What do I need to provide as proof of my degree qualification for an eligibility application?
You are required to have a valid medical degree, recognised by the GMC by the start of the programme, in August. You do not need to have obtained the degree at the time of making the eligibility application.
Applicants with digital certificates must provide verification details.
If, at the time of application, you have not yet qualified or graduated:
Whilst completing the eligibility application form, you are asked to upload your degree certificate, here you must upload a letter from your medical school dean to confirm your qualification instead. There is a further section in the application form that requires you to upload the letter again.
If, at the time of application, you have already qualified, graduated and received a certificate:
In the section of the application where you are asked to upload your degree certification you are required to submit a copy of the certificate issued by your Medical School as part of your graduation.
If, at the time of application, you have already qualified and graduated but have not yet received a certificate:
You must upload a letter from your Dean confirming your qualification with your Eligibility application. Please refer to the UKFPO template letter which must be used when confirming your recent or future qualification.
My primary medical qualification appears on the GMC’s list of overseas medical qualifications they may accept, can I apply?
If your primary medical qualification (PMQ) appears on the GMC’s list of overseas medical qualifications they may accept, you must submit evidence from the GMC that your PMQ meets the criteria for an acceptable overseas qualification, by the deadline specified in the timeline. This evidence must be an email, with appropriate letterhead(s)/email address(es) clearly displayed. This evidence will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by the UKFPO.
My primary medical qualification appears on both the GMC’s list of overseas medical qualifications they may accept, and the list of overseas medical qualifications they do not accept, can I apply?
If your medical school /university appears on both the GMC’s list of medical qualifications they may accept, and the GMC’s list of medical qualifications they do not accept, you can submit an eligibility application and should follow the guidance provided above.
My primary medical qualification appears on the list of overseas medical qualifications they do not accept, can I apply?
If your medical school /university appears only on the GMC’s list of medical qualifications they do not accept, you will remain ineligible to apply for the UK Foundation Programme.
My degree certificate is not in English, can I still apply?
You can still make an eligibility application if your degree certificate is not in English, but an official English translation of the degree certificate must also be provided as part of your application.
Does the Dean’s stamp on the confirmation of qualification letter need to be in English?
The medical school/university stamp does not need to be in English, but the content of the letter must be completed in English.
Does the Dean’s/authorised officials signature need to be an ink signature?
The Dean’s/authorised official’s signature can be signed in ink or it can be an official digital signature. We will not accept a letter if the signature is just the Dean’s/authorised officials name typed out.
Does the Dean’s/authorised official’s letter to need to be handwritten or typed?
The content of your letter needs to be legible and in English. It can be either handwritten or typed.
Who counts as a ‘authorised official’ for the Dean?
You will need to contact your Medical School’s registrar’s office. They will know who the nominated representative is for your Dean. It cannot be an administrative member of staff.
Once my Medical School Dean/authorised official has completed my letter, where do I submit it?
Your completed letter needs to be scanned and uploaded onto the Oriel system as part of your eligibility application.
The UKFPO does not accept letters via email or post. It must be uploaded with your application onto Oriel.
Does my letter need to be issued on medical school / university headed paper?
Yes, the UKFPO will not accept any letters which have not been provided on university letter headed paper.
What does my letter need to include?
Please refer to the UKFPO template letter which includes further guidance.
I am unable to provide a copy of my medical degree certificate / confirmation letter from my medical school Dean, what do I do?
An applicant may only provide either a copy of their medical degree certificate or a letter to confirm their degree as evidence of their medical degree. No other forms of evidence will be accepted (for example, transcripts).
Can I use my medical degree as evidence of English language proficiency?
A medical degree will only be accepted as evidence of English language proficiency if it was gained from a medical school / university in a country where English is the first and native language. The GMC maintains a list of countries where English is a first and native language. The UKFPO will refer to this list when making decisions about applications. For more information, please refer to the Eligibility Applicant Guide, which can be found on the UKFPO website.