Are you dreaming of becoming a NHS doctor or just moving to UK to fulfil your Dreams ? ? Believe me, I know how hard it is. Especially when you are coming from a totally different cultural and social setup. Each step forward can be a challenge and finding reliable information is the hardest part.
I moved to UK sometime back as a specialist medical trainee and learnt everything the hard way. while stuck at home with shadows of corona still looming around us I thought of sharing my experience with the others like me as guidance to their life in the UK.
I expect this website to grow as a common platform for all of you to share your own experience as newcomers to UK , so that we can be strong as a community. please feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below so that the soles like you will benefit. Also Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get frequent updates and news.
I have put a lot of thought and effort to include everything you need from preparation to come to the UK until you go back or Get PR if you decided to stay. Inputs were taken from previous and current medical trainees and people established in the UK.
Every year thousands of young doctors migrate to practice medicine in UK. The majority of these doctors continue to work in the UK whereas some of them move back to their countries after obtaining some experience or gaining reasonable financial stability.
What is the best time to migrate to UK as a Doctor?
You can apply for UK healthcare jobs at any time of your medical carrier from your graduation to until after you become a consultant. However, if you are thinking of a long-term medical carrier in the UK the best time to apply is just before or just after your internship so that you have enough time to adapt to NHS (National Health Service) and the system itself will guide you to become a consultant without much difficulty.
Basic Requirements to become a Doctor in UK as a oversea medical graduate
There are three main requirements to fulfil before you start working as a medical Doctor in UK
- GMC registration with licenses to practice
- Get a job offer from NHS or the PVT sector
- Getting the UK visa
GMC registration with licenses to practice
To practice medicine in the UK You need GMC registration with license to practice. It is an offence in the UK to practice medicine without a license.
There are three types of registrations in GMC
- Provisional registration
- Full registration
- Specialist registration
Provisional registration
This is for doctors who have no previous experience and undergoing 1st year of foundation training (similar to the internship in most of countries ) Read more on the grades of doctors in the NHS
Full registration
This is the type of registration most foreign doctors apply for. To get full registration you need to fulfil the following requirements
1. Evidence of medical degree awarded from GMC accepted medical college.
Click here for a list of approved medical collages
Your MBBS degree needs to be verified before registration is granted. ( this simply means your MBBS is independently verified by a GMC-approved third party from your medical faculty before GMC accept it)
Verification is carried out by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) through their online system.
you can start the verification process by following the link Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC) service.
ECFMG will verify that the qualification is genuine by checking this directly with your awarding institution.
Epic registration costs $125 and $90 for each certificate.
Once you make the epic account you have to upload your degree certificate. (and MD certificate.) You have to inform your medical faculty and post-graduate institute once you upload the documents. You may need to make a separate payment to your medical school for this verification process.
2. At least twelve months of internship with a minimum of 3 months in surgery and 3 months in medicine.
3. Proof of English proficiency
This is mandatory and most likely the biggest hurdle of all. Up to date, GMC accepts IELTS and OET as proof of English proficiency
For IELTS you need at least 7.0 in each testing area and an overall score of 7.5
For OET you need at least B in each section.
3. PLAB test (professional and linguistic assessment board).
You have to sit and pass PLAB before you apply for GMC
However, if you have a post-graduate qualification accepted by GMC you do not need to take the PLAB test and you can directly apply for GMC
Click here for the list of post-graduate qualifications accepted by GMC
4. Your certificate of good standing
This should be taken from relevant medical authorities in your country. Can request the certificate with the date pending so you can get it when you need it. . Make sure it is valid when you are coming for the ID check in GMC
Specialist registration
You can become a UK specialist or GP without completing UK training. For this, you must register in the specialist register. The pathway is called the certificate of confirming Eligibility for specialist registration (CESR). This is not required for locum consultant posts.
GP registration
To practice as a GP You will need to register in GP Register. For this, you need to apply for Certificate of eligibility for general Practice Registration (CEGPR).
Finding a Job
This can be the most difficult part at least for some of you. If you are applying without GMC registration, most of the time your application will not be prioritized. However, this doesn’t mean that it is impossible to get a job without GMC.
Before applying for jobs you have to decide where exactly you fit into the UK health system and what is your future plans going to be. If you are thinking long-term stay it is best to apply for a training post so you will be incorporated into the UK training program to become a specialist or GP. But it may be difficult to get a training post and priority will be given to UK graduates.
If you want to learn more about different grades and levels of doctors click here
If you just finished your internship you can apply for FY1 and FY2 (foundation year 1 and 2 ) If you have some experience after the internship you can apply for CT1 CT2 ( core trainee 1 and 2 ) doctors with the postgraduate qualifications you can apply for ST3 and above jobs.
If you couldn’t get a training post you can apply for equivalent staff grade jobs Those are Junior clinical fellow positions and senior clinical fellow positions, JCF is equivalent to CT1 and CT2 whereas SCF is equivalent to ST3 and above.
How to Find a Job as a Doctor
There are several ways to find a job
To get a training post you can register to MTI (Medical Training Initiative) run by the collages
For other jobs, you can apply via specialist websites or can register with a recruitment agency.
make sure you have an up-to-date CV and prepare for interviews. If you are not sure there are loads of videos on Youtube you can refer
Dont forget to discuss the salary and job plan (number of clinics, operation sessions, admin time, etc) beforehand. and get them in writing.
Once you get the job your hospital, trust or royal college will issue Job offer letter and a certificate of sponsorship. you will need these for your visa.
UK visa process
You need the following for UK visa process
1. Maintain sufficient savings in the bank to support yourself for one month
The bank account balance needs to be maintained for 90 days and should be in a saving or current account. You need 3 months’ bank statements and a letter from the bank to submit with your application
If you have only FD s the bank should indicate that the money can be withdrawn at any time
Amount – main applicant £945, each dependent £630
You can withdraw this once you get the visa
NB- If you have a rate A Sponsor – as the main applicant when going for a paid job, can get exempted, provided you get accommodation and maintenance guaranteed.
2. Job offer letter
Get your job offer letter from your hospital/trust and evidence to show you get an adequate salary to support your self ( your job offer letter has this information)
3. certificate of sponsorship
certificate of sponsorship is an electronic record. (not a physical document. what you need is the reference number to enter into your application.)
on your request this will be issued by your trust/ hospital or by the relevant Royal College.
4. Proof of Knowledge of English
Don’t get confused with your IELTS ( It is for your GMC)
You need an academic qualification ( your MBBS) that was taught in English and recognized by UK NARIC (UK National Recognition Information Centre) as being equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD.
This can take about 2 weeks.24 – 48 fast track available ( will cost about an additional $200)
UK NARIC is the national agency in the UK responsible for providing information, advice and opinion on academic, vocational and professional qualifications and skills from all over the world
This is What you should do
- Login to their website
- Pay their fee
- Upload the following documents
•A copy or scan of your final certificate
• A copy or scan of your academic transcripts
• A copy or scan of a Medium of Instruction letter (MOI letter) which confirms that the qualification was taught and assessed completely in English
You can upload your MBBS final certificate. Other documents will be uploaded from your medical faculty once you make a payment and provide them with your UKNARIC login (this can take some time )
once everything is done they will send you two certificates. What you need for the visa is one which confirms that your academic qualification was taught in English. There are instances where the visa was rejected as a result of uploading the wrong certificate. They have no mercy you can lose all your application fee
With the introduction of healthcare visa, the UK home office has exempted Doctors. Dentists, Nurses, and midwives from taking further English tests. So if you are applying for Tier 2 visa and your English test results meet the requirement set out by your professional regulatory council( ex GMC) you can use that results for the visa. (you can find this information in OET official site check out the link.)
5.TB test
Mandatory for anyone going to stay in the UK for more than 6 months
–IOM (International organization for Migration -Health Assessment Centre.
uktbappointmentssl@iom.int
Following description is from GOV.uk website
Working hours: From 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday (except on IOM official holidays)
Attending the clinic You should contact the approved clinic to book an appointment. You should make it clear you need the test for a UK visa application. You can expect to get an appointment within a few days of your request. At busy times you may have to wait 10 days for an appointment especially during the UK student visa peak season between June and September.
What you should bring with you –
• the passport you are using to submit your application and valid ID, which contains your photograph, such as a national ID card photocopy of passport (only pages containing details)
• recent passport-sized colour photographs
• if you have had TB in the past or have any other lung disease you should provide details of your previous screening and, if possible, your medical notes and x-ray results
• If you would like an appointment with a female clinician, please ask the clinic when you schedule your appointment.
• If you need to cancel your appointment you should contact the clinic and refer to their cancellation policy and procedure. Test fees
The fee for a TB screening is 90 US dollars for adults and 40 US dollars for children under 11 years old. The fee must be paid in local currency directly to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) clinic.
6.Police report for your self and spouse for 10 years
This is mandatory for your visa application
7. Birth Certificates and Marriage certificates (get English Translation)
You need to provide English translations of birth certificates and marriage certificate.
HEALTH AND CARE VISA – recently introduced
Health care visa was introduced to the Doctors Nurses and allied health professionals with the COVID pandemic. It is available to the applicant from 4th of August 2020
The benefits of this visa scheme are fast-track entry, reduced visa fees, exemption of health surcharge from the applicant and dependent and dedicated support to come to the UK with their families.
To be eligible, you should be applying for a Tier 2 VISA and should full fill the other criteria for tier two visa.
For further details read Tier 2 policy guidance
you can make your application through GOV.UK web site (https://www.gov.uk/apply-to-come-to-the-uk)
make sure you have all the documents scanned and ready
You should have credit/debit card/cards with Adequate credit limits as bank transfers are not allowed .make sure you keep these credit cards without cancelling as any refund will be credited to the same credit card. ( ex health surcharge)
Once you completed the payments, you can book an appointment for Biometrics (photo, fingerprint .eye colour) in VFS Global.
Book your flights
Once you get your visa start booking your flight. Remember earlier you book best discount you get. Also, don’t forget to compare flight ticket prices.
FIND YOUR TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION
It takes a minimum of one week to get a rented house ready. So you need temporary accommodation at least for the first few days. If you have a family or close friend in the UK you are lucky. But others need to find a place.
You are left with two options that are either to book a hotel or hire an apartment for a few days. Getting an apartment is usually expensive but sometimes can be cost-effective especially if you are coming with 3 or 4 family members. Hotel rooms are comparatively small and spending a few days can be difficult especially when you have massive luggage.
If you decide to stay in a hotel you can find a good mid-range or budget hotel for a reasonable price. Holiday inn, holiday inn express and ibis hotel are trustworthy options in that sense. however, You don’t have to limit to these there are several good hotels you can choose from.
You can easily find a list of hotels and short rental apartments using the following tool. It will give you a list of hotels (or specific hotel) with price comparison from major hotel booking sites including booking.com, Agoda, Expedia and hotels.com
Don’t wait till the last moment. book your accommodation once your flight is confirmed.
BOOKING AN AIRPORT TAXI – DO IT EARLY
If your hotel is not providing transportation and you don’t have anyone to pick you up you have to arrange your transportation to the place you stay.There are a host of options to choose from including train, bus coaches or taxi
however, if you are travelling to UK for the first time my recommendation is to book a taxi. Taxi prices can be significantly higher if you book at the last moment.( remember that you pay in pounds)
there are tons of taxi services waiting there to offer you service. But You need to find a reliable taxi service for a reasonable price ).Having said that recommending the best taxi service is a difficult task if not impossible. every taxi service will have at least a few bad reviews from customers so avoid services with constant bad reviews.
Decide on the type of vehicle depending on the number of passengers and load of your luggage. Get quotations from different companies and select one. make sure you double-check before getting on to the flight.
You can get quotations from one of these taxi comparison sites and select a taxi depending on your requirement.
1.Airporttaxis-uk.co.uk
2.Minicabit
3.Taxicode
4.pinkbery cars
CONTINUE READING………Things that you shoul do once you land to UK
