What's the difference between a Registrar & a Consultant?

[Discomonkfish]

Help, I'm booked for an elective on 10 October but was told that the op would probably be performed by a Registrar not a Consultant. Apparently the Consultant would be available if needed. What's the difference between the two....is a Registrar not as qualified....bit worried now. Can you insist on a Consultant??

Registrar is senior doctor but still training so not as experienced as consultant. They can be anything from a month to a few years off completing their training. If they are doing unsupervised sections they will be more than capable of it so try not to panic. However, if you want to you can insist on having a consultant present. There will usually be two people present anyway - may well be that the registrar is the one doing the 'cutting' and the consultant supervising and assisting them.

I can't really offer you reassurance or tell you whether you can insist on a consultant in your particular hospital, but I can just give you the information about medical grades in the hope that it helps you understand and make your feelings/wishes heard.

The short answer is, no a registrar is not as qualified as a consultant. A registrar is a junior doctor in training. A consultant is someone who has finished all their training, has a registered specialist qualification, and has then been appointed to a consultant post. To become a consultant takes: (these are approximate) a year as a house officer, three years as a senior house officer (during which time you write your specialist exams), then three years as a specialist registrar. (This system is changing at the moment but that is the way it has been up to now).

There are therefore different levels of registrar depending where they are in their training, some may be quite experienced whereas others may be nearer the beginning of their registrar training. There can be therefore a big difference between one registrar and another.

This may not be what you want to hear but I hope at least having the info may be helpful.