What is a Registrar?

What is a Registrar?

In the NHS, a registrar is a senior doctor who has completed their initial foundation (and core) training but is not yet a consultant. They are training to be a consultant, and often act as the consultant’s deputy.

They have usually had at least 5 years experience post-qualification.

They are highly skilled practitioners who often manage the day-to-day care of patients and lead medical teams on the ward.

As of September 2024, the term “registrar” falls under the new official title of Resident Doctor, alongside junior doctors and specialty doctors.

The Path to Becoming a Consultant

Becoming a hospital consultant is a rigorous journey that typically takes over a decade after graduating from medical school. Here is the standard career timeline:

1. Medical School (4–6 years): University study to become a qualified doctor.

2. Foundation Training (FY1–FY2): Two years as a junior doctor gaining general experience.

3. Core Training (CT1–CT2 / ST1–ST2): Two years of initial specialty training.

4. Registrar Training (ST3–ST8): Generally 6 years of intensive, high-level specialist training.

5. Consultant Grade: After passing difficult professional exams and completing the registrar period, a doctor can apply for consultant posts.

What Does a Registrar Do?

A registrar acts as the “bridge” between junior doctors and consultants. They are experienced enough to make complex clinical decisions and often perform procedures independently. Their responsibilities include:

Inpatient Care & Emergencies

• Acute Reviews: Assessing the most unwell patients who have been admitted through A&E.

• Ward Leadership: Leading “ward rounds” to review patient progress and adjust treatment plans.

• GP Liaison: Taking referrals and providing specialist advice to General Practitioners.

• Specialist Areas: Working in high-intensity environments like the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Labour Ward, or Surgical Admissions Unit (SAU).

Outpatient & Surgical Work

• Specialist Clinics: Running outpatient clinics to manage long-term conditions.

• Procedures and Operations: If they are a surgical registrar, they perform operations (often as the lead surgeon) to refine their skills.

• Teaching: Supervising and mentoring medical students and more junior “resident doctors.”

Is a Registrar as Experienced as a Consultant?

While the consultant has the ultimate medicolegal responsibility for a patient, a senior registrar (ST7 or ST8) is often just as technically proficient.

Because they have recently sat their professional exams, their clinical knowledge is frequently at the absolute cutting edge of modern medicine.

Different Names You Might Hear

Medical terminology has evolved over the years. You may hear a registrar referred to as:

• SpR / ST: Specialist Registrar or Specialist Trainee.

• Fellow: A term often used in the USA or for those doing extra-specialized training after their registrar years.

• Resident Doctor: The new collective term for all non-consultant hospital doctors in the UK.