Welcome to the SAS Career Development Programme

Supporting Specialty, Associate Specialist and Specialist (SAS) doctors 

The SAS Career Development Programme provides structured support to help SAS doctors develop their skills, extend their roles, and progress in their careers. 

Each year, we deliver a programme of events, training, workshops, webinars and eLearning, designed to enhance your professional development and support your ongoing learning needs. 

To support appraisal, revalidation, and applications for Specialist posts or the Portfolio Pathway, our courses are mapped to the nine domains of the GMC Generic Capabilities Framework, helping you gather and structure relevant evidence. 

We encourage you to explore and make full use of the resources available on the NIMDTA SAS Career Development pages.

Click here to meet the SAS Career Development Team! 

SAS Career Development Guide & Calendar 

Click the images above to access the NIMDTA SAS Career Development Guide and Calendar, and stay up to date with all aspects of the programme

SAS Professional Development Fund 

The SAS Development Fund supports individual applications for bespoke development projects. Funding may be used to develop new clinical skills or enhance existing ones, enabling SAS doctors to extend their roles and improve services where funding is not otherwise available through local study leave budgets. 

Click here for more information 

About SAS Doctors and Dentists in Northern Ireland 

There are approximately 800 Specialty, Associate Specialist and Specialist (SAS) doctors and dentists working across Health and Social Care (HSC) Northern Ireland, representing around 15% of the medical workforce. 

SAS doctors and dentists work across all specialties. To enter a SAS role, individuals must have completed a minimum of four years’ postgraduate experience, including at least two years in the relevant specialty. In Northern Ireland, the SAS workforce is highly experienced, with many SAS doctors and dentists having over 20 years’ experience in their specialty. 

SAS Career Development Pathways 

Modern medical careers are becoming more flexible and varied. Portfolio careers are increasingly popular. 

View the pathway infographic below and choose YOUR path. 

Advantages and benefits of a SAS career 

An SAS career offers a range of benefits, including improved work–life balance, geographical stability, greater flexibility, and opportunities to develop a portfolio career tailored to individual interests and strengths. 

Since 2021, career progression for SAS doctors and dentists has become more clearly defined. Specialty doctors can progress both clinically and by contributing to wider roles within healthcare, including teaching and training, innovation and service development, leadership and management, and representative or professional roles. 

The introduction of the Specialist Doctor post provides a further progression route beyond the Specialty Doctor role. Appointment requires a minimum of 12 years’ postgraduate experience, including at least six years in a relevant specialty. 

SAS career development in Northern Ireland is supported by NIMDTA, helping SAS doctors and dentists to develop their skills, progress their careers, and contribute fully to health and social care services. 

If you have any queries about SAS career development in Northern Ireland, please contact us at SAS.NIMDTA@hscni.net