How to Get into: Anaesthetics ST4

Courses & Conferences

I would highly recommend targeting the points on the application with this section. Including simulation courses, advanced life support (APLS, ATLS) and courses related to any other part of anaesthesia. The self-assessment guidance continuously changes, but at the moment the maximum points include 3 courses (1 more than one day, 1 national, 1 related to simulation/regional anaesthesia.

How to Maximise Your Portfolio

Look at the application points well in advance! Try to work together with colleagues/friends to maximise projects and share workload. Target the high-yield points. Teaching-Try and organise some sort of regional teaching programme, whether this be simple cannulation skills for Foundation doctors or even medical students, or other programmes for anaesthetic trainees. Start planning early, as it takes time to put a programme into place. QI/Audit-try and take part in a project at any opportunity and lead at least 1. Once complete, make sure you submit to a conference. Even if you do not think it is good, it most likely will get accepted somewhere, and there is no harm in trying! Research is the other area that a lot of candidates find tricky to get points; however, there should be a goal to get the minimum points, which is data collection in a project. Get in contact with your research department early, even if this means data collection for a week; it still counts. If you don’t ask, you won't get! Finally, with Research/Audit/Qi. As well as submitting it to conferences, you can submit it to get published in journals. It is always worth having a go.

Making the Most of Your Day Job

Getting through training is tough as it is! Never mind trying to tick off application points simultaneously. There are things that you can do during your normal training that can count for both. Such as taking part in an audit/QIP will tick off multiple boxes for your ARCP and also get points on the application. This is the same for multiple sections. Work as a team with your colleagues. Share the load of projects so you can get the most amount on your CV, whilst not burning yourself out. No matter what speciality you’re working in, the projects you get involved in will count towards the anaesthetic application. The application doesn’t require specific anaesthetic/ICU projects, which works in everyone’s favour. It may seem hard, but get involved in a new project right at the beginning of a new rotation. This allows for time to complete it and also will give you extra time to submit it to conferences or journals if applicable.

Making the Most of Anaesthetics ST4 Placements

If you are lucky to get an anaesthetic/ICU rotation as a foundation trainee, definitely make the most of it by finding out about the training programme, speaking to trainees to see what they like/dislike about the speciality and also getting involved in projects. Most anaesthetic trainees have time to get involved in projects either during theatre time or in breaks, try to work with some of the registrars/SHOs to help out and get your name on posters/publications. Finally get some interview practice! You will have one time with anaesthetic trainees or consultants (I am biased, but you don’t get this in any other speciality), get them to ask you questions they got given or test you on your CV.

What About Non-Anaesthetics ST4 Placements?

Don’t forget that as an Anaesthetist, you are expected to have a really broad range of knowledge and understanding of other specialities and procedures, ranging from Interventional procedures with Radiology, to OGDs with Gastroenterology, to working with every single surgical speciality; therefore, it's important to mop up all the experience you can when working in different specialities. The experience you get and the knowledge you gain will inevitably make you a better Anaesthetist!

Top 3 Tips for Getting Into Anaesthetics ST4

Start looking at the application points early.
You can massively increase your score even at the F1 level
Learning from Consultants & Trainees
Speak to Consultants/Trainee Anaesthetists early to figure out how the training works, what they like/dislike about the job. They will ask you questions testing your knowledge about the training program in the interview, so the more information you have, the better you will fare!
Collaboration in Practice
Anaesthetists like to ask for help and work well in teams, remember to do this in every speciality you work in! It will come across well in your future career and set you up perfectly for the interview. From clinical work to projects, it will all be beneficial in the long term.