A Description of the Programme

The region is split into north and south regions for clinical oncology training. West Midlands North trainees rotate between University Hospital North Midlands, Stoke, Royal Shrewsbury, New Cross Wolverhampton and University Hospital Birmingham. West Midlands South trainees rotate to Worcester Royal Infirmary, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire and University Hospital Birmingham. 

Training lasts for 5 years in total. Half of the time on the rotation is usually in Birmingham and the other half shared across the other hospitals in your selected half of the region. 

The registrars rotate between hospitals every 6 months (changing in May and November) and change cancer speciality site at the same time.

Each post will focus on two or three cancer sites e.g. breast and gynaecological malignancies so allowing knowledge and skill to develop across the curriculum.
 

Availability of Posts in the Region
There are 43 full time equivalent posts in the region – trainees who are less than full time either slot share or are less than full time in a full time post. 

The posts are as follows:

  • Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham – 16
     
  • University Hospital Coventry – 7
     
  • New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton – 7
     
  • University Hospital North Midlands, Stoke – 5
     
  • Royal Shrewsbury - 5
     
  • Worcester Royal – 5

Additional Training Opportunities
There are plenty of opportunities for clinical audit, quality improvement projects and reseach projects as well as the opportunity for “Out of Programme” research or clinical experience to further develop knowledge and skills. 

There are also many opportunities to teach in a variety of settings –in clinic/on the wards, small group tutorials, formal teaching programmes (e.g. Core Medical Training), lecturing (e.g. the Masters Programme) at University of Birmingham.