Dr Arunesh Sil to be the new Lead for Specialty Training
Posted on: Tuesday 14 October 2025
After more than two decades of dedicated service, Professor Peter Stonier FFPM’s term as FPM Director of Specialty Training has come to an end.
Peter has in many ways been the figurehead for specialty training in pharmaceutical medicine (PMST), consistently driving high standards, advising and supporting the many people involved in the development and delivery of specialty training – be they Educational Supervisors, Specialty Advisors, ARCP panellists and others, not to mention our trainees. He leaves some very big shoes to fill, and we offer him our deepest thanks.
As we say farewell to Peter, we are delighted to welcome Dr Arunesh Sil FFPM as FPM’s new Specialty Training Lead. Arunesh brings a wealth of experience in pharmaceutical medicine and a deep-seated commitment to excellence in specialty training. One of Arunesh’s first priorities in his new post will be to work with the team and the wider specialty training “community” to review what we do in light of FPM’s new strategy for 2026-28 and ensure we continue to uphold FPM’s Values of being Professional, Innovative, Caring, Collaborative, Credible and Learned.
Peter will continue to be involved with specialty training as the Chair of the Specialty Advisory Committee in Pharmaceutical Medicine, which is administered by the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK.
Peter Commented:
To be appointed Director of Specialty Training was vote of confidence in the discipline of Pharmaceutical Medicine soon after it was confirmed as a medical specialty by the UK Government in 2002.
A team from the Faculty and Royal Colleges of Physicians developed the far-sighted, competency-based in-work programme of high-quality, evidence-based training. This met national postgraduate education and assessment standards, emphasising the contribution of Pharmaceutical Physicians to multidisciplinary teamwork across the lifecycle of medicines’ development. In practice, it focused professional collaboration between trainees, researchers and industry professionals in the UK and beyond in a global workforce for a rapidly developing technological scientific-medical field.
What had seemed distant a few years before was now a reality which sparked the enthusiasm of a host of trainees and a 400-strong peer group – of educational supervisors, specialty advisers, assessors, reviewers, ethicists, examiners, workstream groups, trainers and course providers, regulators, deanery and faculty staff – in support of approved training sites across the country in pharmaceutical companies, contract research organisations, regulatory and academic bodies.
It has been a privilege to share this journey with so many and witness their progress along a rewarding career path, complete their certificate of training and gain a place on the country’s specialist medical register, overcoming with grit and determination all the hurdles that a 4-year academic and vocational programme can present.
I cannot thank enough all our colleagues, trainers and trainees alike, who have contributed so much time, energy and of their own expertise to this venture.
I will always be grateful for this opportunity given to me by my predecessor, and I wish the next Specialty Training Lead every success in this continuing endeavour.
Arunesh Commented:
It is my privilege and honour to take on the role of the Lead for Pharmaceutical Medical Specialty Training in UK.
I wish to extend my sincere thanks to the Faculty for this opportunity and to Professor Peter Stonier who has not only laid the foundations for the Specialty Training in Pharmaceutical Medicine, but through his relentless pursuit of excellence in education, has transformed the Specialty Training to what we know today. His phenomenal contribution to the development of the programme has left some very big shoes to fill. Having gone through the programme myself, I truly appreciate his leadership, integrity and vision which will continue to be the guiding principle for all of us.
In line with the GMC Workforce report of 2024, training for doctors in the UK in general has several challenges and the need for transformation is clear. This changing scenario provides us an opportunity to review the specialty training in Pharmaceutical Medicine to meet the challenges and needs of evolving healthcare in the NHS and the changing environment of the pharmaceutical industry in general.
With this need in mind and in line with the new strategic principles of the FPM for 2026-2028, my vision for the future of specialty training in the UK is to build a lasting value proposition on the solid foundation that we have now, which not only aims to meet the changing needs of the industry and the NHS, but also serves to further the collaboration between the NHS, academia and the industry. It is my view that this will truly uphold the FPM values of being Professional, Innovative, Caring, Collaborative, Credible and Learned.
About Arunesh
I am a pharmaceutical physician and a ENT surgeon with a wide ranging experience of more than 25 years that includes senior leadership experience, surgical and clinical experience through industry and clinical roles.
My previous roles have involved a variety of mostly in-country and also global experiences including line management and talent management throughout my career. During the course of my entire career I have employed strategic planning and leadership skills in complex matrixed environments.
Prior to entering the pharmaceutical industry, I worked for many years in the NHS and in India as an ENT surgeon and I am a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons with several awards and publications to my credit. I have interests in medical statistics and real-world data and I am a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society. I am also an ABPI final medical signatory with significant signatory experience and strong compliance background of more than 13 years. Since the completion of my Fellowship at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, I have held academic roles with the Faculty where I have worked as an Educational Supervisor, an ARCP reviewer and a GMC appraiser.
During my career I have led several decision-making processes with successful outcomes involving complex stakeholder engagement that includes engagement with NICE, NHS England, SMC, patient organisations, and political bodies. I have been a speaker in the panel discussions in national pharmaceutical network conferences.
In my spare time, I am a keen practitioner of yoga and meditation and offer guidance for the same. I have several interests in variety of topics from sports to cars to gardening.