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Which route to GMC registration is right for you?

Get to grips with the fundamentals of coming to the UK as an international medical graduate with our comprehensive easy-to-understand guide. In this post we discuss the requirements you’ll need to register with the GMC including PLAB and IELTS.

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Route to GMC

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The rules, guidelines and criteria for working as a doctor in the UK change frequently. Please make sure you check the latest official guidance before taking action.

UPDATED: January 15, 2021

There are 4 routes to GMC registration for those who are not eligible for exemption from PLAB. Here I’ll discuss which pathway may be best for you depending on your profile.

The 4 routes are always the same for everyone regardless of specialty. You just have to select the most appropriate path that fits with your background and experience. 

So what are the 4 possible routes and which one could be right for you?

1. PLAB

(UKMLA from 2024)

PLAB stands for the Professional Linguistic and Assessments Board. The exam has 2 components: PLAB 1 which is a written test, and PLAB 2 which is a practical test. Fortunately with the right preparation, PLAB is a very manageable exam and there are good pass rates which are increasing year on year.

This test is specifically for doctors who graduate outside the EU. UK graduates and EU graduates do not need to sit PLAB. In 2024, PLAB will be replaced by the UKMLA which will be required for both UK graduates and non-EU graduates. 

If you sit PLAB and have an acceptable pattern of internship, you can apply for full registration.

If you sit PLAB and do not have an acceptable pattern of internship, you can only apply for provisional registration. 

You can read about the different types of registration here.

The PLAB route is most suitable for you if you fit one of the following profiles:

  • You have not completed internship and you are applying for provisional registration OR
  • Your internship does not meet the GMC criteria for an acceptable pattern of internship and you are applying for provisional registration  OR
  • You have completed an acceptable pattern of internship and have no other postgraduate clinical experience and you’re applying for full registration  OR
  • You have completed an acceptable pattern of internship, you have worked after internship, but you have not completed any postgraduate training (residency) and you’re applying for full registration  OR
  • You have completed postgraduate specialist training (residency), and you want a faster route to full GMC registration.

The majority of IMGs will go through the PLAB pathway so we have summarized all important aspects of what you need to know about PLAB as an IMG.

Exemptions from PLAB

There are 2 scenarios that can lead to exemption from PLAB:

  1. Acceptable overseas registration exam
  2. Relevant European qualification (REQ)

Acceptable overseas registration exam

As of January 12, 2021, you may be exempt from PLAB if you have previously passed any of the following licensing exams:

  • USMLE (Step 1, Step 2 CK & Step 2 CS)
  • AMC (MCQ Examination & Clinical Examination) or
  • MCCQE (Part I & II in English)

However, there are conditions to this.

  1. Date of the exams. You must have passed the exams before a certain date.
    • USMLE: On or before 13 March 2020
    • AMC: On or before 5 March 2020
    • MCCQE:  On or before 27 October 2020
  2. Number of attempts. You must have passed the exam in no more than four attempts. If you sat the exam more than four times before passing, you will not be eligible to use this route.
  3. No failed PLAB attempts after the passing the USMLE, AMC, or MCCQE. If you have taken and failed PLAB part 1 or 2 after you passed one of the above exams, then you are not eligible for this route.

If you meet the criteria and have an acceptable pattern of internship, you can apply for full registration.

If you meet the criteria and do not have an acceptable pattern of internship, you can only apply for provisional registration.

Relevant European qualification (REQ)

As of January 1, 2021, IMGs who completed their Primary Medical Qualification (medical school) or are on the specialist register in the EU may be exempt from PLAB. This is now applicable even if you are not an EU national. EU nationals are no longer exempt from PLAB if they went to a medical school outside the EU. 

However, there are also conditions to this. 

If your REQ is over 2 years old, you should be be able to show that you have been working since graduation. If you have not practiced for 60% of the time since graduation (or over the last five years, if you graduated more than five years ago) in a full time role, plus a minimum of 6 months in the last 12 months, then they may require more information from you or they may require you to sit PLAB.

To check if you have a relevant European qualification, check this list on the GMC website.

If you qualify from a medical school in the EU, you may be eligible for full registration even if you do not complete an internship. Please check the link above. 

Read more about this on the GMC website here

2. Acceptable postgraduate qualification (PGQ)

The GMC has a list of postgraduate qualifications that they accept for full registration. If you have a qualification on this list, then you do not need to sit PLAB and you will be eligible for full GMC registration.

This is the list of accepted postgraduate qualifications. 

Examples of some of the postgraduate qualifications include MRCP, MRCS, MRCOG etc. Some overseas qualifications are also on the list so it’s worth checking.

If you have a qualification on this list, then well done! You do not need to take PLAB.

If you do not have a qualification on this list, you can either gain one by passing the relevant exams, or you can sit PLAB, or you can apply for sponsorship, or you can try the CESR route.

The PGQ route is most suitable for you if you fit one of the following profiles:

  • You have postgraduate clinical experience and you want to go directly for a specialist qualification rather than take a general exam like PLAB   OR
  • Your internship does not fit the GMC criteria.

If you’re still deciding between PLAB and a postgraduate qualification such as MRCP or MRCS, then this article should help you decide.

3. Sponsorship

Some institutions provide sponsorship for GMC registration. This may allow you to be registered without sitting PLAB or having an accepted PGQ. 

This is the list of GMC approved sponsors

You can check on their official website and contact them for more information about how you can gain sponsorship. 

  • Most, but not all, sponsorship schemes require you to have a certain number of years experience in the relevant specialty. 
  • Some sponsors require you to pass at least the first part of a UK postgraduate qualification, while others don’t as long as you have an equivalent overseas qualification. 

It’s always best to contact the sponsors directly for more information because rules do change a lot.

Some sponsorship programmes allow you to obtain a Tier 2 work visa. This is best if you plan to stay in the UK long-term. If you only plan to ultimately return home, then the Medical Training Initiative (MTI) is more suitable. 

Medical Training Initiative (MTI)

This programme allows doctors to be work in the UK for a maximum of 2 years on a Tier 5 after which they must return home. You can always return to the UK on a different visa.

Although your visa to work in the UK is only for 2 years, the GMC registration you gain is permanent and will not be revoked after 2 years. You can read more about sponsorship in this article: 

The sponsorship route is most suitable for you if you fit one of the following profiles:

  • You have postgraduate clinical experience but you don’t have an accepted postgraduate qualification and you want to avoid PLAB,   OR
  • You have completed postgraduate specialty training ie. residency, but you don’t have an qualification on the GMC list of accepted postgraduate qualifications and you want to avoid PLAB,   OR
  • Your internship does not fit the GMC criteria AND you have not failed PLAB in the past.
The MTI route is most suitable for you if you fit one of the above profiles AND you do not plan to stay in the UK for more than 2 years.

4. CESR/CEGPR

This route involves compiling proof (ie. documentation), that you have gained the equivalent experience and training of a UK trained Consultant or GP. The GMC typically expects around 800-1000 pages of documents for this. All of your documents can be from experience and training overseas. 

CESR stands for Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration. If you are successful with this route, it means that you will be automatically recognised as a Consultant in the UK for your specialty without undergoing any additional training.

CEGPR stands for Certificate of Eligibility for GP Registration. If you are successful with this route, it means that you will be automatically recognised as a GP without undergoing any additional training.

The CESR route is most suitable for you if you fit this profile:

  • You have completed full postgraduate specialist training overseas, you are confident that your training and experience is equivalent to the UK curriculum, and you have full documentation to prove this.

The CEGPR route is most suitable for you if you fit one of the following profiles:

  • You have completed postgraduate training in family and community medicine, you are confident that your training and experience is equivalent to the UK GP specialist training curriculum, and you have full documentation to prove this.
  • You have been working as a general physician for many years, you are confident that your experience and CPD is equivalent to the UK GP training curriculum, and you have full documentation to prove this.

To be frank, the CESR/CEGPR route is tedious and often takes years, but it is an option that some IMGs have been successful with.

Most IMGs who are already specialists overseas do not go through the CESR/CEGPR route directly, instead they come to the UK first via one of the first 3 routes (PLAB, PGQ or sponsorship), then work on the requirements for CESR/CEGPR once they are here.

You can read more about it in this article:

Frequently asked questions

I have several years of experience in my specialty. What are my options to gain GMC registration?

PLAB, an accepted postgraduate qualification, sponsorship, or CESR/CEGPR.

I want to work in a specific specialty, what is my path to GMC registration?

PLAB, an accepted postgraduate qualification, sponsorship, or CESR/CEGPR.

I have worked for a few years post-grad. How can I get GMC registration?

PLAB, an accepted postgraduate qualification, sponsorship, or CESR/CEGPR.

I haven’t worked after internship. How can I get GMC registration?

PLAB, or an accepted postgraduate qualification.

I have completed specialty training in my home country and have passed all my licensing exams back home. What are my options for GMC registration?

PLAB, an accepted postgraduate qualification, sponsorship, or CESR/CEGPR.

I have a long career gap of several years, what route can I take for GMC registration?

PLAB, an accepted postgraduate qualification, sponsorship, or CESR/CEGPR.

Conclusion

As you can see, whatever your background or experience, the options for GMC registration are essentially the same: PLAB, an accepted postgraduate qualification, sponsorship or CESR/CEGPR.

What if you’re not eligible?

  • If you aren’t eligible for 1 route, then obviously your options are the other 3.
  • If you aren’t eligible for 2 routes, then you can consider the other 2.
  • If you aren’t eligible for 3 routes, then your only option is the 1 that’s left.
  • If you aren’t eligible for all 4 routes, then you either work on meeting the requirements for 1 of the routes or you move on and forget about working as a doctor in the UK.
  • If you can’t meet the requirements for any of the routes either now or in the future no matter what you do, then you can’t get GMC registration and can’t come to work in the UK. 

Hope that clears up any confusion!

Now that you know your route, view the full list of GMC Requirements, and start planning to tackle them!

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Looking for a step-by-step guide?

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41 Responses

  1. Hi Nick ,
    Can you please guide me if I want to take the sponsorship route , how am I Supposed to contact the hospital ; is it through email and asking for a sponsorship, would they consider me like that.
    Thank you so much

  2. Hi Nick
    I have a question,
    Im a british med student. Currently studying in eu country. My last academic year is 2023-2024 and I graduate in 2024. Graduation will officially take place in around November 2024.
    Will i need to sit the ukmla exam?

    Thank you

    1. Hi there, so far it looks like EU graduates are exempt from UKMLA but that can always change. I would keep an eye on the GMC website and perhaps contact them closer to the time to see if their policy has changed. All the best!

  3. Hello nick
    I am registered with medical council of india and successfully completed my training after MBBS . Since 2017 i am working as resident medical officer. Now i want to relocate to uk for my further studies and practice. Can you please help me with sponsorship programmes so that i dont have to ho through plab or mrcs. moreover can you please tell i can directly apply to royal colleges for my further studies without any plab or gmc registration. I shall be highly thankful to you for this act of kindness amd help

    1. Hi Manpreet, if you’re looking for a classroom or lecture based degree with a university with no patient contact then you may be able to find some by searching “medical masters uk” and enquiring with the various universities. However if you want to have clinical experience, then you need GMC registration, there are no exceptions to this so I’m afraid there is no pathway for what you’re looking for. The pathways to GMC registration are the ones listed on this page. All the best!

  4. Hi Nick,

    I’m an internal medicine doctor in the US moving to the UK at the end of the summer. I attended medical school and completed my internship/residency at a US hospital. I’ve been practicing as an attending for the past three years. My internship year (post graduation) did not contain a surgical rotation, which is typical for US doctors not intending to become surgeons. But I did complete a 3 month surgical rotation in med school. Will this be a barrier to receiving full registration? How much discretion does the GMC have in determining if your training is sufficient for full registration?

    Thanks for your help!

    1. Hi there! We haven’t actually come across any US attendings who are working in the UK so I’m afraid I can’t provide any insight on this matter. The GMC tends to approve straightforward applications that meet their requirements very quickly, anything that doesn’t can take longer but if you’ve been in active clinical practise recently it shouldn’t take too long. We have heard of many cases of doctors with internship gaps, long career gaps, work periods without registration etc, who have gotten full registration after some back and forth with the GMC. Hope it works out! Let us know how it goes!

  5. Hi there, I have a question. I am a medical student in Ireland and will be graduating in May 2022. So if I want to apply for foundation years in UK, I dont have to take PLAB? Just to reconfirm.

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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:

    • 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.