Clinical genetics is an exciting and tremendously varied specialty that touches on numerous other medical specialties.
Clinical genetics trainee characteristics
Clinical genetics will particularly suit trainees who are:
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good communicators
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those who enjoy variety
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team workers
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inquisitive
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able to work with a measure of independence.
Working in clinical genetics
Clinical genetics is largely outpatient-based, with some ward referrals for specialist opinion. Clinical geneticists generally work in multidisciplinary, Regional Genetic Centres in close collaboration with laboratory scientists, genetic counsellors and academic colleagues.
The key roles of a clinical geneticist are to diagnose inherited disorders and birth defects, estimate genetic risks, organise appropriate genomic or other testing, and to provide advice to individuals who may have, or be at risk of, a genetic disorder. The work includes clinical assessment and working with laboratory scientists to interpret the significance of test results.
Since genetic disorders can affect people of all ages and involve all body systems, clinical geneticists work closely with a wide range of other specialties, frequently in multi-disciplinary clinics. Some sub-specialisation (dysmorphology, cancer genetics, neurogenetics, cardiac genetics, etc. ) is therefore common.
Entry into the specialty is usually at the ST3 level, either as a clinical or an academic trainee. Recruitment is arranged bi-annually with candidates competing at a national level. Most trainees have a background in adult or paediatric medicine and must have MRCP(UK) or MRCPCH prior to entry at ST3.
Most trainees become NHS consultants but those with a research interest may become full or part-time academic consultants, with fewer clinical commitments. Teaching is also an important part of the workload of most clinical geneticists.
Specialty trainees in Clinical Genetics will usually be based at a single regional genetics centre for the duration of their training although trainees may be expected to spend time in other units. Regional genetics centres provide clinical services for large geographical areas and often provide outreach clinics at other hospitals. Specialty trainees will participate in these clinics and regular travel may be necessary as part of training.
Medical Care
Find out more about clinical genetics and the services delivered by the specialty on Medical Care – the RCP’s online guide to service design.
Further information
General / application queries
For general queries relating to areas such as eligibility criteria, making an application or the Oriel system, please contact the Physician Specialty Recruitment Office.
Queries regarding the progress of a submitted application should be directed to the lead recruiter for this specialty. The lead recruiter for clinical genetics in 2021 is Health Education West Midlands.
Health Education West Midlands | ||||||
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Postal address | Health Education West Midlands 1st Floor St Chads Court 213 Hagley Road Edgbaston Birmingham B16 9RG |
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email address | specialtyrecruitment.wm@hee.nhs.uk | |||||
website | www.westmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk |
Eligibility
Please be aware that clinical genetics accepts applicants from several other training routes, in addition to core-level physician training: anaesthetics, general practice, obstetrics and gynaecology, opthalmology, paediatrics, psychiatry, surgery
Non-physician applicants must have obtained the basic specialty professional examination in addition to specific clinical experience and competences to be eligible.
Please view the specialty's person specification for information about the requirements for applying from a non-physician background and the deadlines for when this must be achieved.
Physician trainees can view the standard eligibility criteria as detailed in the am I eligible? section.
Please note that due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, certain recruitment processes have been affected for round 2 ST3 PSRO-coordinated specialties. As a result, the below information on this page is not applicable for this round only and should not be used where the process has changed. Please refer to the applicant guide for the latest information about how round 2 will operate.
Further guidance about the scoring format of interviews will be published to each specialty page and we hope to have this updated by application closing date. Please visit the specialty pages closer to the time for updated information.
Interview content
You will spend approximately 10 minutes at each of the three interview stations, with three-to-five minutes' transfer time between each. Thus the overall time for the clinical genetics interview will be approximately 40-45 minutes.
For details of how scores are awarded at interview, and weighting that is applied subsequently, please see the scoring page of this website.
Communication skills
Implicit in all six areas assessed across the three stations will be an assessment your communication skills - eg of how you would communicate with patients, colleagues, etc. in a given scenario, as well as your communication with interviewers at each station.
Click on the relevant stations below for more information on the content of the interview.
Please note that this is subject to change, and will be confirmed by the date of interview.
This is where your application form and training to date will be reviewed. This will include checking the documentation you have brought along to ensure all content on your application form is correct.
Evidence checking
Normally your evidence folder will have been reviewed by the interviewers immediately prior to your arrival in the station. They will be:
• Checking that your achievements in your evidence folder match that claimed on your application form.
• Considering your career progression to date.
• Identifying areas about which they may wish to question you during the interview.
Areas for assessment
The two main aspects of discussion here, on which you will be assessed, will be your suitability for and commitment to ST3 training in the specialty, and your achievements and engagement with training and learning to date.
Scoring at the station
It is important to recognise that the scores awarded to you at this station will not purely be about your achievements, as this already contributes towards the scoring via your application form. Interviewers will be deciding upon scores via a combination of factors, for example: your responses to the questions asked, the breadth and quality of your achievements and your career progression.
Prior to arriving at station 2, you will be given a clinical and an ethical scenario to review. Upon arrival at the station, you will be asked questions relating to these scenarios.
Each scenario will be relatively brief (two/three sentences), so once you have read both, the remainder of the pre-station time will allow you to undertake some short preparation (just mental preparation - this does not mean making notes, etc.).
Scenario considerations
The clinical scenario will describe a hypothetical clinical situation which have arisen in which you are, or have become, involved. Some points to consider when reviewing the scenarios and preparing for discussion are:
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what steps you would take
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any potential treatments possible
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any further information you would gather
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how you would go about communicating with any people (eg patients, family members, colleagues) involved in the scenario
You should take into account any other factors you deem appropriate, using your experience and professional judgement.
Ethical scenario
The second assessment area here will be a consideration of an ethical scenario. As with the clinical scenario above, this takes the form of a hypothetical situation, described briefly in text form; details on the ethical scenario will also be provided outside of the station.
However, as you would expect this scenario focuses less on a clinical situation, and deals more with consideration of the moral, ethical, legal (etc.) issues which may arise in a particular situation.
Please consider the principles of GMC Good Medical Practice here.
You will be required to give a presentation for the first part of your time at station 3; the second part of this station involves discussion of research & academic medicine.
Presentation
Upon arrival at station 3, you will need to give a presentation on the following topic, for no more than three minutes:
'An interesting recent development / research finding in clinical genetics'
When preparing your presentation, please bear in mind the points below:
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Clarity & relevance most important - The major purpose of this station is to assess communication skills. Thus you should select a topic that is relevant to clinical genetics, and which you can present with clarity. This is more important than trying to impress by choosing a subject that is esoteric or complex. The topic should be relevant to your application where possible.
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No aids/resources - There will be no projectors or laptops for PowerPoint, no OHPs, flip-charts, etc. You are welcome to use prompts on small cards, but these should be for your own use only, and should not be given out as hand-outs.
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Three minute time limit - Your presentation must last for no more than three minutes. Please note that you will be stopped after three minutes so as to allow further discussion to take place, so try and get your main points across before then. At the same time, bear in mind that interviewers will be assessing the level, depth and content of your presentation, as well as expecting some structure.
Interview nerves will be taken into consideration.
Post-presentation discussion
Once your presentation is finished (interviewers will stop you at the three minute-mark), interviewers will discuss it with you and ask further questions relating to the items you raise and any further points.
This discussion will take place for approximately another two to three minutes.
Research & academic medicine discussion
Once your presentation and the subsequent discussion is finished, you will then move onto a general discussion on the subject of research and academic medicine.
No specific preparation will be required of you here, and you will not receive data in advance as you did with the presentation and clinical scenario.
However, we would advise undertaking some general preparation. For example, familiarising yourself with the process by which medical research takes place and progresses, from initial setup to report; as well as any areas of research that interest you, and the challenges, benefits, costs, etc. of research more broadly.
Areas for assessment
The first area for which you will receive a score at station 3 will be your presentation and its accompanying discussion, and the second is on your knowledge, awareness and understanding of medical research.
Time
Station 3 will last for 10 minutes in total. As noted, the presentation should last for no more than three minutes. The remaining time will be split between the presentation discussion and the research/academic medicine discussion, as is necessary.
There is some flexibility in how time will be divided at this station, so interviewers will move on from one subject to the next as appropriate, rather than imposing an absolutely strict time limit.
Establishing appointability
Appointable - automatic
If you are awarded a score of at least 3/5, for all marks given to you at your interview, then you will automatically be classed as appointable.
Not appointable - automatic
If any of the 12 scores awarded to you at interview are 1/5, this will reflect poor performance and an area of major concern.
If three or more of your 12 interview scores are of 2/5, this will reflect several areas of concern across your whole interview.
Should your interview assessment falls under either category above, the level of concern over your potential progression to ST3 will see your application classed automatically as not appointable .
Appointability subject to panel decision
In the event that your 12 interview scores contain one or two marks of 2/5 (and the rest 3/5 or above), your appointability status will be subject to discussion in the post-interview 'wash-up' meeting.
The clinicians who have interviewed you will discuss your general performance during the interview and any concerns or otherwise they have about your application as a whole.
Should they deem it appropriate, your application will be classed as appointable, and you can then be considered for post offers; whereas if they feel their concerns are too substantial for this outcome, they must class your application as not appointable, and it will progress no further in the current recruitment round.
Review vs automatic status
Please note there is no distinction made between candidates judged as appointable automatically, and those classed as appointable on review. Once deemed appointable it is only your overall score which will be used to determine ranking.
Total score calculation
After interview, a weighting is applied to the scores in each area, and a score derived from your application form is then added to give your total score. This score determines your ranking which is used to inform how offers are made. The weighting of different sections, as well as the method by which your total score is established, can be seen by clicking on 'Total score calculation' below.
Please note that this is subject to change, and will be confirmed by the date of interview.
Application score calculation
The initial application score is used to shortlist applications. At interview this specialty reviews achievements from the application form against the re-scoring matrix in the document below to calculate the score which will contribute to the total score.
Whilst some achievements do not directly contribute to the re-scoring matrix, they will form part of the interviewers’ assessment in station 1 when awarding their score. In particular, quality improvement and teaching normally form a major part of the questioning in this station and as such are likely to significantly influence interviewers’ scoring; which will affect both the total score and determination of appointability. Thus these two domains should not be overlooked or considered any less important in any application.
Int. 1 | Int. 2 | Weighting | Max score | |
Station 1 | ||||
Evidence | / 5 | / 5 | x1.6 | / 16 |
Suitability for specialty | / 5 | / 5 | x1.6 | / 16 |
Station 2 | ||||
Clinical scenario | / 5 | / 5 | x1.6 | / 16 |
Ethical scenario | / 5 | / 5 | x0.8 | / 8 |
Station 3 | ||||
Presentation | / 5 | / 5 | x1.2 | / 12 |
Research & academic medicine | / 5 | / 5 | x1.2 | / 12 |
Raw interview score | / 60 | |||
Interview score (including weighting) | / 80 | |||
Evidence score- scored at station 1, based on achievements claimed on the application form | / 20 | |||
Overall assessment score | / 100 |
As part of the process of applying to ST3, you may wish to gain an idea of how recruitment progressed in previous years for the various specialties participating in the nationally-coordinated recruitment.
To this end, we have published data dating back to 2013 (where this is available), based around four main areas:
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Competition ratios - application numbers submitted to each specialty, along with the number of NTN and LAT posts available in each. It is worth noting that posts are subject to change throughout the round (increasing on average between 20-40%), and post numbers for this data are taken at the end of the round.
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Shortlist scores - the scores awarded to all submitted applications, including average scores and distribution nationally.
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Total scores - the total score awarded to all candidates who completed the full recruitment process for a specialty (application and interview), including some analysis of scores.
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Post fill rates - the number of posts filled by region.
We have published information for all specialties participating in our process that year; consequently not all specialties will have data in all cases.
Round 1
Year | Apps. | NTN posts | LAT posts | Total posts | Comp. | Unique* |
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2019 | 27 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 1.9 | 96% |
2018 | 35 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 2.7 | 74% |
2017 | 28 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 2.3 | 79% |
2016 | 30 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 3.0 | 60% |
2015 | 30 | 11 | 5 | 16 | 1.9 | 73% |
* the percentage of unique candidates that only applied to this specialty (out of the 24 PSRO-coordinated specialties)
Round 2
Year | Apps. | NTN posts | LAT posts | Total posts | Comp. |
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2018 | Did not run in round 2 | ||||
2017 | Did not run in round 2 | ||||
2016 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 1.4 |
2015 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 1.0 |
Provisional post numbers
Specialty vacancy numbers are available in the table below, broken down by region and divided between substantive national training number (NTN) and locum appointment for training (LAT) posts.
It is the intention that initial post numbers for all regions will be published prior to the application opening date, although this cannot be guaranteed. Numbers will be updated as and when notifications are received from each region and will be checked later in the round when programme preferences are open for selection.
Numbers subject to change
Please be aware that it is not uncommon for vacancy numbers to change throughout the round.
More commonly, post vacancy numbers can increase as the round goes on (and confirmation of posts becomes available); but it is also possible that numbers can reduce as well. On average post numbers rise between 20-40% from the start to the finish of the round but this can vary greatly for individual specialty/region combinations.
It is possible that regions which do not have a post at the start of the round may declare one after applications have closed. Whilst we try and minimise instances of this, it is not always possible to predict vacancies so even if there appears not to be a vacancy in your preferred specialty/region combination, you may wish to consider applying in case one becomes available during the round; you can check with the region concerned if you wish to check on the likelihood of a post arising.
Generally, once a region enter a post into a round they would always have at least one post available and would only withdraw it in exceptional circumstances.
Round 1 interview dates & posts
Region | NTN posts | LAT posts* | Evidence upload date(s) | Interview date(s) |
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East Midlands | TBC | N/A | TBC |
TBC |
East of England | TBC | N/A | ||
London and KSS |
London TBC KSS TBC |
N/A | ||
North East | TBC | N/A | ||
North West (Joint North West and Mersey programme) |
TBC |
N/A | ||
South West |
Peninsula TBC |
N/A | ||
Severn |
N/A | |||
Thames Valley | TBC | N/A | ||
Wessex | TBC | N/A | ||
West Midlands (lead) | TBC | N/A | ||
Yorkshire & Humber | TBC | N/A | ||
Northern Ireland | TBC | N/A | ||
Scotland** | TBC | TBC | ||
Wales | TBC | TBC |
*English LATs
Please note, English regions do not recruit to LAT posts.
**Scotland post numbers
If you are interested in working in Scotland, a breakdown of post numbers by the four Scottish deaneries is available on the Scottish Medical Training website. This has details of all specialty training post numbers in Scotland, including specialties which are not part of the nationally-coordinated process.
Please note that whilst we endeavour to keep the Physician ST3 recruitment website up to date, the SMT website will always be the more accurate one where they differ.
Interview content
The interview will consist of four questions which range between 5-10 minutes in length. You will be scored by two interviewers on each question.
Including time for questioning and scenario reading, the interview will be approximately 30 minutes.
Communication skills
Implicit in all four areas assessed will be an assessment your communication skills - e.g. of how you would communicate with patients, colleagues, etc. in a given scenario, as well as your communication with interviewers.
Please note that this is subject to change and will be confirmed by the date of interview.
Prior to this question you will be given a clinical scenario and a short while to review it. You will then be asked questions relating to this scenario. This question will last approximately 10 minutes.
The clinical scenario will be relatively brief (two/three sentences), so once you have read this, the remainder of the reading time will allow some short preparation (just mental preparation - this does not mean making notes, etc.).
Clinical scenario considerations
The scenario will describe a hypothetical clinical situation which has arisen in which you are, or have become, involved. Some points to consider when reviewing the scenario and preparing for discussion are:
- what steps you would take
- any management issues
- any further information you would gather
- how you would go about communicating with any people (eg patients, family members, colleagues) involved in the scenario
You should also consider any other factors you deem appropriate, using your experience and professional judgement.
This is where your application form and training to date will be reviewed. Interviewers will ask you questions based on your career, achievements to date and your engagement with training and learning.
It is important to recognise that the scores awarded to you will not purely be about your achievements, as this already contributes towards the scoring via your application form. Interviewers will be deciding upon scores via a combination of factors, for example: your responses to the questions asked, the breadth and quality of your achievements and your career progression.
This question will take approximately 5 minutes.
This question will focus on your suitability for and commitment to ST3 training in the specialty and give you opportunity to expand on the information provided in your application form.
This question will last approximately 5 minutes.
This question will focus on new technologies and their introduction into the NHS. This question will take approximately 5 minutes.
No specific preparation will be required of you here, and you will not receive information in advance as you did with the clinical scenario.
However, we would advise undertaking some general preparation. For example, familiarising yourself with new developments in the specialty and their impact on future service and the challenges, benefits, costs, etc. of research more broadly.
Scoring Framework
The score of 1-5 an interviewer will award you for each assessment area is judged in relation to how well you perform against an expected level. Below is the framework used to award scores at interview, as well as interpretation of what these scores represent:
Mark
|
Rating
|
Assessment
|
1 |
poor |
not considered appointable |
2 |
area for concern |
performed below the level expected; possibly unappointable, subject to discussion and performance in other areas |
3 |
satisfactory |
performed at the level expected during CT2; the candidate is suitable for an ST3 / LAT post |
4 |
good |
above average ability; the candidate is suitable for an ST3 / LAT post |
5 |
excellent |
highly performing trainee; the candidate is suitable for an ST3 / LAT post |
As shown in the table, for each of the question areas at interview, 3/5 is considered a satisfactory score; and reflects the level of performance that would be expected of a trainee ready to progress to a specialty training programme.
Should your performance go above and beyond this expected level, interviewers can award marks of 4/5 or 5/5 as appropriate.
Conversely, should your interview performance not reach the expected level, then interviewers can award marks of 1/5 or 2/5, as reflects their level of concern over your performance.
Appointability
From the eight scores awarded during your interview, an 'appointability' status will be calculated to determine whether you can be considered for an offer.
The intention is to ensure successful candidates can display competence consistently across all areas of assessment covered at interview, rather than allowing outstanding achievement in one or more areas to make up for sub-par performance elsewhere.
Appointability is awarded automatically and is based on two factors: individual interview scores and the 'raw interview score'.
Appointability criteria
To be classed as 'appointable', you must meet three criteria below:
- none of your 8 interview scores can be 1/5
- no more than two of your 8 interview scores can be 2/5
- your RIS must be 24 or above.
If you meet all three requirements, your application will be assessed as appointable, and can progress to be considered for post offers.
However, if you fail to meet any of these requirements, your application must then be assessed as not appointable, and it will progress no further in that round.
Total Score
After interview, a weighting is applied to the scores in each area, as well as your application score.
These scores are then combined to give your total score which determines your ranking, which will in turn be used to inform how offers are made. The weighting of different sections, as well as the method by which your total score is established, is detailed in the table accessible below:
|
Interviewer 1
|
Interviewer 2
|
Weighting
|
Max score
|
Question 1 |
||||
Clinical scenario |
/ 5 |
/ 5 |
TBC |
TBC |
Question 2 |
||||
Application and training |
/ 5 |
/ 5 |
TBC |
TBC |
Question 3 |
||||
Suitability & Commitment |
/ 5 |
/ 5 |
TBC |
TBC |
Question 4 |
||||
Research & service | / 5 | / 5 | TBC | TBC |
Raw interview score |
/ 40 |
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Interview score (w weighting) |
/ 80 |
|||
Application score |
/ 56 |
0.36 |
/ 20.16 |
|
Total score |
/ 100.16 |