Choosing to study with us will give you valuable experience working alongside our world renowned multidisciplinary team of clinicians and academics.
Introduction
St Mark’s Hospital was one of the world’s first specialist hospitals and has made a significant contribution towards the understanding of intestinal and colorectal diseases. The St Mark’s Academic Institute was established in 1993 due to an increasing need to bring teaching and research at the hospital together. Choosing to study with us will give you valuable experience, you will be learning alongside a world-renowned team of clinicians and researchers, many of whom have contributed towards some of the greatest advancements in our understanding of bowel disorders.
Honorary Clinical Assistants
Postgraduates looking for a more hands-on experience can apply for the post of honorary clinical assistant in either surgery or medicine. This is a training period which enables delegates to participate in surgery or medicine while also providing the opportunity to undertake research. During your stay trainees are invited to attend nearly all academic events and courses taking place at the hospital free of charge.
Honorary clinical assistants are attached to a member of the consultant staff who will act as your supervisor, and for the duration of your stay you will form part of the consultant’s surgical or medical team. There will also be the opportunity to become involved with other clinics and sessions at the discretion of the consultant involved. The minimum duration of an Honorary Clinical Assistant post is normally three months. Most delegates elect to stay for six months to a year.
GMC Registration: All applicants must be eligible for GMC registration. All clinicians from EU countries are eligible, but to have full registration with licence to practise you must first sit and pass the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam. Please note that we do accept applicants who have GMC registration without full licence to practise however these applicants will not be authorised to see patients or do on-calls unsupervised. GMC regulations will vary according to which country your medical training took place in and your level of English.
Cost: The cost of visiting as an Honorary Clinical Assistant depends on the amount of time you stay with us: 3 months is £1,500, 3 to 6 months is £2,250 and 7 to 12 months is £3,600.
Observers
We offer observerships of varying length which provide clinicians with the opportunity to observe the work of St Mark’s Hospital in a limited capacity.
Visitors who have been approved to observe may attend clinical activities but are not permitted to scrub in or be involved in any direct or indirect patient care or management. You may be granted access to attend clinics, endoscopy and physiology sessions as an observer however this is at the discretion of the consultant concerned.
The typical duration of an observership is one month, however it is possible to stay for a shorter or longer period of time. The maximum time of an observership is 6 months. There are 3 terms where observerships are accepted: The Winter Term (January to March), Summer Term (September) and Autumn Term (November to December).
Prerequisites: To be eligible to attend as an observer applicants should be in at least the third year or above of speciality training, have a special interest in intestinal and colorectal diseases, and have a good knowledge of written and spoken English language.
Cost: The cost of visiting as an Observer depends on the amount of time you stay with us: 1 to 5 days is £30 per day, 1 week is £150 and 1 month is £600 (£500 per additional month).
Postgraduate teaching term
St Mark’s Academic Institute has run highly prestigious teaching terms for intestinal and colorectal surgeons for many years. Our postgraduate teaching term is a four week programme suitable for surgeons with an interest in intestinal and colorectal disease.
During your four weeks with us, you will attend lectures and open seminars given by our expert staff of consultant surgeons and gastroenterologists, nurses, radiologists and dietitians. While you study with us you are invited to observe in theatres and outpatients departments, and are given the opportunity to spend time in the various hospital departments. You will also meet our current research fellows and learn about the experience of studying and carrying out research at St Mark’s.
All postgraduate teaching term delegates are able to attend routine hospital meetings such as grand rounds (weekly in-house educational talks), IBD multidisciplinary meetings, research forums, and radiological and pathological reviews.
Prerequisites: To be eligible for the postgraduate teaching term applicants should be in at least the third year or above of speciality surgical training, have a good understanding of spoken English, and be able to work effectively in a team.
Cost: The cost of attending our teaching term is £2,950. All delegates receive a St Mark’s Hospital certificate of attendance upon completion of the teaching term.
Expenses
St Mark’s cannot cover the cost of travel, accommodation or other living expenses such as meals and transportation. Students must self-fund, unless individuals can obtain educational sponsorships or funding from their training universities.
How to apply
For any further information or assistance, or to send your application form and CV, please send us an email. Please note that we cannot guarantee you will be given your preferred dates; visitors are welcome depending on the availability of the hospital.
Form: Application Form 2025
Email: [email protected].
Address: St Mark’s Academic Institute Room No. EDC-07/08 Avery Jones Education Centre, Level 2, Acton Lane, London NW10 7NS