and information on the medical and dental specialty training application process to help doctors and dentists plan their applications to speciality training posts in the UK.