FCPS Specialities List: Every Specialty You Can Choose After Part 1

When you apply for FCPS Part 1, you don't sit a generic exam — you apply into one specific specialty, and Paper 2 of your exam follows that specialty's own CPSP prospectus. This guide lists every specialty on offer, so you know your full range of options before you apply.

The Official CPSP FCPS Part 1 Specialities List

CPSP publishes a dedicated prospectus for each of these disciplines:

• Medicine and Allied
• Surgery and Allied
• Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Anaesthesiology
• Diagnostic Radiology
• Pathology
• Ophthalmology
• ENT (Otorhinolaryngology)
• Psychiatry
• Community Medicine
• Dentistry

Every specialty shares the same Paper 1 (basic sciences: Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology and Community Medicine) — what differs is Paper 2, which follows your chosen specialty's own syllabus. You can download the official CPSP prospectus for any of these on our FCPS Part 1 syllabus page, all free.

What "and Allied" Means

Medicine and Allied, and Surgery and Allied, are the two broadest specialty groups — "Allied" means the group also covers related subspecialties under the same Part 1 exam (for example, Medicine and Allied covers entry into subspecialties like Cardiology, Nephrology, Neurology and others at the Part 2/subspecialty stage later in training). Choosing "Medicine and Allied" or "Surgery and Allied" at Part 1 keeps a wide range of subspecialty options open later; the more specific specialities (Ophthalmology, ENT, Psychiatry, etc.) commit you to that specific path from Part 1 onward.

How to Choose a Specialty

• Match it to your career plan. Part 2 training and your eventual practice follow directly from the specialty you choose at Part 1 — this is not a preliminary choice you revisit casually.
• Check the overlap in Paper 2 content against your own clinical strengths and interests using the official prospectus before committing.
• Consider training-seat availability in your chosen specialty at hospitals you can realistically access for Part 2, not just the Part 1 exam itself.

Is the Basic Sciences Paper the Same for Every Specialty?

Yes. Paper 1 tests the same seven basic-science subjects regardless of which specialty you apply in, so a single, broad foundation in Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology and Community Medicine benefits every applicant, whichever specialty you eventually choose for Paper 2.

Next Steps

For the full official syllabus PDF for any specialty above, see our FCPS Part 1 syllabus page. For how your result is actually calculated, see our FCPS Part 1 passing criteria guide. For specialty-specific detail, see our guides on FCPS Medicine, FCPS Surgery, FCPS Gynae & Obs, FCPS Anaesthesia, FCPS Pathology, FCPS Radiology, FCPS Psychiatry and FCPS Dentistry.

Practise the Shared Foundation

Since every specialty sits the same Paper 1, a strong basic-sciences foundation benefits you whichever speciality you choose. HighYield's FCPS Part 1 Basic Sciences QBank covers Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology and Community Medicine with detailed explanations for every question, plus specialty-specific QBanks for Medicine, Surgery, Gynae & Obs, Anaesthesia and Dentistry. Your first 20 questions in any bank are free.