As the Part 2 exam is delivered over 2 days, one major challenge is time management. We recommend that you practice interpreting and writing reports on histopathological slides and non-gynaecological cytopathology.

Also, not only focus on slide interpretation, but demonstrate having a holistic view.

For the Part 1 – as soon as you have entered into histopathology you be involved in the practice aspects, build up your knowledge base from day 1, liaise with senior trainees etc. The 3-hour examination is generally orientated towards assessing the candidate’s overall knowledge and understanding of histopathology/cytopathology, including the full range of autopsy practices undertaken in a district general hospital in the UK and the basic science underpinning pathology.

The College has no influence over which Trusts allow examination fees to be claimed. Trainees who pay examination fees themselves are able to claim tax back on those fees, and also the trainee registration fees: https://www.rcpath.org/trainees/cost-of-training1/tax-deductibility.html.

Non-gynae is assessed in the FRCPath Part 1 in histopathology. There are 8 separate cases, and you have to pass that module.

The Deanery will issue your NTN. It may take up to 6 weeks for the Deanery let you know your NTN.

It is never too early to start having conversations with your Educational Supervisor and Training Programme Director. They may be able to arrange for you to spend two weeks in that specialty. There is national recruitment process every year, training at ST3 level and start applying the year before. All trainees must have completed ICPT and have obtained FRCPath Part 1. Please note that paediatric pathology, diagnostic neuropathology and forensic histopathology are specialties and not subspecialties.

Dr Liz Hook has been recently appointed as the National Paediatric Pathology Training Programme Director. Dr Hook is looking into this issue, and it is being discussed at the moment. Your Training Programme Director will get back to you.

Please refer also to the syllabus which directs the types of ECEs that should be undertaken as you progress through training. There are also  some examples in appendix E in the curriculum. Some examples are cutting up specimens or discussing a case with a mis-diagnosis. The ECE is also available in the LEPT system.

No because dual training programmes are approved in advance by the GMC. If you wanted to train in both paediatric and histopathology you would have to do them sequentially but not as a dual training programme.

You begin at ST3. Please note that paediatric pathology, diagnostic neuropathology and forensic histopathology are specialties and not subspecialties

Please see the autopsy section of the histopathology syllabus: https://www.rcpath.org/static/2ffa6a0f-3bdf-4fdc-8d373223c4ef01c2/Histopathology-2021-Syllabus.pdf

It is up to the Deanery and if there is a post available. You would have to apply separately for a post after your histopathology trainees and this would also depend on availability of posts.

You can use DipRCPath only if you have agreed to become a Diplomate of the College and pay the Diplomate fee. If you do this, you will maintain your registered trainee status with the College and will only have to pay one fee to the College (Diplomate fee). If you do not agree to become a Diplomate of the College, and do not pay the Diplomate fee, you cannot use DipRCPath.

This is not automatic and will rely on you being able to demonstrate that you have completed all aspects of the curriculum as well. New guidance about accelerating training is about to be published so please keep an eye out for that. Each request will be looked at case-by-case.

You need to talk to your Educational Supervisor, as there is flexibility. The exam guidance says: Medically qualified candidates are required to have been trained in a recognised Regional Specialist Training Programme in microbiology or virology for a period of normally not less than 12 months. Plus, your educational supervisor/sponsor has to sign off on your application to confirm that you are sufficiently prepared.

You are expected to do a full standard autopsy. We do not specific numbers as it is a competency-based curriculum.

This is not automatic and will rely on you being able to demonstrate that you have completed all aspects of the curriculum as well. New guidance about accelerating training is about to be published so please keep an eye out for that.

Please email [email protected] who will be able to help you with your question.

Any issues and questions on LEPT, please send an email to [email protected].

There is guidance on the LEPT system.

If you check the hard copies of the SLEs on the College website, there is some guidance as to who can complete you SLEs for you. You can also seek advice from your educational supervisor.

We recommend that you draft an ARCP at your earliest convenience with and then when you get the further details from your Deanery you can enter them into the draft ARCP. Also, if you do not know the ARCP date you can enter a fictitious date and then enter the real date later on.

If you do more than the minimum number of WBAs, they will only count for that year of training. A CCT date may be brought forward only by demonstrating that curriculum outcomes have been achieved ahead of the expected trajectory set out in the relevant specialty curriculum (including all necessary examinations and assessments).

You have to do 3 MSFs during your training. Normally every other year - ST1, 3 and 5.

There is no specific form to complete. You create an activity and record that you are having an educational supervisor meeting.

There are 11 CiPs describe the professional tasks or work within the scope of histopathology. Each CiP has a set of descriptors associated with that activity or task. There are seven generic CiPs cover the universal requirements of all specialties as described in the generic professional capabilities (GPC) framework. The 4 specialty CiPs describe the laboratory and clinical tasks or activities which are essential to the practice of histopathology. When you put all your evidence in LEPT you can assign your activities to the relevant CiP.

If you look at the syllabus in the first column is called Areas of learning where it shows what knowledge and skills the CiPs relate to.

Your results will be automatically upload in the LEPT system after the results are published.

It won't be because you have only just had a LEPT record created but please contact the assessment team ([email protected]) to ask if this can be uploaded retrospectively.

You will be able to upload files only under the 'Resources' tab, but should you specifically want to draw attention to that file upload then you can create an entry under 'Training Development', in which you can link the file in question.

You should not be using the CPD system whilst you are in training.

Yes, that would be absolutely fine! You can edit the dates at any point, so if for any reason your year length changes, you can edit it as needed, along with updating your ARCP panel date to the correct date once you have received that closer to the time.

Once a year in discussion with your educational supervisor.

This is where you can record the rotations you are on, alongside specific details such as if you are LTFT. Even if you have no specifics edits to make, it would still be worth adding in each rotation you are on for your own records, as well as for ease of navigation by the ARCP Panel.

You can upload it under 'resources', and then add an entry under 'training development' to add more details regarding the PDPs (should you wish), and you can link the file you have uploaded to this entry.

You can upload an actual file/copy of the logbook under 'resources', and then add an entry under 'training development' to add more details regarding the logbook (should you wish), and you can link the file you have uploaded to this entry.

You have at least a couple of months to complete your MSF.

The CiP/GPCs will appear on the assessment tab where you have completed the DOP etc, once the assessor has approved it. It is not just on the resource tab where you can see the CiPs and GPCs, and you will not need to link a resource to every assessment you fill in.

That is correct. Your hospital and educational supervisor - though do not worry too much about making this perfect, it is mainly for reference

You should still be able to link it via your RCPath account, if they do have issues linking it, we can work together with the support team at the learning hub to fix it. Please email [email protected] if you need help.

Please email: [email protected]

We are looking into it, but there are several factors to consider, and this will take some time.

Each deanery and/or department will have its own ways of ensuring that trainees get the right exposure to PMs, so do discuss with your ES and TPD. The College is aware of the issue in PMs, and this is one of the elements that will be looked at in the curriculum review.

For paediatric pathology, we suggest you contact Dr Liz Hook in Cambridge, who is the National TPD for PPP. You should try to have a taster week in 1 of the departments that offer paediatric pathology (Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, London, Cambridge, Oxford, etc). For forensic pathology, you need to discuss with your TPD and try to have a taster with your local forensics department.

You are required to do a minimum of 3 SFS during training (ST1, ST3, ST5). You can initiate further MSFs in ST2 and ST4, if required. The MSF are done via the LEPT system, and the first MSF in ST1 is initiated by the College. You can find further guidance on the MSF in the LEPT system.

The College is committed to ensuring that no candidates are disadvantaged in their examinations. Subject to sufficient advance notice, the College is willing to make reasonable adjustments for candidates who have a disability or impairment in line with the Equality Act 2010. Further information can be found in the exam regulations and guidelines: https://www.rcpath.org/trainees/examinations/regulations-and-guidelines/regulations-guidelines-and-policies.html

Candidates are normally only permitted 4 attempts at each of the FRCPath Part and only permitted 4 attempts at each of the FRCPath Part 2, Certificate and Diploma examinations. Further information can be found in the exam regulations and guidelines:

https://www.rcpath.org/trainees/examinations/regulations-and-guidelines/regulations-guidelines-and-policies.html

The LEPT system does not currently contain this aspect. But if you click into 'Portfolios' and then filter/sort, then this workaround will be helpful.

You should discuss your plans with your Training Programme Director and Educational Supervisor. You should also speak to your deanery to find out about the process/requirements.

You need to select the Resource Tab to upload such items.

New ways of working, particularly relating to digital microscopy and reporting of cases, are reflected in the new curriculum, both in the form of high- level outcomes and descriptors, and in the individual ICPT and specialty-specific syllabus underpinning the curriculum.

You can find the Training Programme Approval Number (TPAN) by checking with your Deanery.

Yes, the assessor can enter their own comments - i.e., to edit what you may have already entered.

You need to create an ARCP. Then, when at least one training item has been assigned to the ARCP, click into the 'Progress' tab at the bottom, then create the ESSR.

Your training programme will guide you through this, but generally, yes, a wide depth and breadth of CiPs are expected.

Yes, you can do this via the 'Training Development' tab on the LEPT platform.

Yes, that is correct, in the lead-up to the ARCP panel meeting.

For year one, the College initiate this for you around February.

You can do a post-CCT diploma in it. You can be a dermatopathology mono-specialist without this qualification (depending on your hospital), but it's a really helpful thing to do. It helps you to build your clinico-pathological knowledge, too. Also, can you find further information here: https://www.rcpath.org/trainees/examinations/examinations-by-specialty/dermatopathology.html

You choose the assessors, but your educational supervisor has the final decision and has to approve your list of assessors

Please either contact the Assessment team at [email protected], and they can return the form to you for editing, or contact your assessor and ask them to reject the assessment. It will be returned to you so that you can make amendments.

Please see the following webpage for further information: https://www.rcpath.org/profession/pathology-portal.html.

There are some resources on the examinations section of the College website: https://www.rcpath.org/trainees/examinations.html

There are very few tropical medicine training numbers, and they advertised once a year in the BMJ. If you are interested then you may wish to discuss these opportunities with Dr Sylviane Defres, who is Training Programme Director in Liverpool and Dr Phil Gothard, who is the Training Programme Director in London. Please talk to your Training Programme Director who will put you in contact with them.

DMTH does count.

Previous can count e.g. 12 months clinical work in Low-or middle-income countries and it is in designated place where your clinical supervisor is recognised by the SAC. If you not in Londin or Liverpool please speak to your Training Programme Director who would be able advise you.

The vast majority of ID Physicians working in ID units around the country working within tropical medicine do not have a tropical medicine CCT. It does not preclude you from having an interest and working within tropical medicine. It is about your capabilities.

It does depend on the Deanery but please talk to your Training Programme Director as it will probably already be planned.

If you do DTM&H out of training, that is 3 months that would be counted as OOPE but would not necessarily count towards your time in training although it is relevant if you are an ID trainee.

It depends the local decisions on training are on your Trust/Deanery. You have a small budget for training, so it is up to you to decide. There are 3 other providers of ID training, which are Sheffield, Glasgow and Médecins Sans Frontières, which do out-of-hours training. They do an exam which is supervised by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries. They also offer it online with some face to face teaching at weekends if you are unable to step out of training.