Working with doctors Working for patients

Programme and sites approval

It is our job to approve the training programmes which doctors in training follow to become specialists and GPs.

We also approve the sites that doctors train in.

We do this by working with deaneries, local education and training boards (LETBs) and local education providers (LEPs) to ensure the sites and programmes meet the standards we set.

Doctors in training need to follow an approved curriculum in GMC-approved sites and programmes in order to receive a certificate of completion of training (CCT) and go onto the specialist register or GP register, at the end of their training.

Doctors in training can gain a CCT in more than one specialty at a time. This is known as a Dual CCT. We have created a position paper on our aims to improve national consistency of approval of Dual CCT training programmes.

Documents and Guidance

We have recently made changes to the Site Approval Process

Please read our guidance for:

Location Spreadsheet

For further information on the above processes please check our frequently asked questions for programme and post approval.

Training pathway pilots

Please see our guidance to pilot a new run through or uncoupled training pathway (pdf) and associated application form (Word).

The following training pathway pilots have been approved by the GMC:

Cardio-thoracic surgery run through effective from August 2013. On 21 May 2015 this pilot was re-approved for a further two years (until 31 July 2017) in eight regions: Wessex/Thames Valley (joint programme), Wales, North East, North West, West Midlands, South West, Scotland and the East Midlands.

Oral and maxillo-facial surgery run through effective from August 2014 for three years.

Emergency medicine run through effective from 2014 for three years. There is also an opportunity for existing ACCS Emergency medicine stream trainees to move to this programme.

Child and adolescent psychiatry run through effective from August 2017 for three years in three regions: London, Yorkshire & Humber and the North East.

Otolaryngology run through effective from August 2018 for three years in four regions: North West, London, KSS and West Midlands.