Gastroenterology Registrar training information

Welcome to Gastroenterology Training in the Northern Deanery!
Well done on securing your place in the Gastroenterology training programme. This guide has been created to give you a clear overview of the training process and provide you with useful tips to help you get started and make the most of your time in the programme.


Disclaimer

The information below was correct to the best of my knowledge at the time of writing, but it may change at any time. Please check the relevant websites for the most recent updates.

Trainee Self-Administration

  • You can now add and edit your own posts on your ePortfolio. This means you are responsible for entering details about each placement, such as dates, grade, and supervisors.
  • The JRCPTB has produced a guide and video on how to manage posts as a trainee; click here for more information.
  • If you experience technical problems (e.g. functionality not working), contact the JRCPTB support team.

Training Board (JRCPTB)

  • All necessary assessment forms (similar to those in internal medicine training) are found here.
  • For your ARCP, you must have two separate Educational Supervisor Reports: one for General Internal Medicine (GIM) and another for Gastroenterology. You can find these reports on your ePortfolio.

The Joint Advisory Group on GI Endoscopy (JAG)

Register with JETS

  • JAG plays a broad role in ensuring quality for endoscopy training and services across the UK.
  • All endoscopy trainees must register with JETS, the ePortfolio system where all endoscopic procedures are logged.
  • Registration is done online. Some Trusts may use the National Endoscopy Database (NED), which can automatically upload procedure data from your local reporting system to the ePortfolio, saving you from entering it twice.
  • Speak to the endoscopy administrator at your Trust to find out if this automatic upload is in place.

Recommended Registration

British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG)

  • Consider becoming a BSG trainee member as soon as possible.
  • Membership includes a monthly copy of GUT (a high-impact journal) and discounted rates for the annual BSG conference.
  • The BSG publishes many helpful national guidelines (free to download from the website).
  • The trainee section runs an annual management skills workshop at a significant discount for members, with travel expenses covered, as well as annual education days.

Royal College of Physicians (RCP)

  • Many of you may already be Collegiate Members after passing the MRCP.
  • As a Specialty Registrar (StR), membership is voluntary, but you can include the JRCPTB enrolment fee in the cost.
  • Benefits include receiving the Journal of Clinical Medicine and free access to the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme, which may be helpful around the time of your Penultimate Year Assessment (PYA).

Your First Post

  • Nationally, rotations change every year on the first Monday in September, and you should also know your end date at that Trust. If you are unsure, contact the Gastroenterology Training Programme Director (TPD) immediately.
  • Get in touch with your new consultants promptly to arrange any leave, as typically 6-8 weeks’ notice is required to avoid cancelling clinics or lists at short notice.
  • At the start of your post, ensure you have both a general Trust induction and a departmental/endoscopy unit induction.
  • You should be assigned an Educational Supervisor (one of the Consultant Gastroenterologists). Arrange a meeting with them within your first two weeks (or earlier, if possible) to go over your training needs.
    • If you have had a previous ARCP, bring any recommendations to this meeting.
    • Ideally, prepare a Personal Development Plan (PDP) beforehand for discussion.
  • Plan further meetings during the placement, including an end-of-placement or pre-ARCP review. You should do this for each placement throughout your training.

The Post Content and Timetable

Each rotation post should ideally include:

  1. Outpatients:
    • ST4-5: 2–3 clinics per week with direct consultant supervision (clinic cancelled if consultant is away).
    • ST5+: 2–3 clinics per week with indirect consultant supervision (consultant is available within 5 working days if they are away; a nominated consultant should be in the hospital on the day of clinic).
    • Aim for 30 minutes per new patient and 15 minutes per follow-up.
    • You must ensure the clinic is cancelled if you are away or on call.
  2. Endoscopy:
    • Aim for at least 20 training lists in a year.
    • Ideally attend 1–2 service lists (these help build experience).
  3. Ward rounds:
    • 2–3 per week, including at least one consultant-led and one StR-led.
  4. Multidisciplinary meetings (e.g. X-ray, histology, oncology, surgery, IBD, upper GI) as available locally.
  5. Grand round when available.

The Curricula

  • You can find both the Gastroenterology and General Internal Medicine curricula on the JRCPTB website.
  • For Gastroenterology 2022, see this link.
  • Further details on advanced training posts are to be confirmed (TBC).

External CPD Resources

These resources can be used if you are short on external training days (for instance, if you frequently have on-call or night shifts, making it hard to attend GIM training days).

The National Endoscopy Training Programme

All endoscopy courses can be found and booked via the JETS website.

Courses and Recommended Timing

  • Basic Skills in UGI Endoscopy – Recommended in ST4
  • Basic Skills in Colonoscopy – Mandatory if training in colonoscopy (ST5)
  • Basic Skills in Therapeutic GI Endoscopy – Often around 500–1000 procedures completed, typically in ST5.
  • Basic Skills in ERCP – Recommended in ST6–7 if you plan to train in ERCP.
  • Teaching the Teachers / Train the Trainers in Endoscopy – Recommended in ST6–7.
  • ALS updates – Every four years, for all.
  • Management course – Mandatory for everyone.

There is a study leave budget for these mandatory courses. Fill out forms on Accent Expenses and submit for approval on Easy Expenses.

National Meetings

Assessments

Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP)

  • Conducted each year by the Northern Gastroenterology Training Committee plus a GIM Training Committee representative.
  • Your first ARCP is about one year after entering ST4.
  • You will receive separate emails with ARCP dates from the postgraduate school.
  • In the early years, the ARCP panel will review:
    • Competency assessment tools (DOPS, mini-CEX, MSF).
    • Your endoscopy and GIM patient portfolios.
    • Training day and course attendance.
    • Post(s) summary and completed forms.
  • More information is on the Deanery website under Gastroenterology assessment.
  • Remember: You must complete two separate Educational Supervisor Reports—one for GIM and one for Gastroenterology.
  • The decision process follows the JRCPTB handbook.
  • Decision aids for GIM and Gastroenterology are available here.

Penultimate Year Assessment (PYA)

  • Occurs 12–18 months before your CCT date.
  • Similar to an ARCP, but reviews all your training from ST4 onwards.
  • Conducted by an external Gastroenterology TPD, plus other panel members.
  • A final CCT date is agreed.
  • You will need:
    • A CV
    • A summary of all specialty experience (posts)
    • All WPBAs/ePortfolio entries
    • An endoscopy portfolio summary
    • Your training requirements for the remaining time
    • A summary of your achievements
  • Note: There is a separate PYA for GIM and Gastroenterology.

Endoscopy E-Portfolio

  • JAG has developed an Endoscopy e-Portfolio (via the JETS website) to support trainee certification.
  • You can log all endoscopic procedures, which generates performance data to track progress.
  • You can print summaries for ARCP and fill out JAG-approved DOPS forms electronically.
  • It also allows anonymous feedback on trainers and helps you set up a Personal Development Plan (PDP).
  • If you already have a JETS account, your login details remain the same.
  • If you are new to JETS, you will receive login details by email and be asked to grant your Trust access to your portfolio.
  • If you forget your details or have technical problems, email [email protected].
  • Some Trusts also use NED (National Endoscopy Database), which automatically uploads procedures to JETS. Check locally if this applies to you.

Acute GIM Portfolio

  • You need evidence of direct patient care (clerking, examining, investigating) for roughly 300 patients per year on the general medical take (about 1,000 over three years).
  • Keep a record (e.g. a printout of admission data), discuss with your Educational Supervisor, and record in a log book.
  • Your ES should sign off on these numbers; the STC Chair/TPD may also countersign.
  • There is a calculator to help you work out how many patients you see on an on-call shift.
  • Make sure this is completed and signed before your ARCP.

Exams

European Specialty Examination in Gastroenterology and Hepatology (ESEGH)

  • Usually announced around December, with the exam held in April usually around £700 ( atleast its your last one right?). See latest information and book here
  • Ideally attempt in ST5 to allow up to three attempts if needed.
  • You must attempt it at least once before the PYA and pass before CCT.
  • The exam blueprint is based on the Gastroenterology curriculum; see this blueprint.
  • On passing ESEGH, you gain the post-nominal Cert. RCP (UK) (Gastroenterology). After a successful CCT and having MRCP(UK), you can apply for MRCP (Gastroenterology).

Recommended Study Materials

  • BSG and EASL guidelines
  • Sleisenger and Fordtran review book
  • Multiple question banks (e.g. BMJ OnExamination, StudyPRN, Oxford Best of Five)

Training Committee

  • Each Trust has a nominated training lead.
  • There are two trainee representatives: one full-time rep (currently Khurum Hakeem) and one less-than-full-time rep (currently Nauman Bakhtiar).
  • They attend training committee meetings to represent trainee views.
  • Please contact me if there are any issues you wish to raise – email [email protected]

Study Leave

  • You receive 30 days of study leave annually, which must cover both GIM and Gastroenterology training days.
  • Exam fees cannot be claimed.
  • Funding and time off are available for courses essential for the curriculum.

Out of Programme (OOP)

  • You can apply for time Out of Programme (e.g. research, acting up as a consultant, a fellow post) with TPD approval.
  • Types of OOP include:
    • OOPR (Research)
    • OOPE (Clinical experience in a different setting)
    • OOPC (Career break)
    • OOPT (Approved training post by GMC)

Who is Who

  • Educational Supervisor: A trained consultant (usually a Gastroenterologist) responsible for overseeing your education during one or more placements.
  • Training Programme Director (TPD): Manages specialty training programmes, organises ARCPs, helps manage trainees in difficulty, and works with the Postgraduate Dean.
  • Specialist Advisory Committee (SAC): A committee under the Royal Colleges/JRCPTB that advises on specialty training, writes/reviews curricula, provides external assessors for PYAs, and recommends CCTs.
  • Postgraduate Deanery: Implements specialty training according to GMC-approved curricula. Works with Colleges/Faculties and local healthcare providers to manage training quality.
  • Joint Advisory Group on GI Endoscopy (JAG): Funded by the Royal Colleges to set endoscopy standards, accredit endoscopy units, handle endoscopist accreditation, and maintain training and nursing standards.

Updated on: [Date of your update]

Please check the official websites for any changes or further information.

Other useful websites not previously mentioned
Organisations
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases 
American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) 
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE)
British Association for Study of the Liver (BASL)
European Association for the study of the Liver (EASL)
United European Gastroenterology Federation (UEGF)


Endoscopy

GIEQs https://www.gieqs.com/index.php
e-Endoscopy – evolving online endoscopy training programme developed by the JAG and e-Learning for Healthcare (e-LfH) providing core knowledge and educational support modern endoscopic practice.
British Soceity of Gastroenterology
Endoscopy Atlas
Gastro Atlas
Atlas (German)
St Marks Online Colonoscopy course