What type of GMC registration is required for entry to the 2-year Foundation Programme (F1)?
Provisional registration with a licence to practise.
If you are unsure which registration to apply for, use the GMC’s online applicant registration tool to identify which registration status you are eligible for, and for guidance on the steps you need to take.
Do I need to be provisionally registered with the GMC when I submit my application?
No. However, you will need to have applied for and obtained provisional registration by the start of the programme. We recommend that you apply for registration at least three months before the start of the programme and have your GMC registration confirmed before the start of their individual induction and shadowing period.
For further information on applying for registration, please visit the GMC website.
I have experience of working in a clinical setting, what level of registration will I be eligible for?
If you have postgraduate experience of working in a clinical setting, please consult with the GMC about your registration status. If you have undertaken a 12-month internship, you may be eligible for full registration with the GMC, which would make you ineligible to apply for the two-year Foundation Programme.
We would advise you to use the GMC’s online applicant registration tool to identify which registration status you are eligible for, and for guidance on the steps you need to take.
What is an internship?
The definition of an internship is a period of pre-graduate or post-graduate clinical experience prior to having a licence to practise medicine unsupervised. You can check whether your internship is considered acceptable for full or provisional registration on the GMC website.
What are PLAB 1 and 2?
If you qualified or will qualify from a medical school outside the UK, you may be required to pass the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) examinations; PLAB 1 and PLAB 2.
Please visit the GMC website for more information on the requirements for gaining provisional registration. If you have any specific queries in relation to PLAB, please contact the GMC directly as PLAB is regulated by the GMC (not the UKFPO).
If I have to complete PLAB, what evidence does my eligibility application form need to provide?
If you have not yet qualified from medical school:
You will be asked to indicate whether you will qualify from a UK, EEA or Swiss medical school (and are therefore not required to undertake PLAB) or that you will qualify from medical school by the deadlines specified in the timeline and will book PLAB for a date that is compliant with the UKFPO timeline.
Please visit the GMC’s website for further information. The onus is on you to determine if you are required to sit PLAB.
If you have already qualified from medical school:
You will be asked to indicate your current GMC status. If you hold provisional GMC registration, please provide your GMC reference number on your application.
If you do not hold provisional GMC registration at the time of application, you must indicate this on your application form. If you have already passed PLAB 1 or PLAB 2, you must upload a copy of the email/letter from the GMC proving you have successfully passed PLAB 1 or PLAB 2
For further information about PLAB, please visit the GMC website.
How do I provide evidence of completion of PLAB 1 and/or PLAB 2 after I have submitted my eligibility application?
If you have not sat and passed all of your PLAB exams at the time of your eligibility application (which is often the case), then you will need to continue to update the UKFPO every time you pass or fail a PLAB exam in line with the stated deadlines in the Eligibility Guidance.
To do this after you have submitted your eligibility application, you must forward the email confirmation that you receive from the GMC confirming your pass/fail to helpdesk@foundationprogramme.nhs.uk.
The GMC email must identify you as the candidate (name and GMC reference number) and specify the exam name (i.e. PLAB 1 or PLAB 2), the date of examination, and whether you passed or failed the exam. This is the only form of proof that we can accept.
If you do not provide satisfactory evidence by the deadlines stated on the Timeline and deadlines page, your eligibility application will be withdrawn from the process.
We cannot offer exceptions, exemptions, or extensions to our deadlines under any circumstances.
What are the deadlines for booking/completing PLAB 1 and PLAB 2?
You do not need to complete PLAB 1 and/or 2 at the time of making your eligibility application.
There are several deadlines in the Eligibility timeline for completing PLAB which can be found on the UKFPO website. Evidence must be submitted by the deadlines to the UKFPO Helpdesk.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure they have completed both parts of PLAB and have obtained provisional registration by the stated deadlines for programme commencement in August. This process can take several months, it is therefore recommended to begin the process at least 3 months in advance.
If you do not pass either part of PLAB, meet the deadlines or submit the evidence stated to obtain provision al registration, your application will be deemed ineligible and withdrawn from the process.
If you have any questions about PLAB please email PLAB@gmc-uk.org and if you have any questions about the Foundation Programme, please email helpdesk@foundationprogramme.nhs.uk.
Do I need to sit PLAB to obtain provisional registration with the GMC?
You can check the GMC website to determine if you are required to sit PLAB in order to obtain provisional registration with the GMC. The onus is on you to ensure you have checked with the GMC regarding PLAB requirements.
I have already gained provisional registration, but have since relinquished it, what should I do?
If you have relinquished your provisional GMC registration, you can contact the GMC to request for it to be reinstated.
Please ensure that your registration has been reinstated by the time of your individual induction and shadowing period as well as the start of the programme.