Vascular Surgery ST3

All Vascular Surgery ST3 interviews will be invigilated this year.

  • You must complete and pass a system test before your interview to confirm your setup.
  • A second device (mobile or tablet with a camera) is required. It must be positioned behind you at an angle so the invigilator can view you, your monitors and desk setup.
  • Invigilation will run throughout the interview, and an indicator will appear on your Qpercom screen.
  • Backgrounds that obstruct invigilation will result in your interview being cancelled and not rebooked.

I confirm I understand that my 2026 Vascular ST3 interviews will be invigilated [Tickbox]

I will have a second device (mobile or tablet with a camera) available for the interview date. [Tickbox]

I confirm that upon receiving invigilation instructions, I will complete system testing before the interview and notify the team of any issues. [Tickbox]

I understand that if I fail the system test, my interview will not proceed. [Tickbox]

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 2026 examination diet are released as per the Person Specification.

If you have not passed Part A at the point of application you will not be eligible to receive your results for Part B OSCE and be awarded MRCS by the deadline on the person specification. Your application will be withdrawn once the advert closes.

At the time of application what is your MRCS status

  • MRCS Part A passed/Part B booked February 2026 diet
  • MRCS Part A passed/Part B not booked February 2026 diet
  • I have full MRCS
  • I have not sat MRCS part A
  • Other

If you are appointed to a training post, you will be expected to provide evidence of successfully passing all parts of MRCS no later than the day after results for the February 2026 examination diet are released. Failure to do so will result in the withdrawal of any offers made.

Due to the changes in the self assessment with the introduction of categories we are collating the actual numbers for these questions in this section

Under Domain 2 you are asked to select a range for procedures in femoral artery explorations. Please provide us with the exam number of femoral artery explorations you have carried out.

As part of your application for Vascular Surgery ST3, you are required to complete a self-assessment of your previous experience and achievements with submitting documentation, the documentation will be requested for eligible candidates after applications close.

Below are the 9 Self-Assessment questions along with the possible responses to each question and details of suitable evidence to substantiate your responses.

All achievements should be dated after the commencement of your first relevant undergraduate degree, and in any case, within the last 10 years prior to 11th December 2025.

If the verifying consultant is unable to verify that your evidence matches the answers you provided on your application form, you will not be awarded any marks for those criteria.

Please note all time periods specified in the self-assessment form refer to full-time equivalent.

‘National’ achievements

Where an achievement specifies ’national’, for applicants achieving this within the UK, national refers to activity within England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or the UK as a whole. Local would mean at the level of a hospital single Trust or University.

Scoring

For each domain, please select the descriptor and score which most truly reflects your experience. When more than one descriptor is appropriate for you for a particular domain, choose only the one which results in the higher score. Include evidence which supports your score.

If an achievement legitimately may fit under multiple domains, it is valid to claim in both categories (for example, academic work which was presented orally then subsequently published).

To receive a domain score at verification you will need to provide a response if there is an additional question after the domain category selection. If you have scored yourself a 0 for a domain please write not applicable in the box.

Please note that not every domain asks for additional clarification.

Please note scores are finalised when the form is submitted. This means they cannot be edited in the event of a mistake, or an additional achievement completed after the deadline.

Completed achievements only

Only include achievements which are fully completed at the time of submission. Do not include anything which is still in progress. For example:

  • do not include qualifications if you have not yet been awarded an outcome
  • do not include articles submitted for publication if they have not been accepted
  • do not include a presentation if you have not yet presented it

Over-claiming

You should be honest with your evaluation and not attempt to gain unfair advantage by exaggerating or misrepresenting achievements. If this is identified, it could be considered a probity matter which could lead to outright rejection of your application and, in extreme cases, fitness to practice proceedings.

Your scores will be reviewed by trained assessors and based on your evidence can be revised up or down.

Please check your responses before submitting as once your application is submitted no changes can be permitted.

I confirm I have read the 2026 self-assessment guidance before submitting my application [Tickbox]

I confirm I understand I am not able to request changes to my self-assessment score following submission of my application. [Tickbox]

By the end of September 2026, or by the completion of Core Training if this is later, how many months will you have spent post medical school in total in Vascular Surgery in any country? Please do not include any other posts.

  • <2 months
  • 2 - <4 months
  • 4 - <12 months
  • 12 to 16 months
  • > 16 to 24 months
  • > 24 months

Evidence:

  • Please provide evidence of completion of training posts
  • For non-training posts please provide a copy of the front page of your contract of employment, which includes dates

At the time of application, how many appendicectomies (laparoscopic and/or open) or femoral artery explorations have you completed which have been done either STS or STU or P or T? The higher of the two scores will count. These must be recorded in a validated logbook.

  • Appendicectomies 0 or Femoral artery explorations 0
  • Appendicectomies 1 – 9 or Femoral artery explorations 1 - 5
  • Appendicectomies 10 – 29 or Femoral artery explorations 6 - 9
  • Appendicectomies 30 – 49 or Femoral artery explorations 10 - 15
  • Appendicectomies 50 – 99 or Femoral artery explorations 16 - 20
  • Appendicectomies 100+ or Femoral artery explorations 21+

Evidence:

You must provide full logbook evidence. Consolidation sheets from a validated logbook are acceptable. You will be asked for a log of your index procedures (appendicectomies, inguinal hernias, cholecystectomies and femoral artery dissections)

At the time of application, how many 1st author publications have you had published in any PubMed indexed journals? Do not include published abstracts, case reports, letters or technical tips.

  • 0
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4+

Evidence:

  • Please provide a PMID (PubMed identifier) for each paper
  • Collaborative papers may be included in this section if you provide evidence of significant involvement in the design/steering/writing up of the study. Maximum of 1 paper per collaboration.
  • Publications included here cannot be also counted in question 7

At the time of application, how many other original papers have you had published in any PubMed indexed journals? Do not include published abstracts, case reports, letters or technical tips.

Please state number of other papers with PMID (PubMed identifier)

  • 0
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5+

Evidence:

  • Please provide a PMID (PubMed identifier) for each paper
  • Collaborative papers may be included in this section to a maximum of 1 paper/point for each collaborative project in which you have been referenced as a contributor
  • Publications included here cannot be also counted in Question 7

At the time of application and since graduation as a doctor, in the last two years whole-time equivalent (WTE) of clinical practice how many national and international presentations have been given of work in which you are a listed author? Do not include poster presentations.

  • 0
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6+

Evidence:

  • Please provide a copy of the relevant page of the meeting programme(s)
  • Presentations included here cannot be also counted in Domain 7

Please submit your 2 best closed loop audits and your best additional audit or Quality Improvement Project that have resulted in a departmental presentation of the results at the time of application. Audits must be at least a full loop (a full audit cycles that involves a second audit following an implemented change) and compared to a published clinical standard.

  • 2 audits plus 1 Quality Improvement Project
  • 2 audits
  • 1 audit plus 1 Quality Improvement Project
  • 1 audit
  • Quality Improvement Project only
  • Insufficient evidence

Evidence

Notes   

These will be scored against the following criteria:

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.  

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.

Example of a closed loop audit:

  1. Audit of practice against current published standard
  2. Implementation of change process
  3. Re-audit of changes using same criteria to assess change process

The scores are calculated as per the following table:

Activity Audit Mark QIP Mark Total Marks
2 audits plus 1 QIP 4 1 5
2 audits 4 0 4
1 audit plus 1 QIP 2 1 3
1 audit 2 0 2
QIP only 0 1 1
Insufficient evidence 0 0 0

Please provide the date of your first closed loop audit

Please provide the date of your second closed loop audit

At the time of application, have you completed and been awarded a stand-alone UK higher degree or equivalent (see evidence below) examined by thesis/dissertation? (NB: This does not include intercalated degrees or primary medical degrees)

  • PhD, MD
  • Masters (eg. MSc, MMedEd, MS, ChM)
  • Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate diploma
  • No higher degree

Evidence:

  • Please provide your degree certificate
  • If your degree was taken outside the UK, you must also provide evidence of its equivalence (e.g. a letter from the institution confirming that it was awarded following the production of a research-based thesis and full examination together with a copy of your results transcript).
  • We are aware of organisations such as UK NARIC however the Selection Leads will be the final arbitrators.

Please select one statement that best describes your involvement in leadership or management in the last two years whole-time equivalent (WTE) of clinical practice.

  • I have provided evidence in my portfolio of a formal leadership or management role within or outside of medicine at a national or regional level.
  • I have provided evidence in my portfolio of a formal leadership or management role within or outside of medicine at a local or Trust level
  • I have had no significant involvement in leadership or management

Evidence:

  • Please supply evidence to support your response if you are invited to upload evidence.

Please select one statement that best describes your involvement in medical education/teaching in the last two years whole-time equivalent (WTE) of clinical practice.

  • I have provided evidence in my portfolio of a formal teaching role within or outside medicine at a national or regional level
  • I have provided evidence in my portfolio of a formal teaching role or management role within or outside of medicine at a local or Trust level OR A substantial interactive and practical teaching qualification (but not a formal degree)
  • I have had no significant involvement in teaching

Evidence:

Please supply evidence to support your response which should include a clear description of the learning outcomes achieved, programme content and teaching methods employed. Undertaking a particular named course is not required but mapping  to the learning outcomes of the RCSEng is essential.

Please note that the PG Cert or equivalent in teaching has now been moved to domain 7.

View Application Forms