Please read the following before opening the guide: -

A Guide to Postgraduate Specialty Training in the UK (also known as "Gold Guide") provides the framework for the new postgraduate specialty training programmes (including general practice) commencing in August 2007.   It is primarily aimed at Postgraduate Deans and their training networks, Medical Royal Colleges/Faculties, employers and others involved in specialty training.  Trainees may find aspects of it provide useful information about their training.   All trainees appointed to specialty training programmes - both run-through and fixed term specialty training appointments (FTSTAs) commencing after August 2007 will be known as Specialty Registrars (StRs).  The Gold Guide is applicable to StR training which commences after 1 August 2007.

Specialist Registrars and Trainees (SpRs/SpTs), and General Practice Registrars (GPRs) will continue in their current training programmes.  A Guide to Specialist Registrar Training (also known as the "Orange Book") and The GP Registrar Scheme Vocational Training for General Medical Practice, The UK Guide (the "Green Book") will continue to provide the framework for SpR and GPR training, unless trainees choose to switch to the new specialty training programmes.  The details of how to do this are set out in the Gold Guide.

This edition of the Gold Guide does not contain details about recruitment into specialty training.   National and devolved nation supplements will be issued to clarify recruitment and selection procedures in due course.

This Guide will be subject to on-going review. 

The Gold Guide 2008 (applicable to trainees taking up Specialty Training appointments from 6th August 2008 onwards)

Core Training Supplement (The Gold Guide 2008)

The Gold Guide (MS Word format)  2007 (applicable to trainees who took up Specialty Training appointments between 1st August 2007 and 5th August 2008).