ICM Curriculum
The current ICM curriculum can be found on the FICM website under:
The standalone ICM CCT programme may follow one of three core programmes
- Acute Care Common Stem [ACCS] (Internal Medicine, Anaesthetics & Emergency Medicine)
- Core Anaesthetic Training [CAT]
- Internal Medicine Training [IMT]
Whichever core programme is chosen it will have the following characteristics:
- Can be entered by trainees at ST3 level following completion of one its designated core training programmes
- Completion of the core programme includes passing the relevant primary examination: FRCA Primary, MRCP, MRCEM (or FRCEM Intermediate). There is currently no primary FFICM examination.
The 3 Stages of the ICM CCT programme
Stage 1:
- CT1 – ST4 – comprises the first 4 years of training:
- This will usually involve the first 2 years of core training and 2 years of specialist training.
- 1 year training in Intensive Care Medicine
- 1 year training in Anaesthesia
- 1 year training in Internal Medicine (of which 6 months can be in Emergency Medicine)
- The 4th year will be determined by which core programme you complete
- These modules can be broken down into blocks of a minimum 3/12 each and can be undertaken in any order as local needs require.
Stage 2:
- (ST5-6) includes exposure to sub-specialist modules
- 3 months of Paediatric ICM
- 3 months of Neuro ICM
- 3 months of Cardiothoracic ICM
- 12 months ‘Special Skills’ year. There are currently 11 approved specialist areas.
- For all Dual CCTs trainees, their Special Skills year will be spent in their partner specialty
- To complete Stage 2, trainees must pass the FFICM Final Examination.
Stage 3:
- (ST7) a final 12 month block of advanced level Intensive Care Medicine, acquiring high level management skills, progressively achieving autonomy so they are competent to take up a consultant post in ICM
- In the West Midlands, 2 months of this year is spent in paediatric ICM or the paediatric intensive care retrieval service (KIDS NTS)
Appointment to ICM with a Dual Speciality CCT
GMC guidance on Dual CCTs states that:
“appointment to Dual CCTs programmes must be through open competition”, and that “both potential trainees and selection panels must be clear whether the appointment is for single or Dual CCTs/s”
All appointments for dual CCTs should adhere to this guidance and to the ICM and the chosen dual specialty CCT person specifications.
The ICM Dual CCT programme may follow one of three Core programmes:
- ACCS [Acute Care Common Stem]
- CAT [Core Anaesthetic Training]
- IMT [Internal Medicine Training]
Dual CCTs are available with the following specialties:
- ICM Dual CCTs: Acute Internal Medicine
- ICM Dual CCTs: Anaesthesia
- ICM Dual CCTs: Emergency Medicine
- ICM Dual CCTs: Renal Medicine
- ICM Dual CCTs: Respiratory Medicine
Since 2021, trainees who wish to dual train in intensive care medicine with acute internal medicine, respiratory medicine or renal medicine, must also CCT in Internal Medicine, therefore creating a triple CCT in these groups.
See the Dual/Triple CCT FICM page for further details on any of the above Dual/Triple CCTs.
Academic Intensive Care posts
Details about academic training can be found in the Academic Training in Intensive Care Medicine document on the FICM site.
This includes formal research training via national recruitment, fellowships and Academic Special Skills Year
Fig 1: Academic ICM Training Pathways
