Immunology and Allergy

Competencies

• Three domains: the foundations of clinical immunology and allergy, investigations and management, and diseases and disorders
• The diseases domain carries four themes, immunodeficiency, autoimmune and autoinflammatory disease, allergy, and clonal disorders, which are the three categories the program is built around plus the clonal work
• Procedures to be comfortable with: skin prick and intradermal testing, skin patch testing, spirometry, elimination diets and food challenges, provocation testing of the upper and lower airways, and uncomplicated skin biopsy
• The practice this trains for is diverse, from full-time hospital and university work to full-time private practice. Allergy and primary immunodeficiency are major components of many practices, and how much immunopathology a practice carries varies greatly
• Systemic and organ-specific autoimmunity and acquired immunodeficiency overlap enormously with other specialties, so the boundary work is part of the job rather than an exception to it
• A working knowledge of the natural history of immune disorders across the whole life span is required of every consultant, because many see children and adults, especially where consultants are scarce

To complete

• Certification of each period by the Training Program Committee for immunology and allergy, which is the committee alone on both programs
• Registration with both colleges on the joint program, with the clinical and laboratory training done across more than one training setting. A single setting is considered only in exceptional circumstances
• Re-registration every year, by 28 February for the first half or the whole of the year, and by 31 August for the second half