Employment surveys
UK graduates
A survey of UK medical graduates about their job situation shows that most are successfully finding employment. A very large majority of those interviewed stated they were working as a doctor either in the NHS or in the health service in the UK.
The survey was conducted by GfK NOP on behalf of the GMC between 3 and 17 January 2006. GfK NOP interviewed 3,000 graduates by telephone, with 1,000 selected from each of the three cohorts that graduated in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
The survey showed that graduates were often employed in training posts such as PRHO (Pre Registered House Officer) and SHO (Senior House Officer). The majority of the graduates surveyed stated that the initial average length of employment contracts were 6-12 months.
Some 95% of interviewees were currently working as doctors and 3% had chosen not to work as a doctor - only 2% of the total sample wanted to practice but were not doing so at the time of the survey.
And 97% of respondents have worked as a doctor at some point since they graduated. A total of 91% have had no unplanned gaps in employment, the biggest group who have had gaps (4%) falling between 2nd & 3rd posts.
The peak time for starting employment was August. Medicine, Surgery, A&E and General Practice were popular specialty posts for the UK graduates. The UK regions and nations in which most employment was obtained were London, followed by Scotland and the North West.
Download the full survey
Download the full UK graduates survey results (274kb, 
pdf)
Doctors who have passed PLAB
In early 2004 the GMC initiated a regular survey of doctors who had passed the PLAB test, to collect information about their experience of gaining employment in the UK. From January 2003 all doctors are surveyed one year later.
We peroidically conduct the survey and publish the results, in which we ask such questions as
- how long doctors had to wait after passing the test before they secured a job;
- whether the job was in the specialty and geographical area of their choice;
- how long they had waited between completing a clinical attachment and securing their first employment in the UK;
- whether they had experienced a gap in employment between their first and second post, and
- if so how long this gap had been.
Download the full survey
Download the results of the survey of doctors who passed the PLAB test (362kb, pdf)
Please note: The GMC conducted this survey to help prospective PLAB candidates understand their employment prospects. In April 2006 the Department of Health introduced new rules IMGs who wish to work or train in the NHS will need a work permit. Read more about work permits for IMGs.