Certification Guidelines and Checklists
**This webpage is no longer being updated. Trainees and trainers should refer to the current curriculum for the latest information. From August 2021, there will be new curricula. Further information is available on the ISCP website.**
Each of the SACs has produced a set of certification guidelines to identify what a trainee will normally be expected to have achieved during their training programme. The guidelines cover such aspects of training as: clinical and operative experience; operative competency; research; quality improvement; and management and leadership. The guidelines can be accessed via the links below.
Trainees and trainers should use the guidelines to inform decisions about the experiences trainees need to gain during their training programme. Trainees will be monitored throughout their training to ensure they are receiving appropriate exposure to all aspects of training and some of the SACs have set benchmarking guidelines for use at ST4 and ST6 ARCPs. These will help to ensure that any necessary remedial action can be taken in a timely manner so that trainees can meet the overall guidelines by the time of their certification.
For the majority of surgical specialties, the guidelines are advisory and will be implemented flexibly by the SACs to ensure that no trainees, particularly those in the later stages of their training, are inappropriately disadvantaged at the time of their certification. However, the guidelines are included within the approved curricula for ENT and General Surgery.
All surgical speciality curriculum is managed by the ISCP Management Committee. For further information, please contact helpdesk@iscp.ac.uk.
For any other queries, please contact the QA Team on qa@jcst.org.
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Core Surgical Training
General Surgery
- Certification Guidelines for General Surgery (2017/18)
- Benchmarking guidelines for ST4 trainees in General Surgery
- Benchmarking guidelines for ST6 trainees in General Surgery
- Certification checklist for General Surgery (trainee)
- Critical conditions for General Surgery
Otolaryngology
- Certification Guidelines for Otolaryngology (2017/18)
- Benchmarking guidelines for ST6 trainees in Otolaryngology
- Index emergency procedures for Otolaryngology
- Certification CV and logbook submission guidelines
- Certification checklist for Trainees and Liaison Members
Neurosurgery
- Certification Guidelines for Neurosurgery (2017/18)
- Penultimate year assessment checklist for Neurosurgery
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
- Certification Guidelines for OMFS (2017/18)
- Penultimate year assessment checklist for OMFS
- Indicative logbook numbers for OMFS
- Certification checklist for trainees
- Pre-ARCP checklist for OMFS
- Global objectives for OMFS
- Recommended courses for OMFS
- Liaison Member information sheet for OMFS
Paediatric Surgery
- Certification Guidelines for Paediatric Surgery (2017/18)
- Indicative Trajectory Index Case Numbers for Paediatric Surgery
- Penultimate year assessment checklist for Paediatric Surgery
- Benchmarking guidelines for ST4 trainees in Paediatric Surgery
- Benchmarking guidelines for ST6 trainees in Paediatric Surgery
- Certification document review
Plastic Surgery
- Certification Guidelines for Plastic Surgery (2017/18)
- Benchmarking guidelines for ST4 trainees in Plastic Surgery
- Benchmarking guidelines for ST6 trainees in Plastic Surgery
- Certification checklist for Trainees
Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery
- Certification Guidelines for Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery (2017/18)
- Updated guidance to the 2017/18 Certification Guidelines
- Waypoint assessment for ST4 trainees in Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
- Waypoint assessment for ST6 trainees in Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
- Penultimate year assessment checklist for Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
Urology
- Certification Guidelines for Urology (2017/18)
- Benchmarking guidelines for ST4 trainees in Urology
- Certification checklist for Liaison Members
- Paediatric experience guidance for Urology trainees