Latest Guidance on Applying for Acceleration of CCT Date
Most postgraduate medical curricula are set out with an indicative timeframe. This allows understanding of the likely time required to complete the curricular requirements and attain a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT). The reality is that the majority of trainees take longer than the indicative time for multiple reasons including less than full time working, statutory leave, periods out of programme and extensions of training to allow completion of competencies.
A small number of trainees may however acquire their competencies at a faster pace and in agreement with their trainers, feel that it is in their interests to apply for an early CCT date. There are many factors to consider when deciding if this is the correct move. There may be a strong desire to move on to a consultant or GP role or post CCT fellowship training but this should only happen when the trainee and trainers can be absolutely confident that a trainee is ready to do so. Being in a training programme should provide many advantages such as close supervision and support which may not be as readily accessible after exiting training. The opportunity to develop further skills or knowledge, or funding to do so, out with a training programme can be limited and relies upon the priorities of employers. It should also be remembered that curricular competencies should be seen as the minimum required for CCT and many people benefit from more experience prior to taking up consultant or GP posts.
The Scotland Deanery has recently published updated guidance on the process for applying to accelerate a CCT date. It can be found via this link:
The broad principles of the process are that a trainee requires the support of their educational supervisor and TPD. It is essential that this support is sought more than a month prior to the ARCP to allow time for careful consideration. The ARCP panel will then decide, based upon the evidence in the trainee’ portfolio if an early CCT is appropriate. This recommendation will then be passed to the Postgraduate Dean who will make the final decision. In order to avoid unacceptable disruption to programmes and fellow trainees, a CCT date will not normally be brought forward to less than 6 months after the ARCP. This allows time to plan for replacing the trainee. It would also be extremely unusual for a CCT date to be brought forward by more than 12 months’ whole time equivalent. This is because any competencies attained prior to joining the programme should have been taken into account at the trainee’s first ARCP with any appropriate adjustment made to their CCT at that, early stage, in their training programme. The process, outlined in the link above, refers to adjusting a CCT date to recognise competencies gained during the training programme. This would almost never be so rapid as to reduce training time by more than 12 months in a 4-6 year specialty programme. Similarly, accelerating CCT dates in short, core programmes is a consideration that can only be made at the ARCP at the end of year one. Requests for ad hoc ARCPs to be held to consider applications for early CCTs will not usually be facilitated so trainees should base plans for requesting early CCTs around the standard ARCP calendar.
This process helps trainees to move on to the next stage of their careers at the correct point and avoid remaining in a training programme if that is no longer needed. This is consistent with training to a competency-based curriculum which recognises that learners attain knowledge and skills at different rates and allows a more bespoke approach to meeting training needs.
Mr Alastair Murray, Deputy Postgraduate Dean