Doctors not from EU countries
Foreign doctors from outside the European Union must be registered with the UK General Medical Council (GMC) in order to practice medicine in the UK. In order to obtain limited registration, you will be required to pass the examinations as set out by the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB).
If you wish to take up a period of limited registration (which you can do only if you are in supervised employment) you will need to prove that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to practice medicine in the UK.
The test is in two parts:
1. Part 1 tests your knowledge on clinical management and includes science as applied to clinical problems.
2. Part 2 tests your clinical and communication skills. It is designed so that an examiner can observe you putting these skills into practice.
You cannot enter Part 2 until you have passed Part 1. You must take Part 2 within three years of passing Part 1. You will generally have to wait between four and six months between applying for and securing a place for the Part 2 examination.
Before you can take the test, you must already have the following qualifications and experience:
- You must have a primary medical qualification (PMQ) for limited registration as listed in the WHO Directory of Medical Schools.
- You must be proficient in the English language. This would be demonstrated by obtaining the relevant scores in the IELTS test (a minimum of 7 as an overall score). You should contact the British Council in your country of residence for further information as it is they who administer this test.
- You must have at least 12 months' postgraduate clinical experience in a teaching hospital, or another hospital approved by the medical registration authorities in the appropriate country.
Recent graduates who have never worked in a hospital either in the UK or overseas are only eligible for limited registration at the level of Junior House Officer. In addition, you will be required to sit both parts of the PLAB examination as part of your initial 12 months training.
If you have already completed 12 months post-graduate training in a hospital either in the UK or overseas, and you have passed the PLAB examinations, you will be eligible for entry to an NHS hospital at the level of Senior House Officer (SHO).
If you wish to enter the UK for the purposes of post-graduate training, you will require a visa which will allow you to do so. If you are interested in applying for this visa, please contact us.
HSMP for doctors
Under the HSMP Scheme General Practitioners may be eligible for 50 points as a priority application. This scheme applies only to General Practitioners and is an ideal way for them to enter the UK and find work.
Location of jobs
Hospital doctors are required both within NHS (public) hospitals and private hospitals
Types of jobs
Doctor placements in the UK are varied covering all grades and specialities from short, medium to long term placements. Locum work is popular and available UK wide. Accommodation is often provided free, or heavily subsidized by the hospitals, for locum doctors.
Pay
Pay rates for doctors vary according to experience, grade and speciality however as an example: an SHO working 56 hrs a week would earn approx 850 to 950 pounds per week.
SHO = Senior House Officer