10 Steps to GMC Registration

To practice medicine in the UK and work within the NHS or private healthcare system, you will need to hold full GMC Registration with a licence to practice.

In this blog post, we share the 10 ways on how to successfully obtain GMC Registration.  Did you know that in 2019, more doctors joined the GMC from outside the UK than those who were UK-trained? This trend has never been seen before.

1. Primary Medical Qualification

To start, you must have completed an acceptable primary medical degree.
Click here to check if the GMC registration accepts your primary medical qualification as it must meet a particular criteria such as being awarded a programme of study, comprising of at least 5,500 hours over a minimum period of years and be listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools.

2. Evidence of your internship

You must have completed at least 12-months’ continuous medical practice in an approved training post within a public hospital. Your internship must have included:
– At least 3-months in medicine and 3-months in surgery, which lasted a minimum of 12 months OR
– At least 6-months in medicine and 6-months in surgery, which lasted for 18 months or longer
If you did not complete an internship, the GMC will accept evidence that you practiced for two years continuously after you graduated. In the UK, this is classified as your Foundation Year 1 and 2. However, in other countries around the world it is often called an internship or house year.

3. Evidence of your English language skills

The GMC require you to have the necessary knowledge of English to communicate effectively and to ensure patient safety is upheld. Communicating includes speaking, reading, writing and listening. So, you will need to test all four elements.
You can do this in several ways:
A) IELTS Certificate – A minimum grade of 7 in each section and an average of 7.5
B) OET Certificate – A minimum of grade B and above in all sections
C) Primary Medical Qualification – If your primary medical qualification was taught solely in English and you obtained it within the last two years
D) Employer Reference – If you have worked in a country for the last two years where English is their native language

4. Certificates of Good Standing

You will need to provide the GMC with a Certificate of Good Standing from each medical regulatory authority you have been registered or licensed with in the last five years. You will need to do this even if you have not worked in that country.
Click here to search the GMC’s Certificate of Good Standing database.

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5. Last five years of activities

The GMC requires you to give all your medical and non-medical experiences over the last five-years. Examples of what you will need to include are: clinical attachments, unemployment, maternity leave, study leave, holidays and career breaks.
If you have any questions concerning this evidence, please do not hesitate to contact us at marketing@id-medical.com and we will be more than happy to help.

6. Employer References

You will only need to provide employment references for the last five-years if you have done:
– Non-medical work
– Medical work when you have not obtained registration or a licence to practise within that medical regulatory authority
Your employer must complete an employer reference form and it must stipulate the dates of your employment, outline the nature of your work, show your registration requirements and confirm you were of good standing during your employment.
You should note that reference forms for any current posts are only valid for three-months from the date of which they are signed.

7. Translating documents into English & EPIC Verification for GMC Registration

For every document that you send to the GMC that is not in English, you must provide them with:
– The original document
– A photocopy of the original document stamped and signed by the translations service
– A complete and accurate English translation attached to the photocopy of the original document, stamped and signed by the translation service
– Up to date contact details of the translation service in question
The GMC strongly recommends that your translations are done by court or council appointed translators or a highly reputable commercial translation service. In the UK, this includes: Institution of Translation and Interpreting, Chartered Institute of Linguists or Association of Translation Companies.
EPIC Verification
Once you’re sure your qualifications are accepted by the GMC and they’ve been translated into English, you’ll now need to get them verified by ECFMG – this is also known as EPIC verification.
The documents you need to verify are: your primary medical degree and the postgraduate qualification you are using to register e.g MRCP or any international postgraduate qualification accepted by the GMC.
Please note, if you took the PLAB route to register with the GMC then you will only need to verify your primary medical qualification.
The cost of EPIC Verification is $90 per credential. Please click here for a full list of prices including the cost of establishing your account and confirming your identity.

8. The Cost of applying for GMC Registration

If you are a newly qualified doctor, for the first five-years after obtaining your primary medical qualification it will cost you £156 to register with a licence to practice.
If you have not graduated within the last five-years, you will need to pay the standard fees of £406.

9. Apply

If you meet the above requirements and you have successfully collated all of your documentation, you will be ready to apply for your GMC Registration.
Please do check the GMC’s website for a list of required documentation and detail on the type of evidence and date stamps etc before you make your application.
If you are missing anything that the GMC requires, they will provide you with the opportunity to provide them with the evidence as an alternative to denying your application.

10. Identity Check

If your application has been successful, you will receive an email from the GMC inviting you to an ID check.
ID Checks & COVID-19
As a result of the global pandemic, the GMC have suspended identity checks. So, if your application is successful, your registration will be granted without an identity check. However, when the UK government advises that it is safe to travel and resume social contact, the GMC will ask you to then attend an ID check at either their London or Manchester office.
PLAB 2
If you sat PLAB 2 on or after 2nd October 2018, you would have already completed your ID check on your test day.  However, if you sat PLAB 2 before 2nd October 2018, you would need to attend an ID check when it is safe to do so.

Work with ID Medical!

If you are a doctor who is in the process of obtaining their full GMC Registration or you may have been issued it already and you would like ID Medical’s support in securing a permanent or locum job, please do register your CV with us here. alternatively, just hit the button below!

References
Gmc-uk.org. 2020. Evidence To Support Your Application. [online] Available at: <https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/before-you-apply/evidence-to-support-your-application> [Accessed 17 April 2020].
Gmc-uk.org. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/the-state-of-medical-education-and-practice-in-the-uk—workforce-report_pdf-80449007.pdf> [Accessed 21 April 2020].