What is GMC account and how do I get it?

Written by Haya Abu Shaban, Reviewed by DR. Tamer El Nakhal, Edited by Majed Jaber

Great news, you made the decision to study in the UK, sounds exciting, but you might be a bit lost. Trying to figure out where to start, which test to take, what form to fill out. It all may sound daunting and confusing, but in this article, we will demonstrate a glimpse on everything you need to do to get there.

If you have already completed your fellowship in your country, then you are a step ahead. But if you want to do your fellowship in the UK that’s another story— it is possible, though. Having acquired a PLAB 1 and an English proficiency test certificate by the time you finished the sixth year will be of a great help saving time on your way to taking PLAB2 test. This process requires preparation and planning ahead.

The first thing you need is a GMC (General medical council) account; without that account, you cannot apply to jobs.

What is GMC?

It is a General Medical Council, which is the regulatory body to register doctors and keep the good practice in place.

How to register or make an account?

 You will need to create an account, that will take you to start your journey for registration and gain a license to practice in the UK.

What are the requirements for GMC registration? here’s what you need:

1. You will need to have an acceptable primary qualification, all Palestinian Primary Qualifications are accredited, including:

• You will need to have an acceptable primary qualification, all Palestinian Primary Qualifications are accredited, including:
• Al-Quds University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem and Gaza
• An-Najah National University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Nablus
• Arab American University Faculty of Medicine, Jenin
• Islamic University of Gaza Faculty of Medicine, Gaza
• Palestine Polytechnic University College of Human Medicine, Hebron

AND

2. Either an English taught degree (list of acceptable universities) Or An English proficiency test (IELTS, OET, or other acceptable tests in the UK) ).

3. You will need to undertake PLAB 1&2 or MLA ( New updated system that will be covered in our website soon), for fees please relate to GMC website as it changes every April, also we will keep you updated through our website.

– MLA: Medical Licensing Assessment, from early 2024, international medical graduates who would have sat our Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) test will start to take the MLA, if they’re applying for registration with a license to practise in the UK. The MLA will replace the PLAB test.

Further articles will be published soon on our website regarding the new followed system: MLA, keep following us for the upcoming articles.

4. Certificate of good conduct issued less than 3 months before application.

5. Internship certificate if you wish to get a FULL GMC REGISTRATION WITH A LICENSE TO PRACTICE, or without it if you would like a PROVISIONAL GMC REGISTRATION (You will need to do.

6. Diploma from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. -As for your residency certificate, issuing a certificate listing all your rotations (including star months of Foundation year 1 jobs to get FULL Registration)

 7. GMC will send a GEN form to the correct authority to fill it, but the process will take up to 2 weeks. 

– For diploma verification, you need to create an account on the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates for a fee of $125, from there every certificate/ diploma will cost $90 for verification.

8. For GMC, you don’t need to verify your transcripts, your diploma is enough.

This step takes a couple of weeks so you should start working on it before taking PLAB 2. Then you should receive an ID check followed by an issued License to Practice in the UK, Congratulations!!

This is just a simple article lightly going over all the steps necessary to get you studying in the UK. Now that you know what is needed, take a deeper dive into our website where you’ll find a plethora of articles guiding you to achieving each step. Good luck!

Of course, when planning to study in the UK, you need to have an idea about the nature of life there, our next articles will tell you everything you need to know about the life in UK: Starting the Journey in the UK (Part 1)