The introduction of the new Scientist Training Programme (STP) curricula across all specialties has provided the National School and the healthcare science community with an opportunity to review and to improve how the training programme is delivered and assessed for trainees who started in 2022 and who will sit their final assessment in 2025 and those who follow them.
The changes being introduced are designed:
- to continue to provide the healthcare science community with confidence in the quality of the programme and of the trainees who complete it
- to enable us to respond to assessor feedback and move beyond some of the temporary changes to the assessment of the programme that were introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
The changes are being introduced in the three areas outlined below.
Work-based assessment standards
The School has created a set of work-based assessment standards which define how work-based assessments should be conducted and the responsibilities of trainees, trainers and assessors.
View the work-based assessment standards.
Reviews of progression
- We are introducing a model of progression monitoring which will set trainees minimum and realistic targets for progress on their OneFile e-portfolio for key points in the programme.
- The new review of progression process will also require Training Officers and trainees to hold a review of progression meeting at the end of years 1 and 2, which will be recorded on OneFile.
- We aim to provide trainees, trainers and assessors with further details about the new review of progression process by the end of October 2023.
The STP final assessment for 2025
A third and key priority for the School is to complete our work to redesign the final assessment for trainees on the new curricula who will take their final assessment in 2025.
- The final assessment for the trainees who have begun the STP in September 2022 will be different from the IACC.
- The final assessment will include a standardised structured, professional discussion.
- Trainees will not be required to prepare and submit additional written work ahead of the professional discussion.
- The demand upon assessor time will be substantially reduced as compared with the current IACC.
- A rigorous quality assurance approach will ensure that standards are applied consistently.
- We will provide trainees, trainers and assessors with further details about the new final assessment as they are developed via the STP Monthly Memo.
Update on STP final assessment 2025 (May 2024)
We are continuing to develop the new 2025 STP final assessment for trainees enrolled on our new STP curriculum – this includes all trainees who began their training from the 2022 cohort, with the exception of trainees in Microbiology who began the new curriculum in 2023.
Trainees on the ‘old’ curriculum will continue to attempt the IACC for both first attempts and resits. Dates for 2025 STP final assessments are in planning and are likely to be in June/July 2025. The 2025 STP final assessment may not be scheduled in the same weeks as the IACC during the summer of 2025. We aim to provide further information for trainees and Training Officers by September 2024.
Webinars on changes to the assessment of trainees on the new curricula
The School has run separate webinars for trainers and trainees introducing the changes that are being made.
Click this link to view the recording and download the slides from the trainers’ webinar
Click this link to view the recording and download the slides from the trainee webinar