There are various factors that require consideration before applying to HST, these include:

  • What and where - the specialty(ies) in which you are interested and the regions where you would consider working, including the numbers of posts available. The relevant  specialty and region pages of this website contain summary information.

  • When to apply - the dates of recruitment rounds can be found on the timeline page.

  • How to apply - applications should be made through the Oriel System.

  • To whom do I apply - all specialties use a national recruitment model, where candidates remain in contention for all posts nationally throughout the process. 

  • Previous years' data -  data from previous rounds, including: application and post numbers, competition ratios, scoring data and fill rates, has been published to the 'Data' tab of each specialty's page of the website. 

  • Applying time - in previous recruitment rounds, candidates have reported spending around 10 hours or more on registering and applying - late applications cannot be accepted - so ensure you have enough time to complete your application and aim to submit it in good time before the deadline.

  • Assessment methods - an oveview of how your application will be assessed during the process.

  • Information and documentation required - the application form requires you to enter a substantial amount of information about your career, experience and achievements to date. Additionally, you will be required to upload a large amount of documentation to support your claims, at some point after applications close. It is advisable to familiarise yourself with this so you can ensure you have everything you need.
  • Round 2 - there are two rounds of recruitment each year for most specialties. Summary information on applying in the second round is on this page.

  • Future recruitment - initial information about future recruitment rounds, beyond those covered by the information currently on the website.

Other information

We have published an applicants' guide which you can download from the document library. The guide gives a brief overview of the whole process and is a good starting place for those not familiar with how the process works who want a summary before they start getting into the detail.

In addition to the information provided on this website about the HST Recruitment process, there are many other sources from which to get information about specialty training, medical careers, specialties etc. Links to some of these other organisations can be found in the other links section.

As well as these websites, it is advisable to speak to colleagues, such as current HST trainees or supervisors who have some experience of the recruitment process in previous rounds, who can give a more personal insight into applying.