CESR (Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration) programmes now called the ‘portfolio pathway’ have become popular among many trusts. With more than 2,000 LED & SAS doctors in the UK, there is a growing need for structured CESR programmes to ensure a successful application via the portfolio pathway.
In 2019, we initiated the CESR programme at Addenbrookes Hospital. This is a three-year structured programme based upon the RCoA curriculum for already experienced anaesthetic CESR aspirants, with dedicated educational supervision and an ARCP-like process. Now, with six years of running, the programme has proved to be an excellent platform for achieving successful registration on the GMC specialist register, as it mirrors the GMC and RCoA requirements for CESR. So far, five out of six CESR fellows have been successfully appointed to substantive consultant posts within the UK.