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FRCS Part III Exam

The essential regulations are given below:

  1. The candidate must hold a medical qualification recognised for registration by the General Medical Council or the Medical Council of Ireland and must have been qualified for at least seven years.
  2. The candidate must satisfy the current requirements for entry to an approved higher surgical training programme in Great Britain or Ireland.
  3. The candidate must have completed satisfactorily four years of higher training in the specialty acceptable to the relevant Board.
    1. A Type 1 trainee, who is training with a view to the award of the Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training (CCST) by the Specialist Training Authority of the United Kingdom, the Certificate of Specialist Doctor (CSD) or Specialist Registration with the Medical Council of Ireland, must have enrolled with the relevant Specialist Advisory Committee (SAC) and completed the above four years of training within a programme approved by the SAC. A satisfactory fourth-year clinical assessment form(s) covering this year of training and the appropriate declaration form signed by the Programme Director will be required.
    2. A Type 2 trainee (i.e not eligible for CCST) must be registered with the relevant Specialist Advisory Committee (SAC) and must have spent at least one of the above four years in a training programme in Great Britain or Ireland approved by the relevant SAC. This mandatory clinical year must offer experience equating to fourth-year level within the specialist registrar grade. The trainee must obtain written confirmation from their trainer that the training will be at fourth-year specialist registrar level. A satisfactory fourth-year clinical assessment form(s) covering this year of training and the appropriate declaration form signed by the Programme Director will be required. Any other training completed in Great Britain and Ireland counting towards the examination must have been in posts approved by the relevant SAC. For consideration of training undertaken outwith Great Britain and Ireland the SAC will require supporting documentation at the time of registration.


      Note:Type 2 trainees will not be eligible for the award of CCST and passing the examination, in itself, will not automatically entitle a trainee to enter a type 1 training programme.
  4. From 1st January 2003 candidates will be limited to three attempts at the examination after which they must seek specific counselling, re-training where necessary and the written support of the Postgraduate Dean and Programme Director in order to resit again. Attempts prior to January 2003 will not be counted.

    Please note that with effect from September 2002, candidates who are successful in the Intercollegiate Specialty Examination will be eligible for election to, or award of, the Fellowship of the College to which they are affiliated. Successful
    candidates who are not affiliated to one of the four Surgical Royal Colleges of Great Britain and Ireland (i.e. who do not hold the FRCS or MRCS/AFRCS) may apply to one of the four Surgical Royal Colleges for election to, or award of, the Fellowship.
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