Aangezien "geassocieerde specialist" in de Nederlandse medische terminologie helemaal nergens op slaat, zou ik de Engels term gebruiken en desnoods een letterlijke "vertaling" tussen haakjes toevoegen (net zoals voor "consultant" trouwens).

De "associate specialist" is een specialist die een trapje lager staat dan een "consultant" die de leiding heeft. De titel wordt in de toekomst vervangen door "speciality doctor".

In deze nuttige glossary wordt het onderscheid tussen "consultant" and "associate specialist" beschreven.
http://www.bma.org.uk/patients_public/whos_who_healthcare/gl...

Associate specialist Location: Hospital

Description: An associate specialist is a doctor who has trained and gained experience in a medical or surgical specialty but has not gone on to become a consultant. These doctors usually work independently but will be attached to a clinical team led by a consultant in their specialty. Some of them are listed on the GMC's specialist register and are eligible to take on a consultant post. The reasons why they do not are variable, and include a wish to concentrate on clinical work and to avoid the administrative pressures of a consultant post; a desire to have a better work/life balance; and in some cases, a lack of opportunity to access higher training posts. They do however take part in the full range of clinical work, including teaching junior doctors.

Training: An associate specialist will have undertaken some specialist training and will almost certainly have attained the professional qualifications to be a member or fellow of the relevant medical royal college or faculty. They have normally worked first of all in the staff grade or equivalent and have been moved to the more senior associate specialist grade after having their qualifications and experience assessed by their employer and college.

The grade of associate specialist was closed in 2008 and has been replaced by the specialty doctor grade. Although there will be no new appointments to this grade, many associate specialists will remain until they retire, and you can expect to see these doctors for many years to come.

Consultant Location: Hospital

Description: A consultant is a doctor who is fully trained in a particular specialty area and has the ultimate responsibility for the clinical care of patients. Most consultants work in hospitals in multidisciplinary teams which will include nurses and other healthcare professionals as well as other doctors. Consultants are responsible for the education and supervision of junior doctors in their team and also for the supervision of SAS grade doctors."

"The associate specialist is a senior grade of hospital
doctor who is responsible to a named consultant. It is a
career grade post and, if a doctor is employed under
national terms and conditions, the contract is without a
fixed term of appointment. Subject to a probationary year
the post can be held until retirement. Associate specialist
posts are often personal appointments that are established
for those doctors committed to a career in the hospital
service but who are unable to complete higher professional
training or who, having completed it, are unable or do not
wish to accept the full responsibility of a consultant
appointment and make a personal application for
regrading. http://www.rcoa.ac.uk/docs/Bulletin34.pdf