What does your specialty involve?
How do I get into your specialty?
How do I make myself competitive at Foundation and/or Core Training to get into your specialty?
What personal attributes do I need for your specialty?
How competitive is it to get a training post?
How long is the training after FY2 to CCT?
What postgraduate examinations will I need to work for during training?
Do I need to pass any postgraduate examinations at Core level to get into "run-through"?
Is your specialty stressful?
What are the best and worst aspects of your specialty?
I would like to have a family - is that possible while training in this specialty?
Is there any chance of Less Than Full Time Training in your specialty?
Is full time research mandatory duting training?
Are the hours anti-social?
What tips can you give on starting and advancing in your specialty?
What are the chances of a Consultant post after CCT?
What is the dropout rate during training?
Can I spend some of my time training abroad?
Can I work part time or job share as a Consultant?
Where can I get the best information about your specialty and the training programme locally and nationally?  

What does your specialty involve?

Intensive Care Medicine involves looking after the sickest patients, providing multiorgan support and  therapeutic interventions, which cannot be provided elsewhere in the hospital. Patients are referred to intensive care because the levels of organ support and expertise of nursing and medical care which they require because of their illness cannot be provided at ward level. Most patients require mechanical ventilation and other organ support including inotropes, dialysis, and invasive monitoring.

Intensive care medicine involves looking after patients of all ages, with a very wide range of medical and surgical problems.  The majority of patients who are referred to intensive care are admitted as emergencies, and so the job can be very unpredictable.

Intensive care medicine is also involved in providing outreach services to hospital wards.

Intensive Care Medicine is a specialty which overlaps many medical and surgical disciplines.  Therefore, it requires a broad medical knowledge.   It also requires being able to work as part of  team, but also having leadership skills,  and having excellent communication skills.  [back to top]

How do I get into your specialty?

Intensive care medicine training must be undertaken in conjunction with the training programme of a parent specialty.  These parent specialties are (i) anaesthesia, (ii) an acute medical or surgical specialty, and (iii) emergency medicine. 

Entry occurs following a competitive interview.  Entry can occur during the first five years of a parent specialty training programme.  A dual CCT is awarded by GMC in your parent specialty and ICM.  [back to top]

How do I make myself competitive at Foundation and/or Core Training to get into your specialty?

You cannot enter the training programme immediately following Foundation training.  You must obtain a training post in a parent specialty before you are eligible to apply.  You can however do attachments in ICM both during Foundation training and/or core training.  This experience may help you decide whether you wish to pursue a career in ICM.  As entry into the specialty is by competitive interview, having shown an interest in ICM is advantageous.  This could be done by asking to do an attachment in intensive care, or attend ICM meetings. It would also be important to develop a strong CV by completing audits, developing teaching skills, and by giving presentations and presenting posters at professional meetings.  [back to top]

What personal attributes do I need for your specialty?

You need to be dedicated to caring for sick patients and enjoy the challenges provided. You need to be able to work in unpredictable and rapidly changing clinical circumstances. For this, you need to have a cool head. You need to be a team-worker and be able to work as part of a multidisciplinary team,  have excellent communication skills and you need to have leadership skills.  [back to top]

How competitive is it to get a training post?

Entry into the training programme is competitive.  There are always more applicants than posts.  However, as you can apply during the first five years of a training programme, you may have several opportunities to apply.  [back to top]

How long is the training after FY2 to CCT?

The duration of training depends on your parent specialty.  To obtain a dual CCT, as well as your parent specialty’s requirements, you must undergo 21 months of intensive care training [3 months basic, 6 months intermediate, and 12 months advanced], as well as 6 months complementary training which depends on you parent specialty.  Anaesthesia trainees require 6 months medicine, while 6 months training in anaesthesia is necessary for trainees in emergency medicine, or acute medical or surgical specialties. 

For trainees whose parent specialty is anaesthesia, unless they have done medicine prior to entering the anaesthesia programme, their total training will be extended by a minimum of 6 months, as ICM training can be integrated into their anaesthesia training.  For trainees from all other parent specialties, total training may be prolonged by up to 27 months, as ICM training is not usually incorporated into their parent specialty training programme.

All training requirements will be provided by the deanery.  [back to top]

What postgraduate examinations will I need to work for during training?

You will need to pass the professional examinations of your parent specialty, as well as obtain a postgraduate diploma in ICM.  This examination is usually taken during the year of advanced training.  [back to top]

Do I need to pass any PG examinations at Core level to get into ‘run through’?

No examinations are mandatory in order to gain entry into the critical care training programme, however, you would be expected to at least have passed the first part of your parent specialty’s exam.  [back to top]

Is your specialty stressful?

Managing critically ill patients is very challenging, but also very rewarding.  Patients’ conditions can fluctuate very quickly and, at times, unpredictably.  On occasions, the job can also be emotionally demanding.  [back to top]

What are the best and worst aspects of your specialty?

The best aspects of ICM include the ability to provide high levels of therapeutic interventions to patients which cannot be provided elsewhere in the hopsital, seeing patients with a high mortality risk survive and walk back in to visit ICU several months later, and working with a multidisciplinary team who are dedicated to providing high level care to patients and their families.
The worst aspects of ICM include the very unpredictable workload, the pressure on intensive care services, and dealing with cases that do not have the succesful outcome you had hoped for.  [back to top]

I would like to have a family –is that possible while training in this specialty?

Yes  [back to top]

Is there any chance of Less Than Full Time Training in your specialty?

Yes  [back to top]

Is full time research mandatory during training?

No.  Currently, no time spent in full time research can count towards the ICM CCT.  However, full time research may count towards the parent specialty CCT.  [back to top]

Are the hours anti-social?

Critically ill patients present at any time during the 24 hour period, so the workload is very unpredictable.  They also get sick at weekends!  [back to top]

What tips can you give on starting and advancing in your specialty?

Be sure that you are the sort of person who can cope with the demands of a career in ICM.  It is very important to speak to the specialty advisor in your parent specialty as well as the ICM Regional Advisor.  [back to top]

What are the chances of a Consultant post after CCT?

The chances of getting a consultant post are excellent.  ICM is a developing specialty, and there are always growing demands for patients to be treated in intensive care.  [back to top]

What is the dropout rate during training?

Very low.  [back to top]

Can I spend some of my time training abroad?

Six months of training abroad can be recognised during  advanced training.  All other training in intensive care outside the U.K. will not be recognised for CCT.  [back to top]

Can I work part time or job share as a Consultant?

Yes  [back to top]

Where can I get the best information about your specialty and the training programme locally and nationally?

Training in the specialty is organised by the Intercollegiate Board for Training in Intensive Care Medicine.  Their website is www.ibticm.org .  The regional specialty advisor for Northern Ireland is Dr Paul Glover (Paul.Glover@belfasttrust.hscni.net).   [back to top]