Public Health Medicine ST1 14th November 2023

Public Health Medicine ST1: Application and Selection Centre Guide 2024

If you’re considering applying for Public Health Medicine ST1 as part of the 2024 recruitment process, this guide will provide everything you need to know to submit your application and progress to the assessment and selection stages.

Unlike other specialties, Public Health Medicine ST1 includes a medical and non-medical route, meaning you can apply with or without a medical degree, provided you meet the eligibility criteria (see the section below). There is no quota defining the proportion of places offered to each group.

Applications to Public Health Medicine ST1 have increased significantly in recent years. For 2023 recruitment, there were 1258 applicants for only 124 posts, giving a competition ratio of 10.15. This puts Public Health Medicine in the top five most competitive specialties for ST1 recruitment! However, as Public Health Medicine is open to medical and non-medical applicants, a direct comparison to other clinical specialties is limited. Regardless, with fierce competition for posts, it’s crucial that your application meets the required standards and you perform well at the assessment centre and selection centre stages.

Public Health Medicine ST1 Application

As mentioned above, you can apply to Public Health Medicine ST1 via the medical or non-medical route, depending on your qualifications and experience. The 2024 person specification outlines the eligibility criteria that you must meet for each route.

The eligibility criteria only is used for the purpose of longlisting applicants. If you meet the requirements, you will progress to the next stage of the application process, the Public Health Medicine ST1 Assessment Centre (see below).

You’re not required to include information such as publications and presentations, etc. in your Public Health Medicine ST1 application, unlike with other specialties, as scored shortlisting is not included in the application process.

The 2024 person specification provides full details of the eligibility requirements, and you can find an example application form here.

Public Health Medicine ST1 Recruitment Timeline

The following are the key dates for Public Health Medicine ST1 2024 recruitment (for posts starting from August 2024):

*The exact date is TBC.

Public Health Medicine ST1 Assessment Centre

If you meet the eligibility criteria, you’ll be invited to attend the assessment centre. Note, this takes place at Pearson Vue test centres at various locations throughout the UK and globally between 9 – 10 January 2024 for 2024 recruitment.

This stage of the recruitment process includes the following three computer-based assessments:

1. Critical thinking / reasoning
2. Numerical reasoning
3. Situational judgement

The critical and numerical reasoning tests are both written, timed assessments. The situational judgement test is a scenario-based assessment, requiring you to select the appropriate action to take for each scenario. This assesses your judgement, professionalism and understanding of public health.

You will need to meet a minimum standard for each assessment; if you fail to meet this standard, you’ll be notified that your application will not proceed further. If you successfully meet the required standard, you’ll be ranked based on your assessment scores.

Public Health Medicine ST1 Selection Centre

Top-ranked applicants from the written tests will be invited to the next stage of the recruitment process, the selection centre. The Public Health Medicine ST1 selection centre is a virtual interview that will take place between 27 – 29 February 2024 for 2024 recruitment.

The interview will consist of 6 questions, each lasting 6 minutes. However, including ID checks and candidate briefing, you can expect the interview time to be up to 60 minutes in total.

The selection centre interview is formatted into 2 interview stations, each with 3 questions, and 3 assessors per station. The purpose of using a range of assessors is to ensure a balanced view of your abilities.

Two of the questions will include an element of preparation time. The information for these will be sent to you the day before the interview.

Each question will assess specific essential criteria from the 2024 person specification.

Public Health Medicine ST1 Application Scoring

As mentioned above, there will be 3 assessors per station scoring your performance. To be considered for appointment, you must meet a minimum total score for the selection centre. If you score below this, you’ll be notified that you have been unsuccessful.

However, if you meet the required standard at the application centre, you’ll be considered for appointment. This involves being ranked based on your interview score – as with the assessment scores – with offers made in rank order.

At both stages of the selection process – the assessment centre and selection centre – you’ll be assessed on the selection criteria outlined in the 2024 person specification, including:

• Your qualifications
• Your technical skills – technical knowledge and clinical expertise
• Your academic and research skills
• Your personal skills, including:
  • Communication skills
  • Conceptual thinking and problem solving
  • Managing others and team involvement
  • Organisation and planning
  • Coping with pressure
  • Values
• Probity – professional integrity
• Commitment to specialty – learning and personal development

As mentioned, you must meet the minimum score requirements at both the assessment centre and selection centre to progress with your application.

You can find more information about all aspects of the Public Health Medicine ST1 application, including the eligibility and application, assessment centre and selection centre process, and offers, in the 2024 Essential guidance: Frequently asked questions (FAQs).

Good luck!