Understanding posts and preferencing

Preferencing means ranking posts to tell us which ones you’d most and least like to be appointed to.

From Thursday 11 April 2024, you’ll be invited to preference your Dental Core Training (DCT) posts in Oriel.

This means ranking them according to which posts you’d most like to be appointed to.

What posts are available?

DCT programmes are available at three different entry levels (DCT1, DCT2, and DCT3) and are typically for 12 months. There are a small number of 24-month programmes available.

Posts are listed as rotations or hospital placements and are available across all 4 nations of the UK.

You can use the filters on the Excel spreadsheet to find the information that you are looking for.

Preferencing DCT posts in Oriel

We'll use the DCT programmes that you preference to make offers, subject to the successful completion of the selection process. You can preference posts across all 4 nations, so that you're considered for appointment across the whole of the UK.

As DCT2 and DCT3 are advertised as one vacancy on Oriel, please note you will only see preferences applicable to the level you have applied to.

When you're preferencing posts, it is important that you remember the following.

• Your preference choices should be made solely on your desirability of the associated post, not the perceived desirability for other applicants.
• Please do not preference posts you would not accept. Move these posts to the 'Not wanted' column
• If you are interested in posts listed with zero vacancies, you should still preference posts listed with zero vacancies in case posts may become available at a later date
• Ranking a less popular preference highly will have no bearing on when an offer will be made.

By ranking a preference, you are stating that you are prepared to undertake a training programme in that area. You should not preference or accept posts if you are unable to commence training in that particular post. If you are made an offer and decline it, you will be withdrawn from the process and will not receive any further offers for that programme.

If you receive an offer you are not eligible for because you ranked preferences incorrectly, the DCTNRO reserves the right to withdraw this offer of training.

Preferencing closes at 2pm on Friday 17 May 2024. It will reopen after the first round of offers and then reopen again after each subsequent round of offers.

Researching programmes and posts

You should access the 4 nations websites for more information about the opportunities available:

England

• East of England
• East Midlands
• Kent, Surrey and Sussex (KSS)
• London
• North East
• North West
• South West
• Thames Valley and Wessex
• West Midlands
• Yorkshire and the Humber

Other UK nations

• Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency (NIMDTA) 
• NHS Education for Scotland (NES)
• Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW)

We suggest that you research not only the types of programmes offered in each region, but also:

• the geographical areas covered
• the main Trusts or NHS Boards in each of those areas
• transport links to home