Career Opportunities / Information

It is expected that most Specialist Registrars will obtain their Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training after four and a half years in the grade. The scheme is therefore based on a four and a half year training programme. The first two and a half years are devoted to core curriculum rotations. Placements in this part of the scheme are provided in district general hospitals in Yorkshire and in the two teaching hospital units in Leeds.

Year’s three to five of the scheme is tailored to meet the needs of the chosen subspecialty. A number of posts in the region are suitable for sub specialty training for the general ophthalmologist who wishes to have specialist knowledge in a specific area of ophthalmology. These are placements in several of the larger district general hospitals in the Deanery as well as the regional specialist units at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. General Ophthalmologists will spend their 5th year in a busy DGH acting in a more senior role as a specialty registrar.

In August 2007, there will be a major change in specialist training in the UK as the unified training grade begins. The Curriculum Sub-committee of the Education Committee at The Royal College of Ophthalmologists has carefully devised a new, updated Curriculum to meet the requirements of the new training programmes.

The new Curriculum has been designed to satisfy the requirements of the new Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board, or "PMETB". A draft of the new curriculum as designed by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists a copy of which can be found here.

A few other things you may want to know