Junior Clinical Fellow Jobs for IMGs: What They Are and How to Get Shortlisted

CareerPro UK Team

Oct 23

3 min read

Updated: 18 hours ago

For most international medical graduates, the first NHS job is not a training post. It is a non-training post with a title such as Junior Clinical Fellow, Clinical Fellow, Trust Grade Doctor or Locally Employed Doctor. These posts are the usual route into the NHS for IMGs, and a good one can give you the UK experience, supervision and portfolio evidence you need for your next step.

Quick answer

A junior clinical fellow is a non-training NHS post employed directly by a trust, often at FY2 to SHO level. It is the most common first NHS job for IMGs. To get shortlisted, match every criterion in the person specification with a real example, and show teaching, audit and an understanding of UK practice.

What is a junior clinical fellow post?

A clinical fellow is a doctor employed directly by an NHS trust on local terms, outside a national training programme. "Trust grade" is an older name for the same kind of post. Some clinical fellow jobs include a protected interest, such as teaching, quality improvement, research or a particular specialty; others are mainly service posts on the rota.

The job title alone does not tell you much. Two posts with the same title can be very different, so it is the details in the job description and person specification that matter.

Why these posts suit IMGs

Clinical fellow posts usually do not require UK experience or a national training number, which makes them the most realistic first step for many IMGs. A good post gives you an induction into NHS systems, a named supervisor, experience of UK clinical practice, and the chance to build evidence such as audits, teaching and reflective entries. That evidence is what strengthens later applications for training or more senior posts.

What to check before you accept

Ask the employer, ideally in writing, about:

Supervision. Will you have a named clinical or educational supervisor, and regular meetings?

Induction. Is there a proper induction for doctors new to the NHS?

Rota and pay. What is the rota pattern, and which pay point applies to you?

Study leave. Is there a study leave budget and time for courses and exams?

Protected time. If the post is advertised with teaching, audit or research time, how much is actually protected?

How to get shortlisted

Clinical fellow posts are competitive, and shortlisting is usually done by scoring your application against the person specification. Common criteria include full GMC registration, relevant clinical experience, communication skills, and evidence of teaching, audit and reflective practice.

Match every criterion. Use the same wording as the person specification and give one real example for each criterion. Our guide to the NHS person specification explains how shortlisters score you.

Show NHS-ready evidence. Teaching, audit and an understanding of UK professional standards often make the difference. Our free online courses in Teaching Skills, Clinical Audit and QIP and Good Medical Practice each show you how to write that criterion in your application, with a verifiable certificate of completion.

Mention UK exposure. A clinical attachment or observership shows you understand how the NHS works.

Write a focused supporting statement. See our guide on how to write an NHS supporting statement as an IMG.

Planning a surgical career? A clinical fellow post is often the first step towards core or higher surgical training. Read our guide to surgical careers in the NHS for IMGs for every route, including the new training prioritisation rules.

Key points

Junior clinical fellow posts are the most common first NHS job for IMGs. Judge each post by its supervision, induction and protected time rather than its title, and apply with evidence matched to every criterion in the person specification. If you would like your application checked before you apply, contact CareerPro UK.

Frequently asked questions

What is a junior clinical fellow?

A doctor employed directly by an NHS trust on local terms, outside a national training programme, usually at FY2 to SHO level. 'Trust grade' is an older name for the same kind of post.

Do junior clinical fellow posts need UK experience?

Many do not, which is why they are the most realistic first NHS job for many IMGs. Some posts do ask for previous NHS experience, so check each person specification.

What should I check before accepting a clinical fellow job?

Ask about supervision, induction, the rota and pay point, study leave and how much protected time is genuinely available.

How do I get shortlisted for clinical fellow posts?

Use the person specification's wording, give one real example for each criterion, and show teaching, audit and understanding of UK professional standards.