- Pinpoint where your training and skills fit in UK healthcare system.
- Decide career goals in the UK and duration- this will determine the route taken e.g., training schemes provide GMC registration, visa applications but are time limited and require doctors to return to their home country post training.
- Register with the General Medical Council (GMC). 3 types of registration available: provisional registration is only available to doctors completing their first year of foundation training (as a junior doctor). To apply for full registration, overseas doctors need to provide evidence of MBBS degree + at least 1-year internship experience (continuously for 12 months with 3 months in medicine and 3 months in surgery). Valid IELTS certificate (7 in all subject areas and overall score of 7.5) or OET certificate (minimum grade B in all areas). Overseas doctors must also pass the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) test. Applicants must apply for GMC registration within 2 years of passing PLAB. Specialist registration– for overseasdoctors who have not completed the UK specialty training posts. Known as the Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration (CESR) route. Applicants must provide evidence of experience, skills and knowledge which is assessed by the relevant Royal College to determine if experience is equivalent to current post-graduate qualification. However, evidence can total 1000 pages and take 6-9 months to assess.
- Specialist qualifications gained in the United Kingdom are highly recognized in a wide range of countries by health care and public systems. This provides UK doctors with countless opportunities across the world for great career growth.
- Apply for visa- tier 2 visa sponsored by employer (training scheme sponsored visas are tier 5). Employers must provide a certificate of sponsorship. Tier 2 visa lasts 5 years. Candidates need to apply for new sponsorship if they change employer/location (doctors on training schemes do not).
- Book flights to work in UK.
