MY staff stories
Latest stories from colleagues across the Trust.
Championing the SAS (specialty and specialist grade) doctor route
“I didn’t want to keep rotating through hospitals. I wanted to belong somewhere, to build something, to grow with a team.”
Dr Eddie Rostand is a SAS (Specialty and Specialist grade) doctor and a passionate advocate for a workforce group that is both rapidly growing and widely misunderstood.
Historically, the SAS route was closely associated with International Medical Graduates. While it remains a vital and valued pathway for overseas doctors, this association sometimes led to unfair assumptions about status or progression. That began to change in 2020, when the GMC confirmed that the Portfolio Pathway (formerly CESR) is fully equivalent to traditional training routes, with all doctors now awarded a CCT.
“The qualification is equivalent. The opportunities are equivalent. But perceptions haven’t caught up yet,” Eddie says.
“That’s what I want to challenge.”
SAS doctors are now the fastest-growing group in the medical workforce, with national predictions suggesting a 50:50 split with traditional trainees within the next decade. Eddie believes this has major implications for workforce planning.
“Because SAS doctors are permanent, we bring continuity. We build long-term relationships with teams and patients, and we can commit to service improvement and leadership in a way that rotating doctors often can’t.”
For Eddie, the SAS route was a deliberate choice. After experiencing rotational training, he knew he wanted stability.
“Becoming part of Mid Yorks has been fantastic. I’ve been able to develop trusted relationships, grow my leadership skills and contribute to longer-term projects. It’s a supportive environment that’s allowed me to thrive.”
A key message Eddie wants to share is that SAS doctors have access to the same opportunities as their peers: supervising, teaching, research, governance, senior leadership and academic roles.
“There is nothing holding SAS doctors back but outdated assumptions,” he says. “We are an essential, skilled and committed part of the workforce — and it’s time that was fully recognised.”