Information on how to apply for Higher Training in Forensic Psychiatry can be found via the National ST4 Psychiatry Recruitment page. It is broadly the same process as other Higher Training Programmes in Psychiatry.
The recruitment process takes place twice a year, for start dates in August and February. Applications generally open approximately six months’ prior (in August for the following February, and in February for the upcoming August), with interviews three to four months’ ahead of the expected start date of the post. Exact dates are published on the National ST4 Psychiatry Recruitment page under ‘Current Round’.
Trainees enter Forensic Psychiatry Specialty Training after successfully completing both the Foundation Training Programme (or having evidence of equivalence) and either the Core Psychiatry Training programme or the early years (ST-ST3) of the run-through Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Training programme. Applicants are typically in their final rotation of Core Training or in non-training posts, and will need to have their full MRCPsych at the time of commencing in their Higher Training post. It is not unusual to apply prior to sitting the final membership exam, CASC, and short-listing of applicants for interview then takes place following the release of CASC results.
The application process consists of multiple stages, co-ordinated via Oriel (User Guide). The ST4 Psychiatry Applicant Guide gives further details of the full application process, including key dates, self-assessment scoring information and interview information. The person specification for applicants to Higher Training in Forensic Psychiatry can be found here.
Indicative numbers of how many training posts are likely to be available within the West Midlands for each round of training is on the ‘Current Round’ information page. This usually varies between 0 and 3, depending on the number of trainees due to achieve their CCT and complete training at any given time. The Training Programme Director, Dr Helen Whitworth, will be able to provide the most accurate information regarding the number of likely vacancies within the West Midlands at the time of application.
The region has 12 forensic training posts, 2 dual forensic/general adult posts, 1 forensic CAMHS post and 1 dual forensic medical psychotherapy post.
The application and interview process is currently affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The most up-to-date information can be found here or the National ST4 Psychiatry Recruitment page.