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Specialist, Associate specialist and Specialty (SAS) doctors

SAS doctors make a significant contribution to patient care and NHS services. Whether you're exploring career opportunities, looking for Portfolio Pathway resources, or seeking professional development and support, you'll find a range of helpful information and tools here.

What are SAS doctors?

SAS doctors are experienced clinicians who work outside traditional specialty training and consultant pathways. They play a vital role in delivering expert patient care, supporting multidisciplinary teams and contributing specialist knowledge across healthcare services. Specialist doctors generally work at a senior level.

SAS careers offer flexibility, autonomy, and rewarding opportunities for doctors at different stages of their professional journey. 

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Careers information

We explain the roles and eligibility, benefits and getting involved in non-clinical work, plus inclusive language and links to BMA and NHS resources.
Careers information
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Supporting you

We support SAS doctor members with career development guidance, access to workplace-based assessments and ePortfolio, CPD opportunities and guidance on revalidation.
Supporting SAS doctors
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SAS Committee

This College committee represents all SAS doctors, championing their contribution, raising their profile and supporting career development and progression.
SAS Committee

SAS doctors are vital to the NHS. Becoming a SAS doctor is a positive, fulfilling and sustainable career choice, which offers flexibility, stability and excellent opportunity for professional development while maintaining work life balance and take on leadership roles

Dr Kumar Swamy, Co-Chair of RCPCH SAS Committee

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Job planning toolkit

Our toolkit guides you from preparation for the first job planning meeting, through to objective setting and review, plus information on leave and alternative working patterns.
Job planning toolkit
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Portfolio Pathway

This is typically the route to Specialist Registration for SAS doctors. We outline the common issues SAS doctors face when applying to Portfolio Pathway.
Portfolio Pathway for SAS doctors
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Get involved

SAS doctors contribute significant expertise on our theory exams - writing questions, setting the minimum pass score and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments.
Get involved on theory exams

Being an SAS leader both locally and nationally provides an immense feeling of empowerment, which not only helped me excel in my career but also enriched me with the sense of accomplishment. This breaks the taboo and misunderstanding that SAS grades are stagnant roles. Instead, it can be a highly rewarding and satisfying position.

Dr Jamil Ahmad Khan, Co-Chair of RCPCH SAS Committee

News by and about SAS doctors

More news relating to paediatric careers
SAS Careers Stories - Supporting Career Changes
Blog
17 October 2024

SAS Careers stories – Supporting career changes

As part of our SAS Careers series, two members share their experience of supporting and navigating career change. Alice and Liz work together in York Hospital and reflect on supporting Alice to transition into a SAS role when leaving training.  
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Announcement
25 October 2022

RCPCH publishes results from workforce census

In January 2022 we asked paediatric consultants and SAS doctors working in the UK for information about their roles, responsibilities, and their views on retirement.
Announcement
13 January 2021

UK CMOs, Academy and GMC write a letter of support to doctors through COVID-19

The Chief Medical Officers of the four UK nations, NHS England and NHS Improvement, General Medical Council and Academy of Medical Royal Colleges have written a further letter of thanks and support to all doctors during this pandemic. While noting the real hope that vaccinations offer, the letter ac...