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Acceptable Postgraduate Qualifications

This page details the postgraduate qualifications that we accept as providing sufficient evidence of a doctor’s knowledge and skill, for the purpose of full registration.

If a qualification is not on the list below then it is not acceptable for the purposes of full registration. Please note that you must be granted full registration within three years of passing your postgraduate qualification or it will no longer be acceptable.

For more information on applying for registration using your postgraduate qualification (PGQ) as evidence of knowledge and skill please see our guidance.

UK Postgraduate Qualifications
Overseas Postgraduate Qualifications

UK Postgraduate Qualifications

Awarding Body	Qualification
College of Emergency Medicine	Membership of the College of Emergency Medicine (MCEM)
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists	Membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (MROG)
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health	Membership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow	Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow (Ophthalmology) (FRCSG Ophth)
Royal College of Psychiatrists	Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (MRCPsych)
Royal College of Physicians of London Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow	Membership of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP)
The Royal College of Surgeons of England The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow	Intercollegiate Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) Collegiate Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS)
The Royal College of Pathologists	Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath) by examination only
Royal College of Anaesthetists	Primary FRCA examination

Overseas Postgraduate Qualifications

Country	Awarding Body	Qualification
America	American Board of Paediatrics (APP)	Fellowship examination (Diplomat of American Board of Pediatrics)
	American Boards of Internal Medicine	US Boards of Internal Medicine
	American Board of Anaesthesiology	Certificate of the American Board of Anaesthesiology
Australia/New Zealand	Royal Australasian College of Physicians	Passed the written and clinical exams for FRCAP (Paediatrics)
	Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists	Passed the written and clinical exams for Fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists
	Royal Australasian College of Physicians	Passed both the written and clinical exams for Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians Part 1
The Australian specialist training programme is 6 years long. After basic training lasting 3 years candidates sit written and clinical examinations. Passing both these examinations is acceptable evidence of a postgraduate qualification. Doctors then undertake a further 3 years training – Fellowship is only awarded after successful completion of this training.
Bangladesh	Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons	Passed both the written and clinical exams for Fellowship in Anaesthesia awarded since July 1999
Canada	Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada	Fellowship in Anaesthesia
	Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada	FRCPS Paediatrics Canada
Europe	European Academy of Anaesthesiology or European Society of Anaesthesiology	European Diploma in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care
Hong Kong	Hong Kong College of Anaesthesiologists	Fellowship in Anaesthesia awarded since January 2001
	Hong Kong College of Physicians	Membership of the Hong Kong College of Physicians
Ireland	Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland	MRCS (collegiate) examination MRCSI (intercollegiate) examination
	Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland	Fellowship of the Faculty or the College of Anaesthetists of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Pakistan	College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan	FCPS Paediatrics Pakistan
	College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan	Fellowship in Anaesthesiology awarded since 1998
	College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan	Fellowship of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan (Medicine)
Singapore	National University of Singapore	Master of Medicine (Anaesthesia)
South Africa	College of Paediatrics in South Africa	FC Paediatrics
	College of Physicians South Africa	Fellowship of the College of Physicians South Africa
	College of Anaesthetists of South Africa	Fellowship of the College of Anaesthetists of South Africa
Sri Lanka	University of Colombo, Sri Lanka	Doctor of Medicine (Anaesthesiology)
	Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, Colombo University	MD Paediatrics Sri Lanka
	University of Colombo	MD Colombo (Medicine)
West Africa	West African College of Paediatrics	FWACP Paediatrics West Africa
West Indies	University of West Indies	DM Paediatrics West Indies
	University of West Indies	Doctor of Medicine (Anaesthesia) awarded since September 2003

Acceptable Postgraduate Qualifications

Contents

UK Postgraduate Qualifications

Overseas Postgraduate Qualifications

Approved practice settings

FAQs

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