Scottish Medical Training

GMC Reference: NOS383

The ACCS-EM programme is the only route into Emergency Medicine training. Successful applicants are offered the choice of ACCS (3 years) or run through EM training (6 years).

Year 1: 6 months Acute Medicine, 6 months Emergency Medicine

Year 2: 6 months Intensive Care, 6 months Anaesthetics

Year 3: 1 year Emergency Medicine, including 6 months of Paediatric EM experience.

Years 4-6: Emergency Medicine (Higher specialist training – HST)

Year 1 & 2 posts are in either Raigmore Hospital, Inverness or Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

Years 3 is in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and the co-joined Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital.

There is protected departmental teaching time in all posts, with 6 Deanery ACCS Study Days a year, hosted by each of the associated specialities. From year 3 onwards trainees are given protected non-clinical time for audit, research and management activities etc. There is a protected regional teaching programme for higher trainees in Years 3-6, one day per month, based on the RCEM curriculum.

During HST, in order to broaden their experience, trainees are expected to rotate to Raigmore Hospital, Inverness for a 4 month block. The infrastructure around this rotation including accommodation provision etc is well established.

In addition during HST, Emergency Medicine trainees can apply, via national recruitment programmes, for dual Intensive Care Medicine Training or sub-speciality training in Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine.

The North of Scotland is a recognised training centre for sub- speciality training in Paediatric Emergency Medicine. The post is based at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital and links with RHC Glasgow for Paediatric Intensive Care experience.

Aberdeen is an excellent location to live as well as to train. The University of Aberdeen Medical School is based on the ARI campus as is the Institute of Medical Sciences which is a university research facility. The Suttie Centre for Teaching and Learning in Healthcare is a large on site recently built facility managed jointly by the University and NHS Grampian ( The Suttie Centre ).

The Emergency Departments have well established links with the University. Patients are recruited for both local and national research projects. As well as contributing to national audits (RCEM, Scottish Trauma Audit Group, Stroke, Neck of Femur fractures) there is a programme of ‘rolling’ local audit projects. Trainees are strongly encouraged to be involved in a wide range of undergraduate and post graduate teaching and management activities.

The city of Aberdeen is a coastal city located between the rivers Dee and Don with access to magnificent coastal and rural scenery including Royal Deeside. There are many cultural, sporting and recreation activities available within and around the city.

ACCS (ST1 & ST2)

ACCS Training is hosted in the Emergency Departments, Acute Medicine Units, Intensive Care Units and Anaesthetic Departments in both Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Raigmore Hospital (Inverness), depending on rotation allocation.

Intermediate and Higher Training (ST3 +)

The main base for Emergency Medicine training is the Emergency Department at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and the co-joined Royal Aberdeen Childrens Hospital. Included in this rotation is 4 months placement in the Emergency Department at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness.