You should be looking at this article regarding what documents you need for your GMC registration application before you’re leaving your country for PLAB 2 examination. Even if you’re looking at it after passing PLAB 2- firstly, congratulations! Secondly, let’s find out!

Back to business. Documents for GMC registration application.

To know about how to actually make the online application, look here, Online application for GMC registration. This post mainly discusses about the evidences/documents one may require to provide to support their registration application.

When do you actually need the ORIGINAL documents in the UK?

With the advent of GMC establishing EPIC verification and abolishing a separate ID check appointment to expedite the registration process, you might never need the ORIGINAL documents in the UK, if you’re taking the PLAB/UKMLA route. But, if you want to, I’d say it is a better idea. As some doctors reported that GMC may want you to mail those to them.

So, the documents for GMC registration need to be ready to send to GMC via email after you have:

  • Successfully passed the PLAB/UKMLA,
  • Applied for GMC registration online through GMC Online

Seems like a long time from now? Nope. Time flies. I guess now it’s time to talk about the elephants in the room- what papers?

Required documents for GMC registration

  • Your passport(s)
  • PMQ (MBBS or equivalent) certificate (must be already EPIC verified/sent for verification)
  • Evidence of your knowledge of English (IELTS/OET Test Report Form)
  • Documents regarding your internship
    • The Internship completion certificate
    • Letter from your medical regulatory board saying your internship was under provisional registration and was accepted
  • Evidence of fitness to practice
    • Certificate of Good standing from all the countries you’ve worked or hold registration.
    • Employer References- ONLY when-
      • Any periods of non-medical work completed in the last five years
      • Any periods of medical work for which you did not hold any registration in the last five years.

Certificate of good standing (CGS)

This is a certificate that is issued by the current medical regulatory board/council you are fully registered to. There should be an application process to obtain this from your medical council. It differs from one to another, so it’s best you contact your own. Let’s take a look at how the Bangladesh Medical & Dental Council’s CGS looks:

Some other things regarding CGS:

  • You will need to send GMC a certificate of good standing from each medical regulatory authority you have been registered or licensed within the last five years, even if you have not worked there. It should:
    • cover all of your work in that country/state
    • confirm that you’re entitled to practice medicine in that country 
    • confirm that you’ve not been disqualified, suspended or prohibited from practicing medicine 
    • confirm that the regulatory authority is not aware of any matters that call into question your good standing.
  • If you are no longer registered or licensed with the regulatory authority, you may be issued with a certificate of past good standing. You can find out which medical authority to contact in CGS contact database.
  • Certificates of good standing are only valid for three months from the date that they are signed.

Letter of Approval for your Internship

This letter is basically paving your way to get FULL registration with a license to practice. You may not need to get it if your internship completion certificate mentions holding a provisional registration. Also, many say to wait to see if GMC wants it.

Again, your medical council may not issue the letter like this, or may have their own format. This is just a clarification that your employment in medical capacity during your internship was monitored by an authority.

Most of the medical regulatory councils process CGS and this letter at the same time. Like CGS, it also has to be applied for to obtain.

Certificate of Completion of Internship/House job

Different medical colleges and universities and different formats of this certificate is available. GMC has some criteria:

  • The experience must have been undertaken in a resident medical capacity in posts that were approved for internship training.
  • The medical superintendent or consultant who supervised your internship training should sign the certificates.
  • The certificates should also confirm the dates of employment, the specialties undertaken and whether the posts were full or part-time, and that they were completed satisfactorily.”

Employer reference (GEN 1 Form)

As mentioned earlier, you will need to provide a GEN1 employer reference form for:

  • Any periods of non-medical work completed in the last five years
  • Any periods of medical work for which you did not hold any registration in the last five years.

GMC will determine this from the past professional experience section of your application. 

Remember, don’t feel reluctant to mention a professional experience, just because you don’t want to go through the hassle of getting the forms signed.  If you do that, you are technically violating core guidance of Good Medical Practice on honesty and integrity.  If found, you may be banned from applying for GMC registration.

Just these? No other documents for GMC registration?

Yes and no. These are the basics. Each of our cases is different, and GMC will email you a list of documents they need from you after you make your application through your GMC online account.

You will have to send them scanned copies of the documents as an attachment in an email or if GMC requests, via post. Upon receiving that they’ll let you know about further details within five working days.

An example by GMC

Following is an example of the different types of evidences a doctor may have to provide to support their GMC application.

When should I apply for the papers from my medical council?

If your medical council has the option to send to GMC directly by them, you shouldn’t be worried at all.

It will save you a lot of time, anxiety and round trip air tickets to the UK if you can arrange for someone to apply for these in your country when you are in the UK for your PLAB/UKMLA 2.

Why am I getting so particular about time? As this CGS is valid for are only valid for three months from the date that they are issued and must be valid on the date your application is approved.

Let me break it down further:

  • When those papers are applied for in your country, chances are they will be signed, ready, and dated around 3-4 days to a week from when they were applied (depending on the speed that papers move in your country’s council)
  • You are possibly going to the UK just before your course starts. You attend the course for ~ 2 weeks
  • Practice for your exam ~ 2-3 weeks
  • Your PLAB/UKMLA 2 day
  • Waiting for your result – 4 weeks

It can easily be 3-4 months from the day you land till you can make your GMC application. That makes the CGS more than 3 months old i.e. invalid on the date of your GMC application is approved. So, what now?

To circumvent this 3 months ultimatum and still getting everything done within the shortest possible time, you can arrange for someone to apply for those papers while you are in the UK. This is done to delay the signed date so that it remains valid. You will have to go talk to your council prior to this and clarify with them about your situation.

If you’re a Bangladeshi doctor and wondering ways to obtain these documents and how to apply for them, here is a post that you may need: how to obtain papers from BM&DC for GMC registration : Part 2 (Bangladeshi Doctors).

Frequently asked questions

What documents do I need to collect from the medical jobs I did? Any employment certificates?

Nope. Your certificate of good standing (CGS) collected from the medical council covers ALL the medical work that you did in that country. You DO NOT need separate documents from each employer for your GMC registration application.

I’m not fully registered with any medical council!

Fret not. You will have to inform GMC about your situation of not being fully registered with any medical council, thus you can’t come up with a CGS- they’ll understand, they’re not out there to tear your dream apart.

But, they’ll still want a letter – an official letter from your medical council stating that you held provisional registration, but you aren’t fully registered with them.

But, I never even held provisional registration with any medical council…so, now what?

Are you sure about that? I would advise you to check with your internship/house job hospital’s administration office. If you were trained with having a medical capacity- chances are you had to hold some sort of registration to do that. But, still, if you weren’t – then it will be up to GMC’s discretion as to what paper to submit as evidence.

I’m sure of it! I have done my internship but hadn’t held any provisional registration.

In that case, as long as your internship fulfills GMC’s criteria of acceptable pattern, you should go ahead with your application. In the process, GMC MIGHT want your internship supervising consultants to fill the GEN2 Consultant Report Form to make sure they can accept your internship. Further details here: Internship and UKFPO. 

Was my [this] work experience medical or non-medical?

You should know the answer to this, as you know the nature of your work better than anyone. Did your job directly involved patient care and contact? If NO, that is a non-medical work. e.g. lecturer of anatomy, doing research in a lab, etc. As mentioned earlier, you will need to provide employer reference (GEN 1 form) for that period of work.

Does GMC accept any LOR?

No. GMC supplies their own forms to get filled. 

My employer/consultant doesn’t have an official email. What to do?

You can try sending from the institution’s official email. That will also be acceptable. Even that is also not available, you can ask GMC for exploring options of fax or post.

What to do If I have clinical gaps/breaks?

Please read this post, Breaks in Clinical Practice for further detailed guidance.

Finally, these required papers are basics and mostly applicable to fresh graduates with no to small gaps. If you are in the clinical setting for a long time or you have a considerable amount of gap then they WILL ask for more specific papers/evidence, which they’ll explain in their email.

At the end of the day, remember that honesty is the best policy! Be truthful in your application and establish an open channel of emailing and communication if you don’t understand anything. Don’t lose hope! GMC is not out to crush your dreams.

Good luck!