Vascular Surgery ST3 · Latest published criteria

Vascular Surgery ST3 self-assessment 2027: points calculator and scoring guide

2026 criteria (guidance last reviewed 19 Nov 2025); 2027 guidance not yet published Last checked

Pick the option that fits your evidence at each step to see your score out of 39, and what you can still add before the deadline.

Applications close 4pm, Thu 10 Dec 2026

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Vascular ST3 points calculator

Answer one question for each scored domain. We add up your points with the published rules shown on each step, then show what you could still add before the deadline, with dates. It takes about two minutes.

We'll show your result and email you a copy.

When are you applying?

We use this to date your plan. Applying this round, it works back from the deadline. Applying next year, you get the long-run version instead.

Your score is the total of the domain scores, out of a maximum of 39.

Maximum 8 pointsDomain 1 Months in vascular surgery

By the end of September 2026, how many months (whole time equivalent) will you have spent after medical school in total in Vascular Surgery in any country? Please do not include any other posts.

Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 8 points. Pick the highest option you can evidence.

4 to 16 months (WTE) in vascular surgery after medical school scores the maximum 8.

Watch out. More experience isn't better here: over 16 months drops to 4, and over 24 months scores 0.

Caps. One band only. The score peaks at 4 to 16 months and falls after that. The 2026 form counts months to 'the end of September 2026'; the 2027 form isn't published yet.

Maximum 4 pointsDomain 2 Appendicectomies or femoral artery dissections

At the time of application, how many appendicectomies (laparoscopic and/or open) or femoral artery dissections have you completed which have been done either STS or STU or P or T? The higher of the two scores will count. These must be recorded in a validated logbook.

Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 4 points. Pick the highest option you can evidence.

Logbook-recorded appendicectomies or femoral artery dissections done STS, STU, P or T. 16-20 femoral dissections or 50-99 appendicectomies score the maximum 4.

Watch out. As published, the top band (21+ femoral, 100+ appendicectomies) scores 1, not 4 or 5. Check the 2027 table when it appears.

Caps. Columns: femoral artery exploration count | appendicectomy count | score. 'The highest score from the two options, either for the appendicectomies or femoral artery explorations, will be used as your score for this domain'.

Maximum 4 pointsDomain 3 First-author PubMed publications

At the time of application, how many First author publications have you had published in any PubMed indexed journals? Do not include published abstracts, case reports, letters or technical tips.

Each item you can evidence adds its points, up to 4 points for the domain.

4+ | 4 / 3 | 3 / 2 | 2 / 1 | 1 / 0 | 01pt eachHow many

Published first-author papers in PubMed-indexed journals.

Watch out. Abstracts, case reports, letters and technical tips don't count, and accepted-but-unpublished papers count only once published ('Do not include articles submitted for publication if they have not been accepted').

Caps. 1 per paper, capped at 4.

Maximum 5 pointsDomain 4 Other PubMed publications

At the time of application, how many other publications have you had published in any PubMed indexed journals? Do not include published abstracts, case reports, letters or technical tips.

Each item you can evidence adds its points, up to 5 points for the domain.

5+ | 5 / 4 | 4 / 3 | 3 / 2 | 2 / 1 | 1 / 0 | 01pt eachHow many

Co-authored PubMed papers, including collaborative papers (1 per collaborative project).

Watch out. Counting the same paper in Domains 3 and 4.

Caps. 1 per paper, capped at 5.

Maximum 6 pointsDomain 5 National and international presentations (last 2 years)

At the time of application, and in the last two years whole-time equivalent (WTE) of clinical practice how many national and international presentations have been given of work in which you are a listed author? Do not include poster presentations.

Each item you can evidence adds its points, up to 6 points for the domain.

6+ | 6 / 5 | 5 / 4 | 4 / 3 | 3 / 2 | 2 / 1 | 1 / 0 | 01pt eachHow many

Oral presentations given at national or international meetings in the last two years WTE, of work on which you are a listed author. For UK applicants - national refers to activity within the England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or the UK as a whole. Local would mean at the level of a hospital single Trust or University.

Watch out. Posters score nothing: 'Do not include poster presentations.' A presentation you haven't yet given doesn't count either.

Caps. 1 per presentation, capped at 6. Only the last two years WTE.

Maximum 5 pointsDomain 6 Closed-loop audits and QIP

Please submit your 2 best closed loop audits and your best additional audit or Quality Improvement Project that have resulted in a departmental presentation of the results at the time of application. Audits must be at least a full loop (a full audit cycles that involves a second audit following an implemented change) and compared to a published clinical standard.

Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 5 points. Pick the highest option you can evidence.

Two closed-loop audits against a published standard plus one QIP, all presented at a departmental meeting, with your involvement shown in both cycles.

Watch out. Joining only one cycle. 'Submissions where the applicant is deemed by the shortlisters to have only been involved in the initial or re-audit will receive zero points. Submissions where no template/evidence is submitted for this question will be deemed ineligible.'

Caps. Columns: audit mark | QIP mark | total. One combination only (0-5).

Maximum 3 pointsDomain 7 Higher degree (including PG Cert in teaching)

At the time of application, have you completed and been awarded a stand-alone higher degree or equivalent (see evidence below) examined by thesis/dissertation? (NB: This does not include intercalated degrees or primary medical degrees).

Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 3 points. Pick the highest option you can evidence.

A completed, awarded stand-alone postgraduate qualification examined by thesis or dissertation.

Watch out. Non-UK degrees need evidence of equivalence: 'a letter from the institution confirming that it was awarded following the production of a research-based thesis and full examination together with a copy of your results transcript'.

Caps. Highest only (0-3). Domain 9 notes that 'the PG Cert or equivalent in teaching has now been moved to domain 7'.

Maximum 2 pointsDomain 8 Leadership and management (last 2 years)

Please select one statement that best describes your involvement in leadership or management in the last two years whole-time equivalent (WTE) of clinical practice.

Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 2 points. Pick the highest option you can evidence.

A formal leadership or management role in the last two years WTE. 'Roles outside healthcare include voluntary activity, arts, and other sciences, but not paid employment.'

Watch out. Informal involvement without a formal, evidenced role scores 0.

Caps. Highest statement only (0-2). Roles outside healthcare count, but not paid employment.

Maximum 2 pointsDomain 9 Medical education and teaching (last 2 years)

Please select one statement that best describes your involvement in medical education/teaching in the last two years whole-time equivalent (WTE) of clinical practice.

Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 2 points. Pick the highest option you can evidence.

A formal teaching role (local 1, national or regional 2), or for 1 point a 'substantial interactive and practical teaching qualification (but not a formal degree)'. Erudical is always looking for teachers for its Teach the Teacher course: contact us.

Watch out. A certificate on its own. The evidence 'should include a clear description of the learning outcomes achieved, programme content and teaching methods employed', and 'mapping to the learning outcomes of the RCSEng is essential'.

Caps. Highest statement only (0-2). A PG Cert in teaching now scores in Domain 7, and FHEA can't be used.

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The Vascular Surgery ST3 self-assessment has nine domains. You score yourself on Oriel, and if you’re shortlisted a panel of Vascular Surgery consultants checks your score against the evidence you upload to Qpercom. No maximum is printed, but the domain maxima add up to 39. The score is used twice: “shortlisted candidates with the highest scores will be invited to attend a remote interview”, and afterwards “Your ranking will be based on your interview and verified self-assessment scores”, in a split that isn’t published. The 2027 timeline is out. The advert appears by 5pm on Wednesday 18 November 2026, applications open at 10am on Thursday 19 November and close at 4pm on Thursday 10 December 2026, and “scores are finalised when the form is submitted”. The scoring guidance is still the 2026 version. In the 2026 round the guidance went up the day before applications opened; that isn’t confirmed for 2027.

Vascular ST3 self-assessment (scored on the Oriel application form, then verified against evidence uploaded to Qpercom) points at a glance

2026 criteria (guidance last reviewed 19 Nov 2025); 2027 guidance not yet published Last checked

Your score is the total of the domain scores, out of a maximum of 39.

No maximum is printed; 39 is the sum of the nine domain maxima. 'Your self-assessment score, as submitted on your application form will be verified and your verified score will contribute towards your overall score.' 'Your ranking will be based on your interview and verified self-assessment scores.' The split between them isn't published. Shortlisting: 'In line with interview capacity, shortlisted candidates with the highest scores will be invited to attend a remote interview.' 'Self verified score of 0 will have your application removed once applications close.' 'If we have a higher number of applications than we have capacity to interview we may employ a second shortlisting process, where we will use an unverified score cut off and withdraw any candidates below this score.'

Vascular ST3: every domain, what scores and the maximum
DomainWhat scores (official wording)Max
Domain 1 Months in vascular surgery
  • 0 points <2 months | 0
  • 4 points 2 to <4 months | 4
  • 8 points 4 to <12 months | 8
  • 8 points 12 to 16 months | 8
  • 4 points >16 to 24 months | 4
  • 0 points >24 months | 0

Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 8 points.

One band only. The score peaks at 4 to 16 months and falls after that. The 2026 form counts months to 'the end of September 2026'; the 2027 form isn't published yet.

8
Domain 2 Appendicectomies or femoral artery dissections
  • 0 points 0 | 0 | 0
  • 1 point 1 to 5 | 1 to 9 | 1
  • 2 points 6 to 9 | 10 to 29 | 2
  • 3 points 10 to 15 | 30 to 49 | 3
  • 4 points 16 to 20 | 50 to 99 | 4
  • 1 point 21 or more | 100 or more | 1

Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 4 points.

Columns: femoral artery exploration count | appendicectomy count | score. 'The highest score from the two options, either for the appendicectomies or femoral artery explorations, will be used as your score for this domain'.

4
Domain 3 First-author PubMed publications
  • 1 point each 4+ | 4 / 3 | 3 / 2 | 2 / 1 | 1 / 0 | 0

Each item you can evidence adds its points, up to 4 points for the domain.

1 per paper, capped at 4.

4
Domain 4 Other PubMed publications
  • 1 point each 5+ | 5 / 4 | 4 / 3 | 3 / 2 | 2 / 1 | 1 / 0 | 0

Each item you can evidence adds its points, up to 5 points for the domain.

1 per paper, capped at 5.

5
Domain 5 National and international presentations (last 2 years)
  • 1 point each 6+ | 6 / 5 | 5 / 4 | 4 / 3 | 3 / 2 | 2 / 1 | 1 / 0 | 0

Each item you can evidence adds its points, up to 6 points for the domain.

1 per presentation, capped at 6. Only the last two years WTE.

6
Domain 6 Closed-loop audits and QIP
  • 0 points Insufficient evidence | 0 | 0 | 0
  • 1 point QIP only | 0 | 1 | 1
  • 2 points 1 audit | 2 | 0 | 2
  • 3 points 1 audit plus 1 QIP | 2 | 1 | 3
  • 4 points 2 audit | 4 | 0 | 4
  • 5 points 2 audit plus 1 QIP | 4 | 1 | 5

Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 5 points.

Columns: audit mark | QIP mark | total. One combination only (0-5).

5
Domain 7 Higher degree (including PG Cert in teaching)
  • 0 points No higher degree | 0
  • 1 point Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate diploma | 1
  • 2 points Masters (such as MSc, MMedEd, MS, ChM) | 2
  • 3 points PhD, MD | 3

Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 3 points.

Highest only (0-3). Domain 9 notes that 'the PG Cert or equivalent in teaching has now been moved to domain 7'.

3
Domain 8 Leadership and management (last 2 years)
  • 0 points I have had no significant involvement in leadership or management | 0
  • 1 point I have provided evidence in my portfolio of a formal leadership or management role within or outside of medicine at a local or Trust level | 1
  • 2 points I have provided evidence in my portfolio of a formal leadership or management role within or outside of medicine at a national or regional level | 2

Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 2 points.

Highest statement only (0-2). Roles outside healthcare count, but not paid employment.

2
Domain 9 Medical education and teaching (last 2 years)
  • 0 points I have had no significant involvement in teaching | 0
  • 1 point I have provided evidence in my portfolio of a formal teaching role or management role within or outside of medicine at a local or Trust level Or, A substantial interactive and practical teaching qualification (but not a formal degree) | 1
  • 2 points I have provided evidence in my portfolio of a formal teaching role within or outside medicine at a national or regional level | 2

Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 2 points.

Highest statement only (0-2). A PG Cert in teaching now scores in Domain 7, and FHEA can't be used.

2
TotalNot published as a single figure: this is the sum of the domain maxima.39

Dates for this round

  • Advert appears source
  • Date not published yet Vascular pages updated with 2027 guidance (not confirmed: in the 2026 round they were updated the day before applications opened) expected source
  • Applications open source
  • Applications close (scores locked when you submit) source 1 source 2
  • Date not published yet Evidence verification upload (Qpercom) expected source
  • Interviews source
  • Initial offers released all regions source

What you can still add before 10 December 2026

What each of these adds is the difference between the option you would reach and the one you already hold, so it can be nothing if you hold that option already. The calculator works out the gain from your own answers.

  • Domain 5 National and international presentations (last 2 years). Submit an abstract (free) to NMERC 2026 at nmerc.org/submit and give an oral presentation online on Sat 14 Nov 2026. A poster won't score here. Keep the programme page that names you, plus the evidence letter and abstract book (issued by 16:00 on 16 Nov). Gets you to: Each national or international oral presentation (6+ = 6). The NMERC talk on Sat 14 Nov 2026 comes before you submit (applications open 10am 19 Nov, close 4pm 10 Dec 2026), and 'Do not include a presentation if you have not yet presented it'.
  • Domain 9 Medical education and teaching (last 2 years). Do the Erudical Teach the Teacher course: a live online day (09:00-17:00, '6 hours of live teaching with an expert', interactive) plus a self-paced course ('Over 12 hours of content included', 20 modules), each with its own certificate. Upload both certificates with the course programme, its learning outcomes and teaching methods, mapped to the RCSEng learning outcomes. Gets you to: Formal local teaching role, or a substantial teaching qualification. 'Only include achievements which are fully completed at the time of submission.' Both parts must be finished before you submit (applications close 4pm Thu 10 Dec 2026), so choose a live course date that leaves time for the self-paced course and both certificates.

Evidence traps

  • Posters score nothing in Domain 5. Only oral presentations at national or international meetings count. Do not include poster presentations. source
  • Your score is fixed the moment you submit. Finish everything first; nothing can be added or corrected afterwards. Please note scores are finalised when the form is submitted. This means they cannot be edited in the event of a mistake, or an additional achievement completed after the deadline. source
  • Domain 1 rewards 4 to 16 months in vascular surgery. Over 16 months drops to 4 points and over 24 months scores 0. 4 to <12 months | 8 / 12 to 16 months | 8 / >16 to 24 months | 4 / >24 months | 0 source
  • Presentations, leadership and teaching only count from the last two years WTE. At the time of application, and in the last two years whole-time equivalent (WTE) of clinical practice how many national and international presentations have been given of work in which you are a listed author? source
  • A PG Cert in teaching now scores in Domain 7, not Domain 9, and FHEA can't be used as evidence. Please note FHEA is not classified as a formal qualification and cannot be used as evidence Please note that the PG Cert or equivalent in teaching has now been moved to domain 7 source

Sources

Vascular points still open before you submit

The guidance says “Only include achievements which are fully completed at the time of submission”, and nothing can be added afterwards, so your deadline is the moment you submit, by 4pm on 10 December 2026 at the latest. Two domains can realistically move in the weeks left. Presentations (Domain 5) counts national and international orals from the last two years WTE at 1 each, up to 6, so an oral delivered at NMERC on 14 November gains 1 unless you already have six. A poster gains nothing. Teaching (Domain 9) gives 1 for “A substantial interactive and practical teaching qualification (but not a formal degree)”, which is where we claim the Teach the Teacher course: a gain of 1 if you have nothing in that domain and the panel accepts it. The rest of the form is fixed by now. On the 2026 form, Domain 1 counted your months in vascular surgery to “the end of September 2026” (the 2027 reference date isn’t published yet), papers have to be already published, every audit needs your involvement in both cycles and a departmental presentation, and a leadership role has to be formal and evidenced.

Rules in the Vascular guidance that change a score

Domain 1 works against instinct. Between 4 and 16 months WTE in vascular surgery scores the maximum 8, “>16 to 24 months” drops to 4, and more than 24 months scores 0. In Domain 2 the higher of your appendicectomy or femoral artery dissection count is used, and as published the top band (“21 or more | 100 or more | 1”) scores 1, below the 4 for 16 to 20 dissections or 50 to 99 appendicectomies; check that line again when the 2027 table appears. Audit is unforgiving: “Submissions where the applicant is deemed by the shortlisters to have only been involved in the initial or re-audit will receive zero points.” A PG Cert in teaching now scores in Domain 7, and “FHEA is not classified as a formal qualification and cannot be used as evidence”. Unusually, Vascular lets one achievement score twice: “If an achievement legitimately fits under multiple domains, it is valid to claim in both categories (for example, academic work which was presented orally then subsequently published)”. Over-claiming “could lead to outright rejection of your application, and in extreme cases, fitness to practice proceedings”, and a “Self verified score of 0 will have your application removed once applications close.”

Worked example: a CT2 on 18 of 39

Picture a CT2 with 6 months WTE in vascular surgery, 12 appendicectomies, one first-author and two co-author PubMed papers, one national oral in the last two years, one closed-loop audit and one QIP (both presented at a departmental meeting) and a local rota-coordinator role. They have no higher degree and no formal teaching role. On the 2026 tables they score:

  • Domain 1, months in vascular surgery: 4 to under 12 months, 8.
  • Domain 2, index procedures: 10 to 29 appendicectomies, 2.
  • Domain 3, first-author papers: one, 1.
  • Domain 4, other papers: two, 2.
  • Domain 5, presentations: one national oral, 1.
  • Domain 6, audit and QIP: one audit plus one QIP, 3.
  • Domain 7, higher degree: none, 0.
  • Domain 8, leadership: a formal local role, 1.
  • Domain 9, teaching: no significant involvement, 0.

That’s 18. An oral at NMERC on 14 November gives them a second national presentation and takes Domain 5 from 1 to 2. Finishing the Erudical course before submitting, with its programme and learning outcomes mapped to the RCSEng outcomes, takes Domain 9 from 0 to 1 if the panel accepts it as substantial. The new total is 20, a gain of 2. Had they taken a poster to NMERC, Domain 5 would have stayed at 1. There’s no published cut-off, so this total can’t tell you whether you’d be shortlisted.

The calculator scores all nine domains on the 2026 tables, adds them up against the derived 39 and shows the gain from an NMERC oral or the course. We’ll show your result and email you a copy.

Go to the Vascular ST3 calculator at the top of this page

For the nine tables and the 2027 dates on a single printable page, add your email and we’ll send you the PDF.

Email me the printable version

We'll email you the PDF in the next few minutes, plus a few Vascular ST3 emails until applications close. Unsubscribe any time.

Does a teach the teacher course count for Vascular ST3?

We claim it for 1 point in Domain 9, and the verification panel decides. The statement is “A substantial interactive and practical teaching qualification (but not a formal degree)”, offered as an alternative to a formal local teaching role, and the guidance doesn’t define “substantial”. The Erudical course is interactive and practical: a live online day (09:00 to 17:00) with “6 hours of live teaching with an expert”, plus a self-paced course of over 12 hours in 20 modules. The evidence rule matters as much as the certificate. Your upload “should include a clear description of the learning outcomes achieved, programme content and teaching methods employed. Undertaking a particular named course is not required but mapping to the learning outcomes of the RCSEng is essential.” So upload the certificates for the live day and the self-paced course, or the combined certificate, which you can request from us, together with the programme and that mapping. Both parts have to be finished before you submit, by 4pm on 10 December 2026. Live days before then: 24 October, 31 October, 7 November, 15 November, 28 November and 5 December. Domain 9 takes one statement covering the last two years WTE, so the course adds 0 if you already hold that tier or higher: a formal teaching role at local or Trust level already scores 1, and one at national or regional level scores 2. A PG Cert in teaching scores 1 in Domain 7 instead. To see how the course fares in other specialties, use our comparison of teaching course points across specialties.

An NMERC oral and the Vascular presentations domain

NMERC, held online on Saturday 14 November 2026, takes place before the Vascular window opens, which matters because the guidance says “Do not include a presentation if you have not yet presented it”. Abstracts can be submitted at nmerc.org/submit, presenting is free, and it’s open to any doctor or medical student. Only an oral helps here. Domain 5 asks how many “national and international presentations have been given of work in which you are a listed author? Do not include poster presentations.” Each oral in the last two years WTE scores 1, up to 6, so the gain is 1 unless you already have six. Vascular defines national by reach: “For UK applicants – national refers to activity within the England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or the UK as a whole.” NMERC is open across the UK, nothing in the guidance excludes online meetings, and the 2027 person specification lists “Attendance at, or participation in, national, international, departmental, regional and online meetings relevant to vascular surgery” as desirable. The evidence asked for is “a copy of the relevant page of the meeting programme(s)”, and the NMERC programme names every presenting author. If the same work is later published in a PubMed-indexed journal before you submit, the multi-domain rule lets it count in Domain 3 or 4 as well. A talk there earns nothing under Teaching, and acceptance of an abstract isn’t guaranteed, so send yours in good time.

Vascular Surgery ST3 questions, answered

How many points is the Vascular Surgery ST3 self-assessment out of?

No total is printed. Add the nine domain maxima and you get 39: months in vascular surgery 8, index procedures 4, first-author papers 4, other papers 5, presentations 6, audit and QIP 5, higher degree 3, leadership 2 and teaching 2. Your verified score and your interview are combined for ranking, in proportions that aren’t published, and if applications exceed interview capacity, “we may employ a second shortlisting process, where we will use an unverified score cut off and withdraw any candidates below this score.”

Do posters count for Vascular Surgery ST3?

No. Domain 5 counts only national and international presentations in the last two years WTE and says “Do not include poster presentations.” Each oral scores 1, up to 6, and the evidence is the relevant page of the meeting programme.

When do Vascular ST3 applications open and close for 2027?

Applications open at 10am on Thursday 19 November 2026 and close at 4pm on Thursday 10 December 2026, and your scores lock when you submit. The evidence upload to Qpercom is still to be confirmed; in the 2026 round it was due to open by 12 December and close on 19 December 2025. Interviews are on Tuesday 9 February 2027, and initial offers are released by 5pm on Tuesday 13 April 2027. Because the guidance on the site is still the 2026 version, recheck the tables before you submit.

What is the Vascular ST3 interview like?

In the 2026 round it was a remote interview of about 50 minutes on Qpercom, invigilated, with a second camera needed. Station 1 had a clinical scenario (5 minutes’ reading, then 10 minutes) and a communication scenario (10 minutes). Station 2 had a management scenario (5 minutes’ reading, then 10 minutes) and a virtual operative skills scenario (10 minutes). Each station had two consultant interviewers. The interview page still describes the 2026 round.