Specialty equivalence

This section provides information about entry onto the Specialist Register with a Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration (CESR) and entry onto the GP Register with a Certificate of Eligibility for GP Registration (CEGPR) through the specialty equivalence route.

Certificates of Completion of Training (CCT) are only issued to doctors who complete full approved* training programmes.

Doctors who want to practise as substantive, honorary or fixed term consultants, or as GPs, in the UK health services and have not completed approved* training programmes may apply through the specialty equivalence route for:

• entry onto the Specialist Register with a Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration (CESR)
  
  Or
• entry onto the GP Register with a Certificate of Eligibility for GP Registration (CEGPR)

An applicant for a CESR in a CCT specialty must provide a portfolio of evidence that demonstrates that their training, qualifications and experience meet the requirements of the relevant CCT curriculum. Applicants for a CESR in a non-CCT specialty must provide evidence that demonstrates their knowledge, skills and experience are at an equivalent standard to a current NHS Consultant. This means that this type of application is usually complex and time consuming.

It is not possible to apply for specialty equivalence alone. The application is for entry onto the Specialist Register or entry onto the GP Register. CESR and CEGPR are only issued to applicants who are granted entry onto the respective registers.

Applicants will also be required to apply for full registration with a licence to practise if they are not already on the Medical Register (this may be before or at the same time depending on their circumstances). It is not possible to apply for specialty equivalence without also having full registration.

If you are a doctor looking for guidance on which route to entry onto the Specialist Register or GP Register you are eligible for and how to apply, please see our applications section.

 

Entry onto the Specialist Register with a CESR in a CCT specialty

Doctors who have knowledge, skills and experience in a specialty that is approved for the award of a CCT by the GMC but have gained these outside of an approved training programme may apply for entry onto the Specialist Register with a CESR in a CCT specialty.

To be eligible to apply you must have either a specialist medical qualification or at least six months continuous specialty training in the specialty you are applying in. The specialist medical qualification or specialist training can be obtained in any country.

See a list of CCT approved specialties

 

Entry onto the Specialist Register with a CESR in a non-CCT specialty

Doctors who have knowledge, skills and experience in a specialty that is not approved for the award of a CCT by the GMC but have gained these outside of an approved training programme may apply for entry onto the Specialist Register with a CESR in a non-CCT specialty (part of the training or qualifications must have been gained outside the UK).

To be eligible to apply you must have either a specialist medical qualification from outside the UK or at least six months continuous specialist training undertaken outside the UK in any non-CCT specialty.

See a list of CCT approved specialties

 

Entry onto the Specialist Register with a CESR in academic and research medicine

A small number of doctors who have not followed conventional specialist training, have focused on a specific area of narrow research and have made a significant contribution to their academic field, may apply for entry onto the Specialist Register with a CESR in academic and research medicine. To do this they must demonstrate their contribution to their academic field and that they have achieved the knowledge and skill consistent with practice as a consultant in the NHS.

 

Entry onto the GP Register with a CEGPR

Doctors who have knowledge, skills and experience in General Practice but have gained these outside of an approved training programme may apply for entry onto the GP Register with a CEGPR.

To be eligible to apply you must have either a specialist medical qualification or at least six months continuous training in the specialty of General practice or Family medicine. The specialist medical qualification or specialist training can be obtained in any country.

 

*Approved by one of the following organisations

Period	Organisation
Before September 2005 (for specialists)	The relevant medical Royal College of Faculty
Before September 2005 (for GPs)	The Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice (JCPTGP)
Between September 2005 and March 2010	Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB)
From April 2010	The GMC
* Before 31 July 2007	Some training posts that were completed before 31 December 2006 may have been approved retrospectively by the Royal College or Faculty for that specialty (including General Practice). This approval will have been granted before 31 July 2007 and the doctor will have written confirmation from the Royal College or Faculty.

Read frequently asked questions for doctors about specialty equivalence

Read about applying for entry onto the Specialist Register or GP Register in our applications section