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What Jobs Can I Apply For With Provisional GMC Registration?

Published on: 11 Aug 2022

Provisional GMC Registration Jobs

Provisional registration with the General Medical Council (GMC), alongside a license to practice, allows doctors to participate in an approved Foundation Year 1 (F1) Programme in the UK.

Doctors must not begin working in their F1 programme before they have obtained provisional registration with a licence to practice. 

Provisional registration does not allow doctors to work in service jobs; they may work in F1 training jobs only. It is possible to work in locum appointments for training (LAT) jobs. LAT jobs for provisionally registered doctors are rarely available.

The local foundation school must be involved in recruitment and, for UK graduates, approval from the medical school is requisite.

F1 may be undertaken outside the UK. However, it is still the medical school’s responsibility to oversee F1 training. This means that – in addition to provisional registration with the GMC – confirmation of the medical school’s support and confirmation of the readiness of the local foundation school/LETB/deanery to oversee the quality of training are required.

Doctors must also be registered with the medical regulatory authority in the country where they will be working.

Doctors must obtain evidence of completion of the approved overseas training and achievement of the same outcomes as the Foundation Programme, as specified by their medical school and local foundation school/LETB/deanery.

Although most doctors complete F1 within a year, provisional registration can be held for up to three years and thirty days. After this time, provisional registration expires, and the doctor’s name is removed from the GMC register.

They are unable to apply for provisional registration again. The GMC may allow up to one year additional time if required. To apply, doctors must be within the last six months of their provisional registration, continue to work in their F1 programme, and have approval from their local foundation school/LETB/deanery.

Alternatively, if they are not working in their F1 programme, they should temporarily renounce their provisional registration until they return to work. This allows conservation of their allocation of three years and thirty days.

Successful completion of F1 results in doctors being awarded a certificate of experience. This must be signed by the medical school or local foundation school/LETB/deanery. Subsequently, doctors can apply for full registration with the GMC.

 

Applying for provisional registration:

Only doctors who are not eligible for full registration may apply for provisional registration. Provisional registration is suitable for doctors who completed their medical degree at a university in the UK, doctors who completed their medical degree at a university outside of the UK but hold an acceptable primary medical qualification and have passed the PLAB test but not completed an internship, and doctors who completed their medical degree at a university in some European countries – namely, Denmark, France, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, and Sweden – but do not hold the relevant certificate required to complete their qualification.

Medical students in the UK are provided a GMC reference number in September of their final year at medical school. Subsequently, applications for the UK Foundation Programme are submitted and the Situational Judgement Test (SJT) is attempted.

Applications for provisional registration are submitted in April of the final year of medical school. The GMC contacts medical students to confirm their provisional registration soon after graduation. Doctors can begin working once their name appears on the medical register.

UK graduates who have taken time out between graduating and F1 training should apply for provisional registration three months before they are due to start working. 

Applications are submitted via GMC Online. Applicants must choose a preferred start date, with consideration of any requirement of their employer to be provisionally registered during the shadowing period. Additionally, applicants must declare their fitness to practice.

This comprises declaring, for example, serious communicable diseases, cautions and convictions, fixed penalties, medical school concerns, and malpractice and negligence claims. There is a fee for provisional registration.

The application process differs for international medical graduates (IMGs) and doctors who graduated in the EEA and hold a relevant European qualification. After applying online, including completing a fitness to practice declaration, they are informed about the evidence they need to provide.

This comprises, for example, evidence of their primary medical qualification, an IELTS or Occupational English Test (OET), certificates of good standing from all the medical regulatory authorities they have been registered with within the previous five years, and details of all medical and non-medical activities for the last five years, for example, clinical placements, maternity leave, and career breaks.

An initial assessment is conducted within five days of receipt of this evidence. Further evidence may be required. Once the application is complete, there is an ID check. All original documents must be brought to the ID check. 

 

References:

  1. Provisional registration. General Medical Council [cited 27 April 2022]. Available from: https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/provisional-registration 

  2. I'm a final year student or graduate of a UK medical school and want to apply for provisional registration. General Medical Council [cited 27 April 2022]. Available from: https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/registration-applications/application-guides/uk-provisional-registration 

  3. Provisional registration for international medical graduates. General Medical Council [cited 27 April 2022]. Available from: https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/registration-applications/application-guides/provisional-registration-for-international-medical-graduates

  4. Provisional registration for doctors who hold a relevant European qualification. General Medical Council [cited 27 April 2022]. Available from: https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/registration-applications/application-guides/provisional-registration-for-doctors-who-hold-a-relevant-european-qualification

  5. Savvy IMG - https://thesavvyimg.co.uk/what-jobs-can-i-apply-for-with-provisional-gmc-registration/

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