This Privacy Policy sets out how we, The Savvy IMG, collect, store and use information about you when you use or interact with our website, thesavvyimg.co.uk (our website) and where we otherwise obtain or collect information about you. This Privacy Policy is effective 13th November 2019.
Contents
- Summary
- Our details
- When you visit our website
- When you use our website
- Marketing communications
- Information obtained from third parties
- Disclosure and additional uses of your information
- How long we retain your information
- How we secure your information
- Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area
- Your rights in relation to your information
- Changes to our Privacy Policy
- Children’s Privacy
Summary
This section summarises how we obtain, store and use information about you. It is intended to provide a very general overview only. It is not complete in and of itself and it must be read in conjunction with the corresponding full sections of this Privacy Policy.
- Data controller: The Savvy IMG
- How we collect or obtain information about you: when you provide it to us e.g. by contacting us, registering, uploading and downloading from our website, completing registration forms, posting blogs, or signing up for content such as newsletters. From your use of our website, using cookies and occasionally, from third parties such as mailing list providers.
- Information we collect: name, contact details, social media information, IP address, information from cookies, information about your computer or device (e.g. device and browser type), information about how you use our website (e.g. which pages you have viewed, the time when you view them and what you clicked on, the geographical location from which you accessed our website (based on your IP address), engagement history and transaction history.
- How we use your information: for administrative and business purposes (particularly to contact you, to improve our business and website, to fulfil our contractual obligations, to advertise our and other’s goods and services, to analyse your use of our website, and in connection with our legal rights and obligations.)
- Disclosure of your information to third parties: user information can be shared with partners for specific types of content and events where a user has registered their information. Other disclosures are only to the extent necessary to run our business, to our service providers, to fulfil any contracts we enter into with you and where required by law or to enforce our legal rights.
- Do we sell your information to third parties (other than in the course of a business sale or purchase or similar event): No, The Savvy IMG, does not sell data. However, when you register or sign up for certain types of content, your registration data can be shared with sponsors and partners. Examples of where we do this include event registrations, webinar signups or whitepaper downloads. We will always make it clear where any information provided will be shared with other parties.
- How long we retain your information: for no longer than necessary, taking into account any legal obligations we have (e.g. to maintain records for tax purposes), any other legal basis we have for using your information (e.g. your consent, performance of a contract with you or our legitimate interests as a business) and certain additional factors described in the main section below entitled How long we retain your information. For specific retention periods in relation to certain information which we collect from you, please see the main section below entitled How long we retain your information.
- How we secure your information: using appropriate technical and organisational measures such as storing your information on secure servers, encrypting transfers of data to or from our servers using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology, encrypting payments you make on or via our website using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology and only granting access to your information where necessary.
- Use of cookies and similar technologies: we use cookies and similar information-gathering technologies such as marketing automation tracking on our website including essential, functional, analytical and targeting cookies. For more information, please visit our cookies policy.
- Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area: By using our website, your information may be transferred outside of the European Economic Area. We take personal data seriously and as such we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including, for example, that the third parties we use who transfer your information outside the European Economic Area have self-certified themselves as compliant with the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield.
- Use of profiling: we use profiling to understand our users better through web and marketing analytics, provide targeted advertising and deliver a personalised user experience.
- Your rights in relation to your information
- to access your information and to receive information about its use
- to have your information corrected and/or completed
- to have your information deleted
- to restrict the use of your information
- to receive your information in a portable format
- to object to the use of your information
- to withdraw your consent to the use of your information
- to complain to a supervisory authority
- Sensitive personal information: we do not collect what is commonly referred to as ‘sensitive personal information’.
Our details
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact the data controller.
The data controller in respect of our website is The Savvy IMG.
You can contact the data controller by sending an email to info@thesavvyimg.co.uk.
When you visit our website
We collect and use information from website visitors in accordance with this section and the section entitled Disclosure and additional uses of your information.
Web server log information
We use a third party server to host our website called BlueHost Inc. the privacy policy of which is available here: https://www.endurance.com/privacy/privacy
Our website server automatically logs the IP address you use to access our website as well as other information about your visit such as the pages accessed, information requested, the date and time of the request, the source of your access to our website (e.g. the website or URL (link) which referred you to our website), and your browser version and operating system.
Use of website server log information for IT security purposes
We collect and store server logs to ensure network and IT security and so that the server and website remain uncompromised. This includes analysing log files to help identify and prevent unauthorised access to our network, the distribution of malicious code, denial of services attacks and other cyber-attacks, by detecting unusual or suspicious activity.
Unless we are investigating suspicious or potential criminal activity, we do not make, nor do we allow our hosting provider to make, any attempt to identify you from the information collected via server logs.
Legal basis for processing: compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject (Article 6(1)(c) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Legal obligation: we have a legal obligation to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk of our processing of information about individuals. Recording access to our website using server log files is such a measure.
Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Legitimate interests: we have a legitimate interest in using your information for the purposes of ensuring network and information security.
Use of website server log information to analyse website use and improve our website
We use the information collected by our website server logs to analyse how our website users interact with our website and its features. For example, we analyse the number of visits and unique visitors we receive, the time and date of the visit, the location of the visit and the operating system and browser use.
We use the information gathered from the analysis of this information to improve our website. For example, we use the information gathered to change the information, content and structure of our website and individual pages based according to what users are engaging most with and the duration of time spent on particular pages on our website.
Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Legitimate interest: improving our website for our website users and getting to know our website users’ preferences so our website can better meet their needs and desires.
Cookies
Cookies are data files which are sent from a website to a browser to record information about users for various purposes.
We use cookies on our website, including essential, functional, analytical and targeting cookies. For further information on how we use cookies, please see our cookies policy.
You can reject some or all of the cookies we use on or via our website by changing your browser settings or non-essential cookies by using a cookie control tool, but doing so can impair your ability to use our website or some or all of its features. For further information about cookies, including how to change your browser settings, please visit www.allaboutcookies.org or see our cookie policy.
When you contact us
We collect and use information from individuals who contact us in accordance with this section and the section entitled Disclosure and additional uses of your information.
Email
When you send an email to the email address displayed on our website we collect your email address and any other information you provide in that email (such as your name, telephone number and the information contained in any signature block in your email).
Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Legitimate interest(s): responding to enquiries and messages we receive and keeping records of correspondence.
Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract or to take steps at your request to enter into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Reason why necessary to perform a contract: where your message relates to us providing you with goods or services or taking steps at your request prior to providing you with our goods and services (for example, providing you with information about such goods and services), we will process your information in order to do so).
Enquiry forms
When you contact us using an enquiry form, we collect your personal details and match this to any information we hold about you on record. Typical personal information collected will include your name and contact details. We will also record the time, date and the specific form you completed.
If you do not provide the mandatory information required by our contact form, you will not be able to submit the contact form and we will not receive your enquiry.
Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Legitimate interest(s): responding to enquiries and messages we receive and keeping records of correspondence.
We will also use this information to tailor any follow up sales and marketing communications with you. For further information, see the section of this privacy policy titled ‘Marketing Communications’.
Messages you send to us via our contact form may be stored outside the European Economic Area on our contact form provider’s servers.
Phone
When you contact us by phone, we collect your phone number and any information provide to us during your conversation with us.
We record customer-facing phone calls for training and customer service purposes.
Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation)
Legitimate interest(s): responding to enquiries and messages we receive and keeping records of correspondence.
Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract or to take steps at your request to enter into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Reason why necessary to perform a contract: where your message relates to us providing you with goods or services or taking steps at your request prior to providing you with our goods and services (for example, providing you with information about such goods and services), we will process your information in order to do so).
Post
If you contact us by post, we will collect any information you provide to us in any postal communications you send us.
Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation)
Legitimate interest(s): responding to enquiries and messages we receive and keeping records of correspondence.
Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract or to take steps at your request to enter into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Reason why necessary to perform a contract: where your message relates to us providing you with goods or services or taking steps at your request prior to providing you with our goods and services (for example, providing you with information about such goods and services), we will process your information in order to do so).
When you use our website
We collect and use information from individuals who interact with particular features of our website in accordance with this section and the section entitled Disclosure and additional uses of your information.
Social Media Tools
We have a wide range of social media tools to be able to use on our website. These tools include (but not limited to); Sharing, Likes, comments and submitting content both on and off our website. By using these tools, you are providing your consent to store and use the submitted data whether personal information or general information both on and off our website.
Legal basis for processing: your consent (Article 6(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation). Consent: you give your consent to us storing and using submitted content using the steps described above.
We may also use this information to tailor any follow up sales and marketing communications with you. For further information, see the section of this privacy policy titled ‘Marketing Communications’.
Information you submit may be stored both inside and outside the European Economic Area on our servers as well as third-party servers such as Facebook.
For further information about the safeguards used when your information is transferred outside the European Economic Area.
Registering on our Website
When you register on our website or via teachable, we collect the following information; Your Name, Email.
If you do not provide the mandatory information required by the form, you will not be able to interact with our website or on Teachable.
You can view Teachable's privacy policy here https://teachable.com/privacy-policy
Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Legitimate interest: registering and administering accounts on our website to provide access to content, allows you to download content and facilitates the running and operation of our business.
We will also use this information to tailor any follow up sales and marketing communications with you. For further information, see the section of this privacy policy titled ‘Marketing Communications’.
Transfer and storage of your information
Information you submit to us via the registration form on our website may be stored outside the European Economic Area on our third-party hosting provider’s servers.
Marketing communications
Our content, goods and services
When signing up for content, registering on our website or making a payment, we will use the information you provide in order to contact you regarding related content, products and services.
We will continue to send you marketing communications in relation to similar goods and services if you do not opt out from receiving them.
You can opt-out from receiving marketing communications at any time by emailing info@thesavvyimg.co.uk
Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Legitimate interests: Sharing relevant, timely and industry-specific information on related business services, in order to assist your organisation, grow.
Third party goods and services
In addition to receiving information about our products and services, you can opt in to receiving marketing communications from us in relation third party goods and services by email by ticking a box indicating that you would like to receive such communications.
Legal basis for processing: consent (Article 6(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Consent: you give your consent to us sending you information about third party goods and services by signing up to receive such information in accordance with the steps described above.
Transfer and storage of your information
Information for marketing campaigns will be stored outside the European Economic Area on our third-party mailing list provider’s servers in the United States.
For further information about the safeguards used when your information is transferred outside the European Economic Area, see the section of this privacy policy below entitled Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area.
Use of tracking in emails
We use technologies such as tracking pixels (small graphic files) and tracked links in the emails we send to allow us to assess the level of engagement our emails receive by measuring information such as the delivery rates, open rates, click through rates and content engagement that our emails achieve.
Information obtained from third parties
This section sets out how we obtain or collect information about you from third parties.
Information received from third parties
We can often receive information about you from third parties. The third parties from which we receive information about you can include partner events within the marketing industry and other organisations that we have a professional affiliation with.
It is also possible that third parties with whom we have had no prior contact may provide us with information about you.
Information we obtain from third parties will generally be your name and contact details but will include any additional information about you which they provide to us.
Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract or to take steps at your request to enter into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Reason why necessary to perform a contract: where a third party has passed on information about you to us (such as your name and email address) in order for us to provide services to you, we will process your information in order to take steps at your request to enter into a contract with you and perform a contract with you (as the case may be).
Legal basis for processing: consent (Article 6(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Consent: where you have asked that a third party to share information about you with us and the purpose of sharing that information is not related to the performance of a contract or services by us to you, we will process your information on the basis of your consent, which you give by asking the third party in question to pass on your information to us.
Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Legitimate interests: where a third party has shared information about you with us and you have not consented to the sharing of that information, we will have a legitimate interest in processing that information in certain circumstances.
For example, we would have a legitimate interest in processing your information to perform our obligations under a sub-contract with the third party, where the third party has the main contract with you. Our legitimate interest is the performance of our obligations under our sub-contract.
Similarly, third parties may pass on information about you to us if you have infringed or potentially infringed any of our legal rights. In this case, we will have a legitimate interest in processing that information to investigate and pursue any such potential infringement.
Information obtained by us from third parties
In certain circumstances (for example, to verify the information we hold about you or obtain missing information we require to provide you with a service) we will obtain information about you from certain publicly accessible sources, both EU and non-EU, such as Companies House, online customer databases, business directories, media publications, social media, and websites (including your own website if you have one.
In certain circumstances will also obtain information about you from private sources, both EU and non-EU, such as marketing data services.
We will continue to send you marketing communications in relation to similar goods and services if you do not opt out from receiving them.
You can opt-out from receiving marketing communications at any time by emailing hello@thesavvyimg.co.uk
Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Legitimate interests: Sharing relevant, timely and industry-specific information on related business services.
Where we receive information about you in error
If we receive information about you from a third party in error and/or we do not have a legal basis for processing that information, we will delete your information.
Disclosure and additional uses of your information
This section sets out the circumstances in which will disclose information about you to third parties and any additional purposes for which we use your information.
Disclosure of your information to service providers
We use a number of third parties to provide us with services which are necessary to run our business or to assist us with running our business
These include the following: Internet services, IT service providers and web developers.
Our third-party service providers are located both inside and outside of the European Economic Area.
Your information will be shared with these service providers where necessary to provide you with the service you have requested, whether that is accessing our website or ordering goods and services from us.
We do not display the identities of our service providers publicly by name for security and competitive reasons. If you would like further information about the identities of our service providers, however, please contact us directly by email and we will provide you with such information where you have a legitimate reason for requesting it (where we have shared your information with such service providers, for example).
Legal basis for processing: legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Legitimate interest relied on: where we share your information with these third parties in a context other than where is necessary to perform a contract (or take steps at your request to do so), we will share your information with such third parties in order to allow us to run and manage our business efficiently.
Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract and/or to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Reason why necessary to perform a contract: we may need to share information with our service providers to enable us to perform our obligations under that contract or to take the steps you have requested before we enter into a contract with you.
Disclosure and use of your information for legal reasons
Indicating possible criminal acts or threats to public security to a competent authority
If we suspect that criminal or potential criminal conduct has been occurred, we will in certain circumstances need to contact an appropriate authority, such as the police. This could be the case, for instance, if we suspect that we fraud or a cyber-crime has been committed or if we receive threats or malicious communications towards us or third parties.
We will generally only need to process your information for this purpose if you were involved or affected by such an incident in some way.
Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Legitimate interests: preventing crime or suspected criminal activity (such as fraud).
In connection with the enforcement or potential enforcement our legal rights
We will use your information in connection with the enforcement or potential enforcement of our legal rights, including, for example, sharing information with debt collection agencies if you do not pay amounts owed to us when you are contractually obliged to do so. Our legal rights may be contractual (where we have entered into a contract with you) or non-contractual (such as legal rights that we have under copyright law or tort law).
Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Legitimate interest: enforcing our legal rights and taking steps to enforce our legal rights.
In connection with a legal or potential legal dispute or proceedings
We may need to use your information if we are involved in a dispute with you or a third party for example, either to resolve the dispute or as part of any mediation, arbitration or court resolution or similar process.
Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Legitimate interest(s): resolving disputes and potential disputes.
How long we retain your information
This section sets out how long we retain your information. We have set out specific retention periods where possible. Where that has not been possible, we have set out the criteria we use to determine the retention period.
Retention periods
Server log information: we retain information on our server logs for 3 months.
Correspondence and enquiries: when you make an enquiry or correspond with us for any reason, whether by email or via our contact form or by phone, we will retain your information for as long as it takes to respond to and resolve your enquiry, and for 36 further month(s), after which point we will archive your information.
Newsletter: we retain the information you used to sign up for our newsletter for as long as you remain subscribed (i.e. you do not unsubscribe).
Membership: we retain the information you used to sign up for our memberships for as long as you remain subscribed (i.e. you do not unsubscribe).
Criteria for determining retention periods
In any other circumstances, we will retain your information for no longer than necessary, taking into account the following:
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- the purpose(s) and use of your information both now and in the future (such as whether it is necessary to continue to store that information in order to continue to perform our obligations under a contract with you or to contact you in the future);
- whether we have any legal obligation to continue to process your information (such as any record-keeping obligations imposed by relevant law or regulation);
- whether we have any legal basis to continue to process your information (such as your consent);
- how valuable your information is (both now and in the future);
- any relevant agreed industry practices on how long information should be retained;
- the levels of risk, cost and liability involved with us continuing to hold the information;
- how hard it is to ensure that the information can be kept up to date and accurate; and
- any relevant surrounding circumstances (such as the nature and status of our relationship with you).
How we secure your information
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to secure your information and to protect it against unauthorised or unlawful use and accidental loss or destruction, including:
- only sharing and providing access to your information to the minimum extent necessary, subject to confidentiality restrictions where appropriate, and on an anonymised basis wherever possible;
- using secure servers to store your information;
- verifying the identity of any individual who requests access to information prior to granting them access to information;
- using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software to encrypt any payment transactions you make on or via our website;
- only transferring your information via closed system or encrypted data transfers;
Transmission of information to us by email
Transmission of information over the internet is not entirely secure, and if you submit any information to us over the internet (whether by email, via our website or any other means), you do so entirely at your own risk.
We cannot be responsible for any costs, expenses, loss of profits, harm to reputation, damages, liabilities or any other form of loss or damage suffered by you as a result of your decision to transmit information to us by such means.
Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area
Your information may be transferred and stored outside the European Economic Area (EEA) in the circumstances set out earlier in this policy.
We will also transfer your information outside the EEA or to an international organisation in order to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject (compliance with a court order, for example). Where we are required to do so, we will ensure appropriate safeguards and protections are in place.
Your rights in relation to your information
Subject to certain limitations on certain rights, you have the following rights in relation to your information, which you can exercise by writing to the data controller using the details provided at the top of this policy.
- to request access to your information and information related to our use and processing of your information;
- to request the correction or deletion of your information;
- to request that we restrict our use of your information;
- to receive information which you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format (e.g. a CSV file) and the right to have that information transferred to another data controller (including a third-party data controller);
- to object to the processing of your information for certain purposes (for further information, see the section below entitled Your right to object to the processing of your information for certain purposes); and
- to withdraw your consent to our use of your information at any time where we rely on your consent to use or process that information. Please note that if you withdraw your consent, this will not affect the lawfulness of our use and processing of your information on the basis of your consent before the point in time when you withdraw your consent.
In accordance with Article 77 of the General Data Protection Regulation, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or of an alleged infringement of the General Data Protection Regulation.
Further information on your rights in relation to your personal data as an individual
You can find out further information about your rights, as well as information on any limitations which apply to those rights, by reading the underlying legislation contained in Articles 12 to 22 and 34 of the General Data Protection Regulation, which is available here:http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/reform/files/regulation_oj_en.pdf
Verifying your identity where you request access to your information
Where you request access to your information, we are required by law to use all reasonable measures to verify your identity before doing so.
These measures are designed to protect your information and to reduce the risk of identity fraud, identity theft or general unauthorised access to your information.
How we verify your identity
Where we possess appropriate information about you on file, we will attempt to verify your identity using that information.
If it is not possible to identity you from such information, or if we have insufficient information about you, we may require original or certified copies of certain documentation in order to be able to verify your identity before we are able to provide you with access to your information.
We will be able to confirm the precise information we require to verify your identity in your specific circumstances if and when you make such a request.
Your right to object
You have the following rights in relation to your information, which you may exercise in the same way as you may exercise by writing to the data controller using the details provided at the top of this policy.
- to object to us using or processing your information where we use or process it in order
- to carry out a task in the public interest or for our legitimate interests, including ‘profiling’ (i.e. analysing or predicting your behaviour based on your information) based on any of these purposes; and
- to object to us using or processing your information for direct marketing purposes(including any profiling we engage in that is related to such direct marketing).
You may also exercise your right to object to us using or processing your information for direct marketing purposes by:
- clicking the unsubscribe link contained at the bottom of any marketing email we send to you and following the instructions which appear in your browser following your clicking on that link;
- sending an email to info@thesavvyimg.co.uk, asking that we stop sending you marketing communications or by including the words “OPT OUT”.
Sensitive Personal Information
‘Sensitive personal information’ is information about an individual that reveals their racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, genetic information, biometric information for the purpose of uniquely identifying an individual, information concerning health or information concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.
Our website does not allow you to register any ‘Sensitive Information’, however if we ask for this, you will be considered to have explicitly consented to us processing that sensitive personal information under Article 9(2)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation.
Changes to our Privacy Policy
We update and amend our Privacy Policy from time to time.
Minor changes to our Privacy Policy
Where we make minor changes to our Privacy Policy, we will update our Privacy Policy with a new effective date stated at the beginning of it. Our processing of your information will be governed by the practices set out in that new version of the Privacy Policy from its effective date onwards.
Major changes to our Privacy Policy or the purposes for which we process your information
Where we make major changes to our Privacy Policy or intend to use your information for a new purpose or a different purpose than the purposes for which we originally collected it, we will notify you by email (where possible) or by posting a notice on our website.
We will provide you with the information about the change in question and the purpose and any other relevant information before we use your information for that new purpose.
Wherever required, we will obtain your prior consent before using your information for a purpose that is different from the purposes for which we originally collected it.
Children’s Privacy
Because we care about the safety and privacy of children online, we comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA). COPPA and its accompanying regulations protect the privacy of children using the internet. We do not knowingly contact or collect information from persons under the age of 18. The website is not intended to solicit information of any kind from persons under the age of 18.
It is possible that we could receive information pertaining to persons under the age of 18 by the fraud or deception of a third party. If we are notified of this, as soon as we verify the information, we will, where required by law to do so, immediately obtain the appropriate parental consent to use that information or, if we are unable to obtain such parental consent, we will delete the information from our servers. If you would like to notify us of our receipt of information about persons under the age of 18, please do so by contacting us by using the details at the top of this policy.
77 Responses
Hello, I am an IMG from South America, I did pediatric residency in the USA x 3 years after doing the USMLEs but now I would like to do Cardiology in the UK. Can I used my pediatric residency to get GMC registration and from then start internal medicine training to do cardiology afterwards. Please explain me the process.
Hi there, you can’t use residency to get GMC registration although you can use the USMLE provided you have no significant clinical gaps since passing it, and you meet the criteria for internship. You can then then apply for jobs including Internal Medicine Training.
Hi ,
If I have 36 months of experience in nuclear medicine will it be considered as overqualified for radiology training at ST1 level ?
Hi Raja, possibly. I would contact the radiology recruitment office to clarify. All the best!
Hi there, I have graduated medicine in 2019. I did one year post graduation internship and then worked two years as a resident doctor in Anesthesia and Intensive Care. During this time I finished my GMC registration and I am going to start my job in UK as clinical fellow in Intensive care medicine (ST3 equivalent job but non-training) this August. I have two questions;
1- Am I overqualified for this branch or any other branches (surgical branches or ophthalmic surgery)
2- If I apply for ophthalmology, what are my chances to get into this specialty in my first attempt considering the clinical experiences that I have. Do I have to have any experience in ophthalmology to be eligible for applying for ST1?
Hi doctor, thanks for your questions!
To answer:
1. No
2. Your chances all depend on your application score. Past work history doesn’t really matter to some extent. If you do well on the MSRA, have a good portfolio score, and do well in interview, then you have as good a chance of anyone else regardless of past experience. You don’t need any ophthalmology work experience to be eligible for ST1, but you do need to demonstrate interest by doing clinical attachments, passing the exams etc.
For our general tips to improve your application to specialty training, please see this article: https://thesavvyimg.co.uk/8-tips-to-succeed-when-applying-for-uk-specialty-training/
If you need any further guidance for CT1/ST1 applications, we do have a premium course that explains every detail in a step-by-step manner which you may find useful. You can read more about it here https://thesavvyimg.co.uk/masterclass
Best of luck!
Hi Nick. I am currently 24 months in Radiology training in my home country. I intend writing the FRCR 1 next year. Do I have any chances of continuing residency training in the UK with FRCR 1? If any what do I need and which level do I apply.
Thank you
Unfortunately no, you won’t be able to apply for training but you can become a consultant through the CESR route.
If you’re looking for one-to-one guidance for your specific personal circumstances, I would recommend booking a general guidance session (40 mins). For more details, please visit our page here.
https://calendly.com/drkimberlytan
I hope to speak to you soon so we can come up with a plan and timeline that works for you.
Kimberly
hi nick, does working in the accident and emergency department of a hospital in my country as a non training junior resident count as experience while applying for core surgical training in the UK
Hi Namratha! It does not count as surgical experience so you won’t be overqualified for core surgery. Good luck with your application!
I am a consultant radiologist overseas. I want to know how can I qualify to take the FRCR part 1?
Hi there, definitely check the eligibility requirements for the exam on FRCR website. Best of luck!
Hi! I have 4 months experience as a general doctor in radiology followed by 19 months experience in radiology residency. Should I be applying for ST3 or ST2? How does one go about applying?
Do I have to complete FRCR 1?
Hi there! I’m afraid there is no formal entry point to radiology training at ST2/3 level. If any ST2 or ST3 jobs ever become available, I would recommend applying for both since the opportunity is rare. The most reliable pathway for you now to become a consultant Radiologist in the UK is the CESR pathway. Best of luck!
hi,
I’ve been working as a general surgeon in my own country for 10 years..Must I have CCT certificate or passing MRCS exams (A and B) is enough? If I must have CCT how can i ? thanks for help
Hi there, what purpose are you asking for? GMC registration? Applying for UK training? Working in the UK below consultant level? Getting a consultant post?
Dear Nick
I am a recently graduated general surgeon in my country (passed a 4-year course of residency and got a final board). I will have another 2-year experience as a general surgeon until i can apply for the UK. Do you think i should apply for ST5-6 or lower?
I did not see any detailed requirements for ST4 and above for general surgery here
Also, I think I am not eligible for CESR as its rules are very tough and I dont wanna lose my chance and time.
Thanks a lot
Sincerely yours
Hi Mohammed, there is no entry to surgery at ST4 or higher. Applications are only open for ST3, however you MIGHT be able to accelerate through training faster if you have a lot of experience and your training programme director agrees to it. Good luck!
Hi Nick, greetings from India
I have completed internship in 2015,then worked as a junior resident in emergency department, did specialty training in obgyn (dgo) 2019-2021
What route to be taken, what exams to be given for practising and settling in UK?
do shed some light on the cost of living and pay scale of trainees in UK as well
thanks 🙂
Hi there! Please see our OBGYN guide here for your options. https://thesavvyimg.co.uk/obstetrics-gynaecology-guide-uk/
We have written about pay scales here https://thesavvyimg.co.uk/tag/finances
I’m afraid we don’t have articles about cost of living but there are plenty of information online about this. If you work as a full-time doctor, you shouldn’t have any problems with cost of living as long as you spend wisely!
Hi Nick,
Thank you very much for all the information you share with us.
I have a one-year internship in my home country, then I moved to Japan and took a Ph.D. degree in Medical Sciences, Dermatology Department. I was hired as a researcher in this same department for 9 months, and I could receive a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship in the same department which will end by 2023. I would like to prepare myself during the 2-year period for UK residency training in Dermatology, however, I am afraid to be considered over-qualified. Would you please advise me on how to proceed with the UK residency and which route is best suitable in my case?
By the way, my Ph.H. study was research/ lab-based, not clinical at all. So, I actually don’t have any clinical experience in Dermatology. Thanks a lot in advance.
Hi there! Dermatology doesn’t have any experience limits so no need to worry about that. Dermatology training in the UK is 4 years long, and that’s after you complete 1 year after internship, and 2 years internal medicine training. Please see the Dermatology pathway here, you’d be on the CCT pathway 🙂 https://thesavvyimg.co.uk/dermatology-guide-uk/ All the best!
Hi Nick! Thanks for your great website. As of next year 2022, I will have 1 year of post-graduation internship, and 3 years of surgical training. Does this fulfill the criteria for surgical SAS posts (as I’ve read they require 4 years postgraduate training, including 2 years in the relevant specialty)? Or does internship year not count as part of these 4 years?
Hi Florence! Internship does count as part of the 4 years. Good luck 🙂
Hello,
Your website has been very beneficial and I cannot thank you enough! I’d be grateful if you could help me understand a few things:
1. I am currently a post graduate trainee in medicine from India that runs for 3 years. After finishing my PG training, I want to enter the CST programme in UK. Am I eligible to start all over by giving PLAB and entering a stand alone FY-2 programme?
2. Will the deficit of three years post-internship negatively affect my chances of getting an FY-2 post?
3. Will this deficit impact my CST portfolio in any way?
Regards
Hi there! Thank you for visiting our website 🙂
1. Yes, you can do that if you wish. Although it’s not necessary to do FY2 standalone in your case since you already have post-internship experience. You can apply for non-training jobs and get your CREST form signed then apply for CST.
2 & 3. If you have been working as a postgraduate trainee in medicine then it would not be seen as a deficit.
Good luck!! 🙂
Thank you!
Hi Nick! Greetings from Malaysia.
I have 6 months experience in general pathology and 18 months experience in forensic pathology. Can I apply training in Histopathology in the UK after I pass the FRCPath part 1?
Hello,
Thank u very much for all this information. Its a great help in understanding UK training system.
After my internship, I worked in Anesthesia for 3 years. Its a non training job in my home country. So while applying for training am I overqualified for ST1 Anesthesia? Do they consider non training job as experience?
Hi there, yes, non-training jobs are counted towards the experience limit so you will be overqualified for ST1, but you can work on applying for ST3. All the best!
For ST1 Anaesthetic criteria, does ITU experience count in the 18-month experience limit? or is it solely theatre based, surgical anaesthetic experience?
I’m not sure about that one, please contact the anaesthetic recruitment office to clarify and please let us know!
Hey, did u get ur answer? If yes, please tell me too.
Hello,
I am working as a radiologist in my country. I did 4 years of residency training that i finished in 2019.
I want to move to UK, but since i am overqualified to enter ST1. What are my options?
Can i take my PLABs and start from the begining ( like FY2 or equivalent)? IS it possible for a foreign radiologist to take PLAB and start at the lowest step if he wants to do residency in another field (Except radiology)?? If its possible what are his options as a job?
Thank you.
Hi there! Yes you can take PLAB and start all over in a different specialty. You can do any junior level job list here https://thesavvyimg.co.uk/the-best-first-job-in-the-uk-for-overseas-doctors/ Or you can work as radiologist in a non-training job like a specialty doctor and become a consultant via the CESR pathway https://thesavvyimg.co.uk/become-a-radiologist-in-the-uk-a-comprehensive-guide-for-imgs/
Dear Nick, I graduated medical school in Greece and I am 25 months into specialty training in general surgery. There is no such thing as an internship here (a med school graduate starts specialty training directly after medical school). I wish to apply to neurosurgery residency in the UK. What pathway is suitable? Furthermore, If someone passes the MRCS exam in f.e., Glasgow, can he/she apply for ST3 posts in the entire UK? Lastly, where and when are the available ST1, ST3 posts announced and what is the application process? Where can I get help regarding the application process? Thank you in advance.
Hi there! You may still be eligible for the CCT pathway for neurosurgery via ST1. Please see more about it the applications including links to the official websites here: https://thesavvyimg.co.uk/neurosurgery-guide-uk/
For ST3 posts, MRCS is just one of the requirements. Please see this article about it ST3 eligibility requirements: https://thesavvyimg.co.uk/once-i-hold-full-mrcp-or-mrcs-i-can-skip-core-training-right/
Please bear in mind that ST3 posts have been phased out for neurosurgery!
Hey ! I have 6months postgraduate experience in cardiac surgery , then 18 months in general surgery and then again 1 year in cardiac surgery that is still going on ,all as a resident . would this be considered overqualified to enter UK surgical training in Cardiac or General surgery ?
Unfortunately yes, you’d be considered overqualified for cardiothoracic surgery but you can still apply for general surgery at ST3 level. Please see the guide here: https://thesavvyimg.co.uk/general-surgery-guide-uk/
Hello,
I have two questions:
First, how is internship defined for each country?
I am a EEU graduate and completed the initial single year (considered “general part”) of surgical training in my country? Will this count as internship or should I include it in my overall surgical experience?
Thanks in advance!
I would think that counts as surgical experience. Did you go straight into that training or was there another internship year prior to that?
Hi,
Thaks for your response! I am not sure if the final year of medical school in Europe counts as an internship (6-year med schools here). The year I mention above is the first year of employment after graduation and common for all specialties.
It depends. You can check the GMC website here https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/eea-countries
Click on the country in question and click on provisional registration.
If it says “You can’t apply for provisional registration if you qualified in X” then regardless of whether you’ve completed an internship or not, you can apply for full registration.
If it says anything else along the lines of “send us your certificate from ABC” then you need to show proof of internship to get GMC registration, this usually refers to an internship after graduation. You can contact the GMC for confirmation.
>If it says “You can’t apply for provisional registration if you qualified in X” then regardless of whether you’ve completed an internship or not, you can apply for full registration.
I can’t quite see why you think that, since the GMC website reads as a the other option for full registration:
“Be a graduate with an acceptable primary medical qualification from a country outside of Switzerland or the UK. And be able to prove that you have enough clinical experience to practise medicine in the UK”
The only way you can do this is having worked as a doctor right out of college not having done an internship.
Hi there, this is specifically for EU graduates. This is not applicable to non-EU IMGs.
The GMC gives full GMC registration to graduates some EU countries without the need to meet same criteria of internship that is used for non-EU IMGs. Their degrees are typically 6 years long, but graduates of those medical schools will tell you that the final year is not like UK FY1 or internship that doctors outside the EU have to complete and they often struggle in their first SHO level job in the UK because of the lack of FY1 experience.
Hope that makes sense!
Hi Dr. Tan, thank you for your answer.
I myself did graduate in the EU but I really can’t find any official webpage that states that having done an intnership isn’t necessary for EU-graduates in order to be eligible for full registration.
¿Could you provide the source where you read that?
I am very grateful for your help.
Hi there, I’m afraid you’re not going to find a statement that says “you do not need to complete internship to apply for full GMC registration if you graduated from the following European countries.” You need to read between the lines. On the list of relevant European qualifications, you can see that graduates from certain countries are not eligible for provisional registration, meaning they can only apply for full registration. Some of those countries do not have an internship year similar to FY1 but they still cannot apply for provisional registration even if they wanted to, they can only apply for full registration.
I’ve had several EU graduates contact me asking for help to apply for FY1 because they didn’t have anything like it and they don’t feel ready for FY2 or any less supported non-training job, but unfortunately the GMC have told them they can only apply for FY1 if they have provisional registration which they’re not eligible for. Hope that helps!
Hi,
I have two questions:
1) I have had 7 years of postgraduate experience in general practice as a GP, but not in a specialty, in my home country. Does this count to the total experience limit for specialty training in the UK? (not for GP training)
2) Do I need to have experience at the same specialty I am going to apply for? e.g. experience in Radiology for Radiology residency
Thank you
Hi there!
1. No, because experience limits are specialty specific. If you’re not working in a specific specialty then it won’t count towards any experience limits.
2. No, you can apply without prior work experience.
Best ofluck!
hi Nick,
just wondering do you have an idea of how many seats are offered for the core surgical training every year ?
Thanks
Hi there, the numbers each year are available on the HEE website here https://specialtytraining.hee.nhs.uk/Competition-Ratios
It’s about 600-650.
Hi
I have 3 years of General surgery experience and I have 1.5 years of neurosurgery experience but I am more inclined towards General surgery can I apply for General surgery specialty training after MRCS.
Thank you
Hi there, if you meet the eligibility criteria for ST3 general surgery, sure you can do that.
Hi Nick, thank you for another useful article.
I have a couple of questions regarding the experience limit for CT1/ST1:
1. Does experience from WAST count towards the limit (since WAST is similar to a standalone FY2)?
2. If we had time gaps to fill, would it be advisable to work in a specialty other than the specialty we aim to go to in the long term just to avoid the experience limit (i.e. if my long term goal is surgery, I’d get a non-training job in OB&GYN or internal medicine specialties to wait for the application and start date of Core Surgery CT1)? Or, would this make my CV/portfolio look like I’m ‘undecided/unsure’ about my life/decisions?
Thanks a lot beforehand!
Hi there!
To answer your questions:
1. The placements that they give for WAST are medicine or psychiatry, they do not give placements in any of the specialties with experience limits.
2. Yes we recommend avoiding the experience limit wherever possible. There are other ways to build up your portfolio for your target specialty such as publications, audits, taster weeks, attending conferences and courses etc.
Hello. Thanks for the info. Reading all of it, I think I ´m overqualified for the training. I ve been working as an ophthalmologist in the last 3 years and a half in Spain as a consultant. It seems my path would be the CESR. I honestly think that as I ´ m not used to the UK health system yet, I would feel insecure to do this path directly. Do you think it would be better to work as a registrar in my case and then apply for the CESR when I feel comfortable with the system? Thanks.
Hi there, if you trained in Spain and hold relevant specialist registration there then you may be able to directly get a CCT. If you’re not able to register via CCT, you can go through the CESR pathway whether that be directly or after working in the UK for some time. But even if you are on the specialist register either via CCT or CESR, you do not have to start working as a Consultant right away. You can work as a registrar first and apply for Consultant jobs later on when you are more comfortable.
https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/eea-countries/spain
Hope that helps!
Hi Nick, I am an IMG graduated in 2018 and have been idle since then. I have recently cleared my PLAB and I’m looking for jobs in the UK. Which route is best for me to become a consultant in Opthalmology?
Hi there! If you have completed internship then you’ll need to go through Pathway B for the CCT route. If you have not completed internship then you need to apply for the UK Foundation Programme and go through Pathway A for the CCT route. Please see our specialty guide for Ophthalmology. The most streamlined route is applying for Standalone FY2 when the applications open in January. If accepted the job will start in August 2021. You need to boost your portfolio in the meantime because you’ll be applying for Ophthalmology in November 2021! If you need more guidance do check out our Masterclass. Kimberly got into Ophthalmology as an IMG on her first application so she can definitely help you! https://courses.thesavvyimg.co.uk/p/img-masterclass-2
Hello, I graduated 15years ago and am currently a principal medical officer in the Internal medicine department where I work (been there for 7 years). I never did residency. Am I overqualified to apply for a junior grade post in general/internal medicine? What kind of post would you advice me to apply for?
Hi there, no you would not be considered overqualified and it’s not recommended to start with a senior post if you’re not yet confident and haven’t had any formal training. I would advise an SHO level job in a medical department to start with. Best of luck!
How about entering at ST3 level in anaesthesia with 10 yrs of experience
You can check the maximum desired experience in the Anaesthetics ST3 Person Specifications. Links provided above.
It mentions that they prefer applicants with less than 4 years experience in anaesthetics, but you can still apply and try.
Hi Nick, If I have crossed the upper limit(experience) for ST3 /4 and I still want to go through CESR-CP pathway can I join at a higher level as in ST5/6 level or CESR pathway is the only option left for me.Thank you
Hi there! Unfortunately there is no formal entry point to training beyond ST3/ST4 for most specialties, especially surgical ones. Some specialties may allow entry at ST3/ST4 level and then permit you to accelerate through training faster but there is no guarantee that this is possible. Also please remember that if you do not complete the minimum required years of training in the UK, you will get a CESR certificate anyway in the end, not CCT. The minimum number of years in UK training for most surgical specialties to get a CCT is 5 years.
https://thesavvyimg.co.uk/cesr-cp-will-soon-be-recognised-as-cct/
You can always try applying for ST3 but if your application is rejected due to over experience, then yes, CESR would be the only option left to join the Specialist Register and be eligible for permanent Consultant posts. Hope that helps!
Hello Dear, I have completed MRCOG since 2019 ( all parts) and got GMC registration with an APS(approved practic setting) restriction. and I have also completed a doctoral degree since 2011 ( Arab board -doctoral degree- in OBS. and GYN.) and have experience as a consultant for about 7 years. and I am at the same time a university lecturer. So could you please guide me which option would be suitable for me? apart from CESR route (I see it very difficult).. regards.
Hi there, you can review your options here: https://thesavvyimg.co.uk/career-options-in-the-uk-for-imgs/
Alternatively, you can take this quiz to find your pathway: https://thesavvyimg.co.uk/find-your-uk-career-pathway-as-an-img/
Best of luck!
hi Nick ..hope you are doing well….i have completed my post graduation diploma in ophthalmology ( 24 months ) and currently i am working as an eye specialist for almost 10 months …so , i have almost 3 years experience in ophthalmology …so what would be the suitable option for me ? ….thank you
Hi there! It depends on your long-term goal. This guide will take you through the options 🙂 https://thesavvyimg.co.uk/ophthalmology-guide-uk/
Hi, is there any maximum experience limit for trust grade job as well for St1/2 level in obs and Gynae?
Hi there, there are no strict experience limits for non-training jobs unless a job description specifically states this, which I don’t think any really do.
Hello Nick, my country Ghana has a 2 year internship programme like the UK. Now if I move to UK after my internship in Ghana and take a stand alone FY2 post for 12 months, does that count as 12 months or 24 months post internship experience?
Hi there, if your internship is 2 years then none of it counts as post-internship experience since all of it is internship. Standalone FY2 also does not count towards post-internship experience. So if you do the 2-year internship + standalone FY2, you will have no experience that counts towards the limit. Hope that helps!
So i one has more than 3 years of experience in neurosugery from their home country and have a 1 year experience in neurosurgery, how to get in to neurosurgery training programme?
Hi there, please see the section in the article above “What happens if you exceed the limits?” for the options. Essentially you will follow the CESR-CP pathway and apply for neurosurgery at ST3 level. You can read a step-by-step guide to the CESR-CP pathway here. Best of luck!
I have 6years experience in ophthalmology in home country. Cleared frcs Glasgow part1.which ST level can I enter.ST1 shows overqualified.ST2 I don’t see any post.cant I enter st2 or st3
Hi, you can try applying for training at ST3 level. You’ll need FRCOphth Part 1 for that, FRCS Ophth is not part of the UK training pathway. Please see this: https://thesavvyimg.co.uk/ophthalmology-guide-uk/ Best of luck!