Toxicology

Toxicology in the UK offers a niche but rewarding career path for those with a background in emergency medicine. Understanding the training structure and opportunities is crucial for physicians considering this specialty.

• Basic Training: Training in General Internal Medicine and Therapeutics is recommended and typically spans seven years.

• Educational Requirements: Aspiring toxicologists must have a UK work permit and NHS experience at a registrar level. Additionally, obtaining a Diploma in Toxicology from Cardiff University is highly beneficial and often essential for career advancement.

• Fellowship Options: After completing their training, candidates can apply to become approved clinical toxicologists. Opportunities for specialized training in toxicology are limited in the UK, with one-year fellowships. Only four trusts in the UK—St Guys and Thomas, London and others located in Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Birmingham—offer this highly specialised training, each admitting just one trainee annually.

• Application Process: Applying for a fellowship in toxicology is akin to applying for any job within the UK, i.e. via NHS Jobs or Trac Jobs, with specific additional qualifications like the MSc or Diploma in Toxicology enhancing candidacy.

• Clinical Scope: Clinical opportunities within the UK are sparse, with the practice of toxicology not widely established outside research and advisory roles.

• Professional Landscape: Currently, there are only 17 approved clinical toxicologists in the country. The rest are primarily pharmaceutical graduates who collaborate with National Poison Information System (NPIS). The NPIS offers research roles which are typically filled by pharmacists and GPs, rather than NHS staff.

• Work Environment: Most toxicology roles are affiliated with the Health and Security Agency UK rather than the NHS, with funding and job opportunities structured differently.

• Rizwan Riyaz
  Linkedin Profile
  Emergency Medicine Consultant NHS & Clinical Toxicologist
  Toxicology Chair SIG RCEM UK FRCEM, MRCEM, MD, MBBS
  University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust

• Moeed Ahmed
  drmoeedahmed@gmail.com
  Chief Registrar, Frimley Park Hospital, Camberley, Surrey, United Kingdom