In the UK medical system, a specialist is someone who has the necessary experience and qualifications to be placed on the
GMC's Specialist Register. Training to become a
General Practitioner will also involve a Specialty Registrar training scheme and completion will lead to eligibility for entry on the General Practice Register. The training grade of
Specialty registrar (StR) was introduced into UK postgraduate medical training in 2007 as part of the
Modernising Medical Careers programme with the specialty registrar training places being created instead of the
Senior House Officer (SHO) and
Specialist registrar (SpR) posts. Doctors can enter this training grade after completing their
foundation training, but need to go through a competitive process of entry into specialty training schemes. Specialty Training programmes vary in length and are tailored to the needs of the specialty. The curricula used for the different specialty training schemes are set by the relevant
medical royal college. Under the old system, before applying for the old
Registrar posts, applicants were required to have sat and passed part, or all, of a medical royal college's membership examinations while still a
Senior House Officer. Under the new system Foundation doctors do not need to sit these exams as they play no part in the selection process and are discouraged from doing so. It is, however, still common practice to begin to take these exams during the second year of the foundation programme and is recommended by experts outside MMC. The appropriate royal college exams will now be taken during the first year or two of the Specialty Registrar training scheme. == See also ==