Regulating doctors, ensuring good medical practice

Postgraduate education

In the UK doctors provisionally registered with a licence to practise spend the first year after graduating from medical school training in a programme for provisionally registered doctors. This is the first year of the two-year Foundation Programme.

The GMC is responsible for doctors in the first year of the Foundation Programme, which is called F1.

Our guidance for this period is called The New Doctor (pdf). This sets out the standards that Foundation Programme providers must meet, and the outcomes that F1 doctors must demonstrate before they are eligible to apply for full registration with a licence to practise.

An organisation called PMETB is responsible for the second year of the Foundation Programme, which is called F2.

The Government has announced that PMETB will be merged with the GMC. Read about the merger.

The GMC and PMETB have a single system to quality assure the Foundation Programme (this system is called QAFP), which meets our different but complementary legal responsibilities to regulate Foundation Programme training.

After completing a medical degree and foundation training, many doctors complete a third stage - postgraduate training - to become general practitioners (GPs) or consultants. PMETB is also responsible for setting standards for this stage of training.

Tell me about

About the Foundation Programme

For further detail on the first years after graduating, see our section on the Foundation programme.

The New Doctor

For information about standards and outcomes for the foundation course, the curriculum framework and the legislation underpinning the course, see The New Doctor (pdf).

Quality Assurance of the Foundation Programme

The GMC quality assures the Foundation Programme and conducts visits to deaneries. Access all information about Quality Assurance of the Foundation Programme.

Frequently asked questions about Foundation training

Read our frequently asked questions about the Foundation programme.

Postgraduate training

After graduating from medical school and completing their foundation training, many doctors complete a third stage, postgraduate training, to become general practitioners (GPs) or consultants. Read about postgraduate training.