| Allopathic medicine |
Allopathic medicine refers to the practice of traditional or conventional Western medicine. The term allopathic medicine is most often used to contrast conventional medicine with alternative/complementary medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine or homeopathy. |
| AOQ/Acceptable overseas qualification |
A qualification which was not awarded in the UK and is not a primary European qualification (with reference to European Directive 2005/36/EC). |
| Avicenna Directory |
The Avicenna Directory for Medicine. Formerly the WHO Directory of Medical Schools. |
| Awarding body |
The institution, usually a university, which confers your qualification. This is sometimes the same as your medical school/college but not always. |
| Qualifications which may acceptable |
The list of qualifications/medical schools maintained by the GMC which may be acceptable for the purposes of sitting the PLAB test and applying for GMC registration but which require more in-depth assessment to establish their acceptability |
| Distance learning |
Any learning, studies or part of your course undertaken other than on a face to face basis. This includes: correspondence (i.e. written work or exercises being set and sent to you (either by post, email, fax etc) for you to complete independently and send back to a tutor to mark; online learning courses and modules, self-directed learning, attendance at lectures or seminars via web link or using an electronic classroom and any other training or learning undertaken other than on a face to face basis. |
| EPQ/PEQ Primary European Qualification |
Qualification awarded by a medical school in a relevant member state in accordance with European Directive 2005/36/EC |
| Exclude study where considered unsuitable to qualify as a doctor and refused graduation or offered alternative degree |
Where a student has been removed from a course of study, refused graduation with a medical qualification or offered an alternative degree title (such as a BSc for example), all of their study there will be discounted for the purposes of calculating the length of their course of study. |
| GMC registration |
Registration required to obtain a licence to practise and work in a medical capacity in the UK |
| Medical school/college |
The institution where you undertook your medical studies. This is sometimes the same as your awarding body or it may be an affiliated medical school/college which teaches your courses under the authority of the university which grants your qualification. |
| Otherwise acceptable qualification |
A qualification which is not listed in the Avicenna Directory either because it is a primary European qualification OR is in a country/territory not recognised by the United Nations AND has been assessed by the GMC as acceptable and is listed on the 'Otherwise Acceptable qualifications' web page |
| Outside the country that awarded the qualification |
Any study or clinical rotations undertaken physically outside the country that awarded the qualification, even whilst under the auspices of the awarding body. This includes taking part in lectures etc via webinars, online classrooms as well as electives or rotations under taken overseas, etc |
| Physical address in Avicenna |
To be acceptable the awarding body must be listed in the Avicenna directory and it must also have an address listed in the Directory. The address must be in the country awarding the qualification. As a general principle the address must as a minimum include the following:
- A street number OR building name (not the name of the institution) and a street name OR a PO Box number, and
- A city OR town,
- A country, and
- A post code (where appropriate)
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| PLAB |
Professional and Linguistics Assessments Board. Two part test set and assessed by the GMC for the purposes of ascertaining the level of medical knowledge and skill of a potential applicant for GMC registration |
| PMQ/Primary medical qualification |
Medical qualification awarded following a course of study (min 5,500 hours over 3 full years or 4 academic years) providing a basic grounding in the core areas of medicine and physiology required for undertaking a practical period of training in order to gain entry to the medical profession. |
| Programme of study |
The course of study followed by each individual applicant leading to their qualification |
| Standard duration of the qualification |
The standard length of the course of study leading towards the qualification - for example the course of study as detailed in the medical school's listing in the Avicenna Directory |
| Qualifications under investigation |
The list of qualifications/medical schools where the GMC is currently investigating to establish if they meet the acceptability criteria. If a qualification/ medical school is on this list, you will not, at this time, be able to apply to sit the PLAB test or for GMC registration. |
| Qualifications which are not acceptable |
The list of qualifications/medical schools maintained by the GMC which are not acceptable for the purposes of sitting the PLAB test or for applying for GMC registration. |