GMC Registration

In this blog, I will discuss with you all the steps of GMC registration and as well as guide you through step by step process of completing the online application of the GMC portal.

If you are an International Medical Graduate, first of all you need to be eligible to obtain GMC registration.

To be eligible, you need to be able to demonstrate the following:

1. Evidence of English Language Proficiency
2. Evidence of Medical Knowledge

3. Evidence of Primary Medical Qualification

Evidence of English Language Proficiency

This evidence is shown either by IELTS (Academic) or OET (Medicine) exams.

To know more about it please read the following article:

https://sidukjourney.blogspot.com/p/oet_5.html

https://sidukjourney.blogspot.com/p/oet-notes.html

https://sidukjourney.blogspot.com/p/ielts-vs-oet.html

Evidence of Medical Knowledge

This evidence is shown by any of the following pathway:

1. PLAB exams

2. Membership exams (MRCP/MRCS/MRCOG/MRCPCH/etc.)

3. Sponsorship of Royal College (Medical Training Initiative - MTI criteria)

Evidence of Primary Medical Qualification

This evidence is shown by your MBBS graduation certificate, after it is properly verified by ECFMG in the EPIC portal.

To know more about it, please read the following article:

https://sidukjourney.blogspot.com/p/ecfmg-epic.html

Since you've reached this blog article, I believe that you are already eligible for GMC registration. So lets quickly jump into the main part,

Process of online application and collection of documents for GMC registration.

1. Log on to your GMC online account from the following website:

https://www.gmc-uk.org/gmc-online-dashboard

2. On the left-hand side, you can see the various tabs on vertical order. Go to the 3rd tab: "My Registration"

3. Then you can see the 3 sub-tabs there. Go to the 2nd one: "My Applications"

4. If you've passed the PLAB 2 exam, you can see the "IMG2" pathway there. Click Apply. Then click "No" to the EC right. (Click Yes, if it applies)

5. Then click "No" for specialist/ GP register.

6. Then you will reach on the "Route Selection" page. You have 3 options here.

A] Completion of F1 of the UK foundation program

B] Completion of minimum 12 months internship program in your home country. This should be at least 3 months in medicine and 3 months in surgery if your internship is between 12-18 months. Or, at least 6 months in medicine and 6 months in surgery if your internship is 18 months or longer.

C] Completion of an acceptable pattern of a minimum of 2 years of continuous postgraduate medical practice completed in public hospitals. This means, your practice must include a minimum of 3 months continuous, uninterrupted practice in at least one branch of medicine and one branch of surgery

If you fall under one of these 3 categories click "Yes" at the bottom.

7. Now you will land up on the page showing "Applications you can make"

Here, you have to click "Apply" that lies beside IMG 20 Full registration with a license to practice after passing the PLAB test.

8. Now your application process begins

9. The first step demands your EPIC details. Here you have to just put the EPIC ID and Click "Next"

10. The second step requires your Internship details. Click "Add Internship Details" and start putting your details exactly according to your Internship completion certificate. You need to add separately for all the specialties that you rotated during the internship one by one. It asks for a Start date, a Finish date, Speciality, Hospital, and Country for each rotation. Just click "Add Internship Details" one by one and complete this part.

11. The third step requires your Name details. If your name in your medical degree certificate differs from the one you supplied in the GMC account then click "YES" otherwise click "NO". If there is no difference, click "No" to proceed further.

12. The fourth one is regarding your recent professional experience. Here you have to click on "Add Work Experience" and then go on to fill the start date, finish date, employer details, country, engaged in medical practice, and grade/title of the post for all the experience, one by one, to date. This is the most tricky part of the whole application process. If you don't fill exactly what is required, then you will not be able to reach the next step. So, here are my few tips.

- Provide all the information from the time you began your medical school (not just for the last 5 years as it is mentioned in the guidelines above). On the time when you were studying just as a medical student, put "Studying" is engaged in medical practice column and "Medical Student" in Grade/title of the post.

- Also, put internship as one separate experience. "Internship training post" should be kept for Engaged in Medical Practice column and "Intern Doctor" in Grade/title of the post.

- There should not be any gaps of more than 28 days. If there is any such gap, even try putting that in one separate experience row and explain it. For eg, in one place, I had a gap of more than 28 days after my medical school was over. I kept that part as well and explained it by writing "Waiting for MBBS final exam results".

Being transparent, continuous and explaining all your activities is the key in completing this step successfully.

13. Now you reach the fifth step. This is about your registration and licensing history. Click "Add registration and licensing history" and then put Country, Medical regulatory authority, Start date, End date (if it applies), and if Still registered/licensed. You need to show the Certificate of Good Standing from each medical council or board that you were affiliated within the last 5 years in this part.

14. On the sixth step, you have to answer questions regarding your health - Fitness to practice. All the questions here are in the form of Yes or No.

15. Then you have to agree on the final declaration part and click "Proceed to Payment"

16. Finally, on the payment page, select the card type and pay GBP 153.

17. Once you make a payment successfully, you will receive the first email from img@gmc-uk.org

Here in this email, they explain to you the documents that are required for completing your application. Generally, the documents required are your scanned copy of your Passport, Primary Medical Qualification and Internship Completion certificate. However, check whether there is anything extra apart from these in your email.

Scan these documents and compile it in one pdf file and send it to the same address.

18. Then, you also need to send the original certificate of good standing (CGS) via post into the address of GMC. If you are living in the UK, you may choose the option of presenting this document yourself in GMC by booking an appointment.

Be careful, for those whose Internship is done before obtaining the graduation certificate (pre-graduation internship), they also need your original internship completion certificate via post. They don't mention it in your first email, however, they generally ask it from you on the second time, once you've sent your CGS. So, instead of spending twice for the same purpose and losing some precious amount of time, just email them and ask if they require original internship completion certificate or not, and send both of these documents in one post via DHL.

Obtain the tracking number and see if your documents reach safely in the GMC via there online tracking services.

19. After about a week, they will analyze all your documents and provide you the full registration with a license to practice. You will also receive an email from regsupport@gmc-uk.org, asking you your home address to return your documents back to your place.

Congratulations!!! you are now a GMC registered doctor.