Welcome to the School of Core Surgery

There are 12 acute hospital trustsproviding Core Surgical Training and one surgical school within the region, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, which is a partnership between the Universities of Brighton and Sussex.

The KSS Deanery has strong links with the London Deanery as many Higher Surgical Training programmes rotate through both regions.

The website is designed to provide information and support to current KSS Core Surgical Training (CST) trainees, doctors who are considering making an application to KSS and for the clinicians and managers who make training and education possible.

Programmes and sites

Core surgical training has now ‘uncoupled’ from Higher Training, enabling the School to create a greater number of two-year training programmes. Subject to satisfactory review, all trainees completing CST training will have the competencies to enable entry into Higher Surgical Training via open competition.

From October 2009, it will be possible for some trainees to complete an additional year of core training which will provide opportunity to develop and consolidate further surgical skills. Note that Higher Surgical Training (HST) for KSS is run in partnership with London Deanery.

Please note that Neuro-Surgery is still Run-Through Grade (RTG) training

Our programmes

In years 1 and 2, trainees complete core surgical training at one of the teaching hospitals. The programme is divided as follows:

CT1: two-three surgical subspecialty placements of four months each
CT2: two surgical subspecialty placements of six months each – trainees will be matched into their CT2 year through a credit ranking scheme
Post Core Experiential: one surgical specialty placement of twelve months / or two surgical subspecialty placements of six months each

To progress to ST3, trainees must pass the MRCS exam and workplace based assessments. After CST you then go on to train in one of the following subspecialties: