Choosing which specialty to train in is one of the biggest and hardest decisions doctors make. Often this decision is based off hearsay, and snatched conversations from older peers, with very little evidence-based decision making in the process. This can inevitably lead to making the wrong choices. With applications now open for CT1/ ST1, Messly is here to help you.

CT1/ST1 Applications are now open! We at Messly are here to help you make the smartest, evidence-based choices for your specialty training programmes. With this in mind, we have written a 5-minute guide to completing your applications and how Messly can help if you’re still not sure what you want to apply to.

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Messly’s Guide to CT1/ST1 Applications

1) Register with Oriel

Register for the application process here (see here for a guide to using oriel). Complete all the registration information such as personal details and employment history as these will then be saved and auto-completed on any applications you begin.

2) Find and apply to vacancies

You can find vacancies on Oriel by clicking the Vacancies tab. You can apply to as many specialty training programmes as you like, however you can only make one application to ACCSAM/CMT in each round. You can order the regions you prefer for each application.

Every section of the application form must be completed before it is submitted. You can find more support in completing the application forms on the Royal Colleges’ websites and the national leads for specialty recruitment. The person specifications for posts are available here. Below is a list of clickable links to the national leads for each specialty.

Speciality Application Links

(ACCS) Acute Medicine
(ACCS) Anaesthesia
(ACCS) Emergency Medicine*
Anaesthesia (Core)
Core Medical Training
Broad based training (Wales only)
Core Psychiatry Training*

Surgical Specialties

Core Surgical Training*
Cardiothoracic Surgery*
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery*
Neurosurgery

Run-Through Specialties

Clinical Radiology*
General Practice
Histopathology*
Obstetrics and Gynaecology*
Ophthalmology
Paediatrics
Public Health*

*For these programmes in Northern Ireland, the lead for recruitment can be found here.

3) Submit your application

Make sure you double check that you are happy with your application before clicking submit as you cannot make changes after submission. You will receive a confirmation email after submission which can also be seen in the ‘My Messages’ section on Oriel. The application status in the ‘My Applications’ section on Oriel will also be updated from ‘In progress’ to ‘Applied’.  The dates for interview offers and job offers vary according to each specialty and you should be able to see these on the national recruitment webpages for each specialty in the links above.

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