UK graduates and EEA nationals can get GMC registration without passing any further exams, as their qualifications are recognised in the UK. Therefore this post only concerns doctors who do not fall in the above-mentioned bracket.
There are many different pathways for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) to enter the UK’s system, as listed below.
1) PLAB PLAB is the licencing exam for International Medical Graduates wishing to practice in the UK. PLAB has two parts, PLAB 1 and PLAB 2. Once you’ve passed your PLAB 2 exam, you can get GMC registration to become eligible to work in the UK as a doctor. You can check my post Road Map for PLAB to understand the pathway for PLAB. 2) Medical Training Initiative Through this pathway, doctors who are training in their home country can apply for training in different specialties in the UK for a short period of time and then return back to their home country to complete their training. This pathway is ideal for doctors who wish to gain UK experience for a short time and then return back home. Please click here to get more details about the program. Please also check Dr. Omar Alam’s post which discusses MTI, among other topics. 3) Acceptable Postgraduate Qualifications These qualifications can be divided into two categories: The UK postgraduate qualifications include all the Royal College exams including MRCP and MRCS. You can go through GMC’s list of acceptable postgraduate qualifications to see if you can work in the UK on the basis of your qualifications. 4) Sponsorship Programs Several University departments in the UK operate sponsorship schemes for GMC registrations. These schemes are for doctors wishing to undertake a postgraduate degree or research project with the University. Please contact the relevant academic heads of the departments and they will be able to advise you if they are approved sponsors for the purposes of GMC registration. You can find more information about this from the official GMC website link here. 1. For how long would I be allowed to train in the UK on the basis of Medical Training Initiative? This can vary, depending on which country you are applying from. For people applying from Pakistan, MTI is usually a two-year program. You can always contact them at mti@rcplondon.ac.uk to ask your questions. 2. How do IMGs enter the training system in the UK? You can check my post Entry into Training for IMGs to get a detailed answer. 3. Can I enter sub-specialty of my choice in Medicine? Yes. 4. How can I study for PLAB 1? To get a detailed idea, you can go through my post, Studying for PLAB 1.
Useful Links
Frequently Asked Questions
Published on: 29 April 2017.
Last updated on: 25 May 2020.