A Different Path to CCT: Reflections After PMST
Posted on: Monday 5 January 2026
Recently, I met up for dinner with friends training in oncology, gastroenterology, and cardiology – the same friends who, several years ago, had asked me in astonishment why I would choose to return to medical training after leaving the NHS to work in the pharmaceutical industry. This time, however, the conversation was different: I was able to tell them that I had completed Pharmaceutical Medicine Specialty Training (PMST) and had been awarded my Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT).
Three years ago, I wrote a blog reflecting on my first year of PMST. At the time, I had recently transitioned from clinical-academic training in orthopaedic surgery, with a PhD freshly completed, into the pharmaceutical industry, and had just re-entered formal medical training once again.
Now, having completed PMST and entered the specialist register, it feels like the right moment to reflect – this time from the other side of training.
This blog is for those currently undertaking PMST, those considering it, and those who may still be wondering whether PMST is really worth the time and effort.
Did PMST turn out to be what I hoped?
Short answer: yes – and more so than I expected.
When I started PMST, my motivation was driven by unfinished business with medical training and a desire for structured, accredited development in pharmaceutical medicine. Despite already having completed a PhD and eight years of clinical-academic training, I sensed there were important gaps in my professional foundation as a pharmaceutical physician.
What I did not fully appreciate at the outset was how much PMST would shape:
- how I think and reason in complex, non-clinical medical contexts
- how confidently I engage across multiple functions
- and how clearly I can articulate my professional identity as a pharmaceutical physician
PMST did not simply add another qualification; it validated and formalised my role as a specialist physician practising outside traditional clinical settings.
From fitting PMST around work to integrating it into practice
In my first blog, I described PMST as something I had to fit around my day job. That is a very natural way to approach it initially.
Over time, however, PMST became less of an additional commitment and more of a framework through which I understood my work. The Capabilities in Practice (CiPs) stopped feeling abstract and increasingly mapped onto real-world decision-making – whether in safety discussions, regulatory strategy, interpretation of clinical data, or ethical judgements.
Similarly, the workplace-based assessments evolved from feeling administrative to becoming genuinely useful tools for reflection and discussion with colleagues. PMST also had the side effect of generating an impressive amount of feedback – far more than I would have received outside training – which I came to appreciate greatly.
Another practical advantage was that the Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) also counted as my annual appraisal. Having a single, structured process that met both training and appraisal requirements was something I particularly appreciated, especially when balancing PMST alongside a full-time industry role.
The value of breadth and confronting blind spots
One of the greatest strengths of PMST is the deliberate breadth of exposure it demands.
Despite my background in clinical academia and completion of a PhD, PMST highlighted areas where my understanding was either limited or overly siloed. Through structured engagement with pharmacovigilance, regulatory affairs, clinical development, and quality systems, PMST forced me to confront — and address — these blind spots.
Crucially, this was not theoretical learning. PMST required me to demonstrate applied understanding in the workplace, which has had a lasting impact on how I practise, how I interact with colleagues across the organisation, and how I contribute to cross-functional decision-making.
PMST and the DPM in hindsight
Previously, I wrote that PMST helps prepare you for the Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine (DPM). With the benefit of hindsight, I would now say something stronger: The DPM confirms knowledge; PMST embeds it into professional practice.
The DPM is a demanding and broad examination, and there is a school of thought that completing the DPM alone is sufficient. However, a key distinction is that PMST provides the apprenticeship-style training that transforms knowledge into sound judgement, on-the-job application, and professional credibility.
Having completed both, I am now clear that PMST offers something fundamentally different to the DPM alone. PMST takes learning one step further by ensuring that knowledge is consistently applied in day-to-day practice, while also providing a clear route to CCT and demonstrating a sustained commitment to best practice in pharmaceutical medicine.
Professional engagement and giving back to the specialty
One of the most unexpected aspects of my PMST journey has been increased engagement with FPM itself.
During training, I became a member of the FPM Trainees’ Committee, and more recently had the privilege of serving as Chair. This role allowed me to advocate for trainees and contribute to shaping the future of the specialty.
The achievement I am most proud of is lobbying for additional opportunities to sit the Certificate in Pharmaceutical Medicine (CPM). This was a recurrent concern among trainees, and I am delighted that expanded sitting opportunities will now be available in the coming years.
Completing PMST: what has changed?
Since completing PMST and entering the specialist register, the most noticeable changes for me have been:
- increased confidence grounded in accredited breadth and experience
- greater clarity of professional identity as a pharmaceutical physician
- a broader perspective, and an improved ability to articulate how pharmaceutical physicians across the lifecycle can impact patient outcomes at scale
These changes are subtle but meaningful. They have shaped how I now practise and contribute within cross-functional teams. While I currently work in medical affairs, PMST has also made me more open-minded about future roles, including the possibility of working in clinical development.
Closing the loop
When I first announced that I was starting PMST, my friends training in oncology, gastroenterology, and cardiology were genuinely surprised that I would choose to re-enter medical training after leaving the NHS.
Sitting together recently at a Christmas gathering, I was struck by the symmetry of where we have all arrived. The gastroenterologist, the oncologist, and I will all complete our CCTs within a three-month window of each other, having started medical school together in 2007. Despite taking very different career paths, we have reached specialist registration at almost exactly the same time.
For me, that moment neatly encapsulated what PMST represents: parity with other medical specialties, legitimacy as a training pathway, and recognition of pharmaceutical medicine as a discipline grounded in the same standards of professionalism, accountability, and excellence.