Medical Microbiology
This section of the website is currently for medical microbiology trainees who start specialty training from August 2021.
Medical Microbiology Curriculum 2021
The new 2021 curricula will be assessed by High Level Outcomes, which are included in the form of Capabilities in Practice (CiPs), CiPs describe the professional tasks or work within the scope of postgraduate pathology training; they are based on the format of entrustable professional activities, which are a method of using the professional judgement of appropriately trained assessors as a key aspect of the validity of assessment and a defensible way of forming global judgements of professional performance.
The 2021 Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine curricula be found on the JRCPTB website.
Assessment Strategy
The Royal College of Pathologists' assessment strategy identifies the broad approach and purpose of our programme of assessment and describes the approach for the medical pathology specialties regulated by the General Medical Council.
ARCP Decision Aid
The decision aids provide guidance on the requirements to be achieved for a satisfactory ARCP outcome at the end of each training year.
Rough Guide to Implementation - Infection Specialties curricula
The following guide has been developed to support trainees, educational supervisors and training programme directors. It should be used with the 2021 curriculum.
Transitional Arrangements Webinar
All current trainees not starting their specialty training in August/September 2021 will remain on their current curriculum until after the spring 2022 ARCPs. Existing trainees will be transferred to the new curriculum in the spring after their ARCPs.
Please see below the webinar video, slides and FAQs from the Transitional Arrangement Webinar held on 26 May 2022.
Transitional Arrangement FAQs
The form appears under the supervision section of the portfolio, and this can be completed by the Educational Supervisor or the Trainee. It can also be delegated to the TPD if that is more appropriate.
There is guidance on transition and completing the gap analysis on the JRCPTB website here and the RCPath website via this link.
The Gap Analysis will usually take place at the start of the new training year. Some deaneries were advised to do this before the ARCPs if it does mean making any changes to the next year’s training programmes.
We recommend the transfer takes place at the start of the training year. If a trainee doctor rotates in October/November, then an interim ARCP might need to be arranged as all trainees need to be transferred by 31 August 2023. We would recommend you discuss your training with your educational supervisor.
We recommend the transfer takes place at the start of the training year where possible. For those who are part way through the training year, then it is recommended that you discuss this further with your educational supervisor who will complete the Gap Analysis
If you are not due to have an ARCP before August 2023, then you would transfer partway through the training year, or an interim ARCP could be done at the end of the training year to facilitate transition.
The links do not automatically transfer from the previous to the new curriculum), but there will be a record of all the previous links and ratings to the previous version of the curriculum in the ePortfolio for reference.
The key thing is that Trainees will not be required to relink evidence to the new curriculum and the ES can view and comment on the previous curriculum when assessing the trainees’ entrustment levels against the CiPs.
If you are not dual training in internal medicine, there is no curriculum requirement for you to do an unselected take.. Therefore, if you are ID/MM or MV trainee, there is no educational/curriculum requirement for you to do an unselected take.
If a trainee is having a PYA/PYR, then they should be going into their final year of training and therefore, are not required to transfer to the new curriculum. Trainees should discuss this locally with their Deanery and educational supervisor.
When a trainee returns from out of programme is when the gap analysis is undertaken.
They will be added to trainees’ accounts at the start of the training year for those who have transferred.
We recommend, for the purpose of the Gap Analysis (if it is to happen before the training year starts) looking at the relevant curriculum documents on the website (JRCTB/RCPath).
Yes, as this is a capability-based curriculum.
Yes, all infection specialty curricula have been updated to include high level learning outcomes (CiPs) and to be mapped to the generic professional capabilities (GPC) framework.
Yes, trainees should transfer unless in their final year of training or if they have been given postgraduate dean exemption. A trainee whose CCT date is after August 2023 – unless it is very close to this date - will have to transfer to the new curriculum. This is in line with GMC policy allowing a two-year window for transition following the introduction of a new curriculum.
