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MRCPUK JRCPTB CPD

Training

Acute care common stem (medicine)

About the specialty

Acute Care Common Stem (ACCS) - Internal Medicine

The training pathway of Acute Care Common Stem - Internal Medicine (ACCS-IM) offers an alternative route into physicianly training for trainees who are interested in careers in the acute aspects of medical care. ACCS-IM replaces the previous programme ACCS-Acute Medicine from August 2021 and will be an indicative four years duration. 

The ACCS curriculum describes the learning outcomes for the indicative two-year period of training in which doctors rotate through specialty placements in Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Anaesthetics and Intensive Care Medicine. Trainees on the ACCS-IM pathway will then undertake two years of Internal Medicine stage 1 training (IMY2 and IMY3) and complete the MRCP(UK) examination in order to exit the ACCS training programme and progress into higher training. Trainees will be eligible to apply for all group 1 JRCPTB specialties following completion of the ACCS-IM programme. Trainees wishing to enter a group 2 (non acute) specialty can do so after three years of ACCS-IM (ie IMY2). 

Information on ACCS training, including how to apply, can be found on the ACCS website and IMT recruitment website.

Curriculum

The 2021 ACCS curriculum is available on the ACCS website via this link. Resources to support implementation of the curriculum are also available on the ACCS website here.

The previous ACCS curriculum and associated guidance can also be found on the ACCS website

ARCP Decision Aids

The ARCP decision aid for the first two years of ACCS-IM is available on the ACCS website here. Please see our Internal Medicine page for the ARCP decision aid for IMT which should be used in the third and fourth year of ACCS-IM which equate to IM year 2 and IM year 3. 

Forms and guidance

Resources to support implementation of the 2021 ACCS curriculum are also available on the ACCS website here.

FAQs relating to ACCS and IMT are available here. Please also see the Internal Medicine page for guidance relating to the IM Stage 1 curriculum including the Rough Guide. Please see the ARCP decision aids section for guidance on ARCP requirements.