About the specialty
Genitourinary Medicine (GUM) involves the investigation and management of sexually transmitted infections and HIV. It is mostly outpatient based but does include inpatient care of HIV infection. It can also include more specialised services such as young people's clinics, genital dermatoses, sexual dysfunction, and psychosexual medicine and outreach services for sex workers and drug users.
Essential requirements of a genitourinary physician are enjoying contact with patients, being able to work as part of a multidisciplinary team and good communication skills. It is important to be non-judgemental and feel comfortable about discussing sensitive issues such as sex.
There is also a public health element to the specialty with the need to perform partner notification (contact tracing), and to collect and report surveillance data in order to detect changing trends of infections.
Entry into Genitourinary Medicine training is possible following successful completion of both a foundation programme and a core training programme. There are two core training programmes for Genitourinary Medicine training:
- Internal Medicine Training (IMT)
- Acute Care Common Stem - Internal Medicine (ACCS-IM)
Latest news and developments
A new curriculum for dual training in GUM and Internal Medicine was implemented in August 2022. Trainees entering GUM in August 2021 will transfer to the new curriculum unless it is not safe or practical for them to do so. Trainees who started training prior to August 2021 can remain on the current curriculum and will not be required to transfer but will be encouraged to transfer where possible. Please see our transition page for general information and the specialty guidance provided below.
Curriculum
The curriculum for each specialty defines the process of training and the capabilities needed for the award of a certificate of completion of training (CCT). The curriculum includes the assessment system for measuring trainees’ progress comprising workplace based assessment and knowledge based assessment.
A new curriculum for GUM and Internal Medicine has been approved by the GMC and was implemented in August 2022. Please see the forms and guidance section for documents to support trainers and trainees.
Genitourinary Medicine 2022 Curriculum
The previous GUM curriculum is available below. Earlier versions of the curriculum are no longer available online but copies can be requested from curriculum@jrcptb.org.uk.
ARCP Decision Aids
The ARCP decision aid for each specialty defines the targets that have to be achieved for a satisfactory ARCP outcome at the end of each training year. The ARCP decision aid for the GUM 2022 curriculum appears below.
For trainees on the 2016 curriculum, there is a decision aid which was updated for 2022 to reflect the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
GUM 2016 ARCP decision aid (2022 derogation update)
The ARCP decision aid for trainees on the 2016 curriculum post-August 2022 is given below.
GUM ARCP decision aid for trainees on 2016 curriculum post Aug-2022
Forms and guidance
Curriculum guidance
The following guidance has been produced by the GUM SAC to support the implementation of the new curriculum.
Transition guidance 2022 GUM curriculum
Implementation of IM training in GUM
Q&As on the new curriculum, recruitment and workforce
Transition and gap analysis guidance
Mapped GUM and GIM competencies to support GIM CESR applications
The SAC has prepared the following guidance to support trainees who wish to apply for specialist accreditation in General Internal Medicine (GIM) via the CESR route. The first document maps the GUM curriculum to the current GIM curriculum, the second is a mapping for the new Internal Medicine stage 2 curriculum. Further information is available on our CESR webpage.
Mapped GUM and GIM curricula to support GIM CESR applications