References

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deaneries/uoa info app form - refs page

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Downloads

Standard RCP-SRO reference form London ref form Northern ref form Severn ref form Wales ref form

This page will contain information on any particular requirements each participating deanery/UoA has for the provision of references by candidates.

Editing referees' details

In the event that you need to edit any referees' details you have included in your application, do not be concerned at present - even when you have submitted your application, you can continue to edit your referees' details right up to the point where the interview(s) begin within the specialty/deanery to which that form was sent.

'Merged' specialties

In the three specialties where interviews are clustered at lead deaneries, candidates should follow the instructions of the relevant lead deanery with regard to providing references - as below:

‹ Clinical pharmacology & therapeutics (CPT) ›

All CPT interviews will be held in the Mersey Deanery - thus if you are invited to attend a CPT interview, please view and follow the Mersey Deanery guidance on providing references, further down this page.

‹ Genitourinary medicine (GUM) ›

All GUM interviews in 2012 will be held at the East Midlands Deanery.

‹ Rehabilitation medicine ›

All rehabilitation medicine interviews in 2012 will be held at the Severn Deanery.

Therefore, please follow the Severn Deanery procedure for provision of references (see below).

‹ Rheumatology ›

As described on the rheumatology page of this website, England & Wales is divided into five large units of application (UoAs) for the purposes of recruitment

Each of these five UoAs has a lead deanery which is organising interviews and seeking of references: London, Northern, North Western, Wales and Wessex. Therefore, please follow the instructions of whichever lead deanery is coordinating interviews when compiling references.

All other specialties

Should you be invited to interview in any of the other 12 specialties, when considering how to provide references, you should follow the instructions of the deanery/UoA at which you are to be interviewed, regardless of specialty. Click on the heading of the deanery/UoA below to which you have applied for more information.

SCA specialties

For those eight specialties using the single cascadable application model of recruitment - ie those where candidates complete one application form and nominate (up to) four deanery/UoA preferences - candidates should follow the references policy of their first-choice deanery/UoA preference.

NB - many sections below will refer to the 'default' process by which references are sought/provided. For information on this, please see below:

‹ The default references process ›

Selection of referees

When choosing referees, please select your three most recent supervisors where possible. Referee #1 should be your current or most recent supervisor who, where possible, is familiar with your clinical development. If you are currently in a research post, it is fine to ask your research supervisor to provide a reference.

Your #2 and #3 referees must be your next-most recent clinical supervisors.

Please be aware that the main purpose for which deaneries seek references is to build up as accurate and up-to-date a picture of candidates as is possible; thus if you were to cite referees who have not worked with or supervised you recently, this becomes more difficult.

References not used in scoring

Please note that references are NOT used in the assessment process, and have NO influence on the offer of posts to candidates. So a 'good' reference from a well-known or influential person will not have any more of a positive influence on your application than a 'good' reference from anyone else. However, if you choose not to list your most recent supervisor as a reference, this may raise some questions.

Obviously, recent referees may be unavailable for very good reasons, such as retirement, ill health, etc. In these cases, you should approach your next most recent supervisor.

You should also check with each of your referees that they are happy to provide a reference for you; in the event that you are offered and accept a post, you will not be able to formally take it up until your references are received, so forewarning referees that references will be sought may help speed up this process.

Provision of references

Under the detault method, you need not take any further action beyond providing your referees' details within your application form(s). Deaneries will contact your stated referees to seek your references directly, with no requirement for you to be involved. Should any involvement on your part be required, you will be notified of this by the deanery/UoA.

Deanery/UoA policies

Please click on the heading of each deanery/UoA below to reveal details on their policies on provision/seeking of references. In some cases, deaneries/UoAs may simply adhere to the default process, but please do check in case any additional action is required.

‹ East Midlands (North & South) ›

Provision of references for the East Midlands Deanery should be carried out according to the standard, 'default' process.

‹ East of England ›

Please see below for information on providing references when applying to ST3 posts at East of England Deanery. Click each of the below headings for further information.

‹ Use referees from most recent three posts ›

When applying to East of England Deanery, please nominate referees who relate to your most recent three posts, where possible. The #1 referee should be your current or most recent supervisor, #2 next most recent and #3 most recent after that.

‹ Use standard SRO reference form ›

References should be completed using the standard DH/SRO reference form where possible. This can be downloaded from the column to the left of this webpage.

‹ Please take references to interview ›

Where candidates are invited to attend interview at East of England Deanery, it is also necessary to bring completed reference forms with you to submit while at the venue.

When attending interview, you must bring a reference from each of your three referees with you, made out using the standard SRO reference form (see above).

(NB once you submit your application, you will receive an automatic email confirming this - this will also display your candidate and application ID numbers. In the event you do not or have not received this email and/or the numbers, if you contact the RCP-SRO - st3recruitment@rcplondon.ac.uk - they can provide these numbers for you.

To view the interview dates in East of England for each specialty, please visit the interview dates page of this website.

‹ Kent, Surrey & Sussex (KSS) ›

Round 1

In the first round of recruitment (ie that taking place in spring/summer 2012), provision of references for the KSS Deanery should be carried out according to the standard, 'default' process described above.

Round 2

Should there be a second round of ST3 recruitment held in 2012 (likely to begin in late summer/autumn), those candidates applying to KSS should bring copies of their references with them to interview. This will be requested within individual interview invitations, with more information available nearer the time.

‹ London ›

All candidates applying to London Deanery in all participating ST3 specialties (where London has vacancies) will need to provide referees' details and references in a slightly different method to that of other deaneries.

Rather than nominating referees relating to your most recent posts, if you are making an application to London your three referees should span the last three years.

Click on each of the headings below for more information on provision of references at different stages.

‹ Nominate referees from the last three years ›

As suggested above, when applying to London, please nominate referees which span the last three years of your training/experience. You should add one referee from this year, and this should be your current/most recent supervisor;

You should add another referee from last year; and then a third referee, relating to a post from the year before that.

In terms of what counts as a year, this can either be calendar years or academic years - eg a clinician who began supervising you in October 2011, for example, could be nominated as a 2011 calendar year refere (#2), or a 2011-12 referee (#1).

‹ Adding referees' details to your application form ›

These details should be added to your application form as normal - ie referee 1 is this year, referee 2 year before, referee 3 year before that.

Do not worry if you have already submitted your application - it is possible to log in to your application and edit your referees' details any time up until interviews begin.

‹ London reference form & providing references at interview ›

Where candidates are invited to attend interview at London Deanery, it is also necessary to bring completed reference forms with you to submit while at the venue.

Firstly, please note that the reference form to use for London applications can be downloaded from this website (left-hand menu; MS Word, 51kb), as well as from the London Deanery website - this can be reached here: http://www.londondeanery.ac.uk/var/recruitment/specialty-recruitment/references (top right-hand corner of the webpage).

When attending interview, you must bring a reference from each of your three referees with you, made out using this form.

To view the interview dates in London for each specialty - please visit the specialties section of our website.

‹ Summary ›

Please see below for a summary of the requirements for providing references when applying to London at ST3-level.

All applicants to London Deanery need to let their referees know they are applying for the post in question, and that the referees will be asked to complete a reference in time for interview (to see interview dates for each specialty, please visit the interview dates section of our website.)
London Deanery applicants need to ask their referees to use the London Deanery reference form, which can be downloaded from this website (left-hand menu) or from the London Deanery website (top right-hand corner of the following webpage): http://www.londondeanery.ac.uk/var/recruitment/specialty-recruitment/references.
Candidates must provide completed reference forms from three referees who have supervised their clinical training (including locum or staff grade posts), spanning three years of their employment or undergraduate training. Referees must be able to comment, from experience, on applicants' ability and suitability for the post in question.
One referee must be the applicant's current or most recent consultant or educational supervisor, familiar with the applicant's clinical development.
Each applicant's referees must match those stated on their application form.
Applicants must ensure that referee details are correct, as they will not be able to begin in post until references are supplied and checked.
It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that references are provided on the day of interview. Forms must be handed to London Deanery staff in attendance, upon request.
References must be in a sealed envelope, clearly labelled with the applicant's full name, as well as GMC number, and candidate and application ID numbers.
A randomly-selected 20% of references received will be subject to audit, whereby the authenticity of referee details and content of reference forms will be verified with referees.

Queries on provision of references to London Deanery should be directed to recruitmentenquiries@londondeanery.ac.uk.

‹ Mersey ›

Please see below for information on providing references when applying to ST3 posts at Mersey Deanery. Click each of the below headings for further information.

‹ Referees from most recent three posts ›

When applying to Mersey Deanery, please nominate referees who relate to your most recent three posts, where possible. The #1 referee should be your current or most recent supervisor, #2 next most recent and #3 most recent after that.

‹ Standard RCP-SRO reference form ›

References should be completed using the standard DH/SRO reference form where possible. This can be downloaded from the column to the left of this webpage.

‹ Please take references to interview ›

Where candidates are invited to attend interview at Mersey Deanery, it is also necessary to bring completed reference forms with you to submit while at the venue.

When attending interview, you must bring a reference from each of your three referees with you, made out using the standard SRO reference form (see above).

NB once you submit your application, you will receive an automatic email confirming this - this will also display your candidate and application ID numbers. In the event you do not or have not received this email and/or the numbers, if you contact the RCP-SRO - st3recruitment@rcplondon.ac.uk - they can provide these numbers for you.

To view the interview dates in Mersey for each specialty - please visit the interview dates page of this website, and click on the relevant specialty.

‹ North Western ›

Provision of references for the North Western Deanery should be carried out according to the standard, 'default' process described above.

‹ Northern ›

All applicants submitting applications to ST3 posts in the Northern Deanery - in any specialty - in 2012 need to follow the below instructions for provision of references. Please click on the appropriate link as below for more information:

‹ Cite referees from most recent three posts ›

When applying to Northern Deanery, please nominate referees who relate to your most recent three posts, where possible. The #1 referee should be your current or most recent supervisor, #2 the next most recent and #3 the most recent after that.

‹ Please use Northern Deanery reference form ›

When obtaining references to support an ST3 application to Northern Deanery, please use the specific Northern Deanery reference form. This can be downloaded from the column to the left of this webpage, as well as the Northern Deanery website.

‹ Provide completed reference forms at, or in advance of, interview ›

Interview

Once filled out, if you would prefer to take hard copies of your reference forms to interview, please ensure that they have been signed by the supervisor (who filled out the form), and stamped by the hospital.

Please place the forms in a sealed envelope, which is clearly labelled with your full name, GMC number, and also your candidate ID and application form ID. This should then be given to deanery recruitment staff while at interview.

NB once you submit your application, you will receive an automatic email confirming this - this will also display your candidate and application ID numbers. In the event you do not or have not received this email and/or the numbers, if you contact the SRO - st3recruitment@rcplondon.ac.uk - we can provide these numbers for you.

Email (before interview)

Alternatively, if electronic copies can be obtained, references can be emailed in advance to the Northern Deaney at: letreferences@nhs.net.

Please note - if you wish to email your references to the deanery, these must be sent from an NHS email account.

‹ Oxford ›

Please see below for information on providing references when applying to ST3 posts at Oxford Deanery. Click each of the below headings for further information.

‹ Referees from most recent three posts ›

When applying to Oxford Deanery, please nominate referees who relate to your most recent three posts, where possible. The #1 referee should be your current or most recent supervisor, #2 next most recent and #3 most recent after that.

‹ Use standard RCP-SRO reference form ›

References should be completed using the standard DH/SRO reference form where possible. This can be downloaded from the column to the left of this webpage.

‹ Please take references to interview ›

Where candidates are invited to attend interview at Oxford Deanery, it is also necessary to bring completed reference forms with you to submit while at the venue.

When attending interview, you must bring a reference from each of your three referees with you, made out using the standard SRO reference form (see above).

To view the interview dates in Oxford for each specialty - please visit the interview dates page of our website.

‹ Severn ›

Please see below for information on providing references when applying to ST3 posts in Severn Deanery:

‹ Two references required ›

As part of the application process, it is your responsibility to nominate referees, one of whom must be a consultant (or equivalent) involved in your day-to-day working in your current or most recent post.

Adding referees' details to ST3 application

The local requirement for references in Severn Deanery is for two referees to be nominated. It is still necessary to add three referees to the ST3 application form, but the first two will be those who will provide a reference in Severn; the third should be included as a 'backup', in case referee #1 or #2 cannot be reached.

‹ Use Severn Deanery reference form ›

References should be completed using the Severn Deanery reference form. This can be viewed/downloaded from this webpage - please see the icon in the left-hand menu of this page. (NB - form is in MS Word format, 130kb)

Please note that references will only be accepted on this standard structured reference form provided by the Severn Deanery.

‹ Bring references to interview ›

You must bring a hard copy of the references with you on the day of your interview.

Please note - you may not be interviewed unless you have two references with you when you arrive at your interview.

‹ Authentication of references ›

All references will need to be authenticated via an email from the referees' email account confirming the issue of the references to the following email address: severn.reference@southwest.nhs.uk.

Offers of appointment will be subject to authentication of all references.

‹ South West Peninsula ›

Provision of references for the Southwest Peninsula Deanery should be carried out according to the standard, 'default' process described above.

‹ Wales ›

Please see below for information on providing references when applying to ST3 posts at Wales Deanery. Click each of the below headings for further information.

‹ Referees from most recent three posts ›

When applying to Wales Deanery, please nominate referees who relate to your most recent three posts, where possible. The #1 referee should be your current or most recent supervisor, #2 next most recent and #3 most recent after that.

‹ Please use Wales Deanery proforma reference form ›

References should be completed using the Wales Deanery's standard proforma reference form where possible. This can be viewed/downloaded from this webpage - please click on the relevant icon in the left-hand menu (MS Word, 149kb).

‹ Please take references to interview ›

Where candidates are invited to attend interview at Wales Deanery, it is also necessary to bring completed reference forms with you to submit while at the venue.

When attending interview, you must bring a reference from each of your three referees with you, made out using the standard SRO reference form (see above).

When you have had your completed reference forms returned to you by all of your referees, please place the forms in a sealed envelope, which is clearly labelled with your full name, GMC number, and also your candidate ID and application form ID. (NB once you submit your application, you will receive an automatic email confirming this - this will also display your candidate and application ID numbers.

In the event you do not or have not received this email and/or the numbers, if you contact the RCP-SRO - st3recruitment@rcplondon.ac.uk - they can provide these numbers for you.

To view the interview dates in Wales for each specialty - please visit the interview dates page of this website.

‹ Wessex ›

As in the default references process described above, applicants to Wessex should nominate their three most recent supervisors as referees.

Candidates who apply to Wessex Deanery are not required to bring references to interview, unless otherwise advertised by deanery recruiters.

References are not required by Wessex until after candidates have accepted offers. If you are offered, and accept, a post within the Wessex Deanery, please download the Wessex Deanery Clinical Reference Form, and send to the three clinical referees you have nominated on your reference form.

You are given four weeks from the date of offer to have your referees fill in the reference forms and to return these to Wessex Deanery. Each referee must print and sign their name on the form, date the form and stamp it with either their personal stamp or hospital stamp. Any reference forms without these cannot be accepted, and will be returned.

For more information on the Wessex references process, please visit their website at this link: http://www.wessexdeanery.nhs.uk/recruitment__careers/specialty _reference_procedure.aspx.

‹ West Midlands ›

Please see below for information on provision of references for candidates applying to ST3 posts in the West Midlands Deanery.

All applicants to the West Midlands Deanery will be required to let their referees know they are applying for the post in question.
One referee must be the candidate's current or most recent consultant or educational supervisor.
The references supploed must match the details of the referee's details on the candidate's application form.
Candidates attending interview in the West Midlands will be required to bring three completed references with them to interview. The reference form can be downloaded from the West Midlands Deanery website: http://www.westmidlandsdeanery.nhs.uk/Recruitment2011.aspx (under the Local Document section halfway down the page, on the right-hand side.
Candidates must bring all three references to interview in a sealed envelope labelled with the candidate's name, GMC number and specialty applied for.
The authenticity of referee details and the content of the reference may be verified with referees.

‹ Yorkshire & Humber ›

Nominate referees covering three years' training

Applicants to the Yorkshire Deanery need to provide a full continuous three year reference history, both clinical and employment history..

Otherwise, candidates should follow the 'default' process of providing references described earlier.