Counting Previous Training

There are certain circumstances in which it may be possible for you to have previous training recognised towards your certification, especially if:

  • It was undertaken in training posts educationally approved by the GMC

or

  • You obtained the GMC’s prospective approval for the training post

LAT and previous StR posts may be automatically counted towards your training.

If you would like to have previous training counted, you should discuss this with your local training committee and Training Programme Director (TPD). Once an agreement has been reached, an application for recognition should be sent to the JCST, where your SAC will consider your request.

Applying for SAC recognition

Within your first year of training, you will need to send the following to the JCST:

  • ARCP or Trainee Assessment Forms covering the whole period
  • Validated consolidated logbook (stating the exact dates it covers, which will be those of the previous training, and signed by your TPD)
  • Up to date CV
  • Evidence that the post was GMC approved or confirmation that the training was in GMC approved slots
  • A letter of support from your current TPD

Please note that the information supplied above should cover all LATs being counted towards training, even those previously counted automatically.

If you have undertaken training elsewhere within the European Economic Area (EEA) it will be recognised by the GMC as an approved training post, providing that you submit evidence showing that the posts had the approval of the competent authority in the country concerned. Further information about the competent European authorities can be found here.

Automatic Recognition of LAT post

All relevant LAT posts of 3 months or more will automatically count towards training where satisfactory progress is confirmed within the first year in the numbered training programme or by the first ARCP. A maximum of 12 months will usually be recognised. This has been the case since 1 October 2012.

Trainees will be given the opportunity to opt out of this initial automatic recognition within their first year in the numbered training post with the support of their Training Programme Director and/or Deanery/LETB. If you do not want your LAT to count then, within your first year of training, your TPD must write a letter to the JCST which clearly states the dates of the LAT and why it should not count towards training.

Once a LAT post has been recognised, that recognition cannot be withdrawn or retracted after you have completed the first year in the training programme.

Please read our LAT guidance here.

Please note that no LATs can be counted towards Vascular Surgery specialty training.

Automatic Recognitions of StR post

All relevant previous StR posts will automatically count towards training where satisfactory progress is confirmed.

Trainees will be given the opportunity to opt out of this initial automatic recognition within their first year in the numbered training post with the support of their Training Programme Director and/or Deanery/LETB. If you do not want your StR posts to count then, within your first year of training, your TPD must write a letter to the JCST which clearly states the dates of the StR posts and why it should not count towards training.

Once a StR post has been recognised, that recognition cannot be withdrawn or retracted after you have completed the first year in the training programme.

Please note that we will NOT recognise previous approved posts after the first year in the numbered training programme or the first ARCP.