STP application timeline
The STP timeline matters because missing one stage usually means waiting for the next recruitment round. Use this page as a planning guide, then check NSHCS before relying on any date.
Current round
For 2026 entry, direct-entry applications opened in January and interviews ran through spring. The official NSHCS timetable remains the source to check.
Main applicant work
Prepare evidence, shortlist specialisms, practise scientific communication and keep documents ready before the window opens.
Do not wait for the advert
The strongest applicants usually start building examples months before the application form appears.
How to use the official dates
Read the NSHCS key deadline page first. Then copy each stage into your own calendar: application window, longlisting or shortlisting, interview period, offers, upgrades and programme start.
Dates can differ between direct-entry and in-service routes, so do not assume a deadline from one route applies to the other.
- Application opening and closing dates
- Supporting-information deadline if applicable
- Interview booking or assessment period
- Offer response deadline
- Upgrade or reserve-list period
What to prepare before applications open
The form is easier if you already have examples ready. Build short evidence notes around patient impact, quality improvement, teamwork, communication, scientific judgement and learning from mistakes.
Medical physics examples do not need to be from an NHS job. Lab projects, dissertations, shadowing, teaching, coding, volunteering and public communication can all be useful if you explain what you did and what you learned.
A sensible month-by-month routine
Three to six months before the expected window, learn the specialisms and choose the ones you can explain honestly. Two months before, write draft evidence examples. During the window, tailor the form to the STP person specification rather than submitting generic physics statements.
After submission, keep reading around the specialism and practise explaining technical ideas to a non-specialist audience. Interview preparation is much harder if it starts only after an invite arrives.
Sources: NSHCS 2026 key dates, NSHCS STP applicants, IPEM careers.