Acceptable postgraduate qualifications
If you hold one of the postgraduate qualifications listed below, we can accept it as evidence that you have the knowledge, skills and experience required to apply for full registration with a licence to practise.
Please review the list to confirm what evidence you need to provide. You must submit the same evidence to ECFMG for verification.
Your postgraduate qualification should have been awarded within three years of the date we approve your application. If it was awarded more than three years ago, you will need to provide additional evidence of your recent medical experience.
If your qualification doesn’t appear on either list, you’ll need to use our application finder to find the application route that’s right for you.
| Awarding Body | Qualification |
|---|---|
| Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine | Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine awarded since 1 January 2010 |
| Joint Committee on Intercollegiate Examinations | Joint Surgical Colleges Fellowship Examination (JSCFE) |
| Royal College of Anaesthetists |
Fellowship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (FRCA) Primary FRCA examination. You will need to provide a letter from the Royal College of Anaesthetists confirming the date you completed all components of the Primary FRCA examination. |
| Royal College of Emergency Medicine |
Fellowship of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (FRCEM) awarded since 1 August 2018 Membership of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine |
| Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists |
Membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists |
| Royal College of Ophthalmologists | Fellowship of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (FRCOphth) by examination only. You will need to provide a letter from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists confirming the date you completed the exam requirements and became eligible for fellowship of the College. We cannot accept the decorative certificate. |
| Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health | Membership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. You will need to provide a letter from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health confirming the date you completed the exam requirements and became eligible for membership of the College. We cannot accept the decorative certificate. |
| Royal College of Pathologists |
Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists |
| Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow |
Collegiate Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) Intercollegiate Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) Intercollegiate Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS (ENT)) Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (following examination) (FRCS) Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (FRCS Glasg Ophthalmology) |
|
Royal College of Physicians London Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow The Federation of Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK |
Membership of the Royal College of Physicians MRCP (UK) |
| Royal College of Psychiatrists |
Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists |
| Royal College of Radiologists | Fellowship of the Royal College of Radiologists (FRCR) |
| Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh |
Collegiate Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) Intercollegiate Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) Intercollegiate Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS (ENT)) Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (MRCS Ed Ophthalmology) You will need to provide a letter from the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh confirming whether you were awarded MRCS in General Surgery, ENT or Ophthalmology and the date the requirements for membership were met. For MRCS Ed Ophthalmology, the College letter must also confirm that you have sat the OSCE component. We cannot accept the decorative certificate. Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (following examination) (FRCS)
Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh |
|
Royal College of Surgeons of England |
Collegiate Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) Intercollegiate Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) Intercollegiate Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS (ENT)) You will need to provide a letter from the Royal College of Surgeons of England confirming that you have completed all membership examinations and the date on which you sat the OSCE. We cannot accept the decorative certificate. Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (following examination) (FRCS) |
The overseas qualifications listed meet the same standards as UK postgraduate qualifications. However, they are not identical and do not guarantee entry to UK specialty training.
If your qualification is not listed, then it is not acceptable for the purposes of full registration with a licence to practise. However, we may accept a letter from a UK medical Royal College confirming that your international qualification is equivalent to its own qualification.
Please note that the JRCPTB, the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) and the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine (FICM) no longer offer recognition or equivalency for overseas qualifications.
You may be eligible for specialist or GP registration if you hold a Recognised Specialist Qualification that meets current GMC criteria. Please check our Recognised Specialist Qualification list for further details.
| Country | Awarding Body | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
|
Australia and New Zealand |
Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists |
Fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists |
|
Australia and New Zealand |
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists |
Fellowship of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (FRANZCO) awarded since January 2010 |
|
Australia and New Zealand |
The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine |
Fellowship of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (FACEM) awarded since 2001 |
|
Australia and New Zealand |
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians |
FRACP Adult Medicine or evidence of three years of basic training (PREP) and achievement of RACP written and clinical examinations in Adult Medicine |
|
Australia and New Zealand |
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists |
Fellowship of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (FRANZCP) awarded since January 2012 |
|
Australia and New Zealand |
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists |
Fellowship of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (FRANZCR) (Clinical Radiology) Fellowship of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (FRANZCR) (Radiation Oncology) |
|
Australia and New Zealand |
The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine |
Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (FACRRM) awarded since 1 January 2013 |
|
Australia and New Zealand |
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners |
Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP) awarded since 1 January 2007 |
|
Australia and New Zealand |
The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners |
Fellowship of the Division of Rural Hospital Medicine (FDRHMNZ) awarded since 1 January 2012 |
|
Australia and New Zealand |
The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners |
Fellowship of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (FRNZCGP) awarded since 1 January 2012 |
|
Bangladesh |
Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons |
Fellowship in Anaesthesia or Anaesthesiology awarded between July 1999 and October 2019 |
|
Canada |
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada |
Accreditation in Psychiatry from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada - Diagnostic Radiology examination |
|
Canada |
The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) |
Certification in the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CCFP) awarded since 1 January 2009 |
|
Europe |
European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (previously the European Academy of Anaesthesiology or European Society of Anaesthesiology) |
Diplomate of European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (DESAIC) (previously the Diplomate of European Academy of Anaesthesiology DEAA) or Diplomate of European Society of Anaesthesiology (DESA)) |
|
European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) |
European Diploma of Intensive Care (EDIC) awarded since January 2015 |
|
|
Hong Kong |
Hong Kong College of Physicians |
Membership of the Hong Kong College of Physicians |
|
Ireland |
College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland |
Fellowship of the College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland (previously Fellowship of the College of Anaesthetists of Ireland) |
| Ireland | Royal College of Physicians in Ireland |
Membership of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (MRCPI) in General Medicine, awarded after 1 January 2007 Membership of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (Paediatrics) (previously Membership of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (MRCPI) in Paediatrics (Medicine of Childhood), awarded after 1 January 2007 Membership of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (MRCPI) in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, awarded after 1 January 2007 Membership of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (MFOM), awarded after 1 January 2007 Membership of the Faculty of Public Medicine (MFPHMI), awarded after 1 January 2007 |
| Ireland |
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland |
MRCS (collegiate examination) MRCS (intercollegiate examination) MRCS (ENT) (intercollegiate examination) Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland Fellowship of the Faculty or the College of Anaesthetists of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Fellowship of the Faculty of Radiologists in Clinical Radiology of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (FFR RCSI) |
|
Malaysia |
Ministry of Health |
Master of Medicine (MMED) Malaysia with MRCP (UK) awarded since 1 July 2010 This must include four years of clinical experience (required to complete MMED) plus two years of training |
|
Singapore |
National University of Singapore |
Master of Medicine (Internal Medicine) including MRCP (UK) |
|
Singapore |
Joint Committee on Specialist Training Singapore |
Master of Medicine (MMED) Singapore, plus MRCP (UK) awarded since 1 July 2010 |
|
South Africa |
Colleges of Medicine of South Africa or College of Anaesthetists of South Africa |
Fellowship of the College of Anaesthetists of South Africa FCA (SA) |
|
South Africa |
Colleges of Medicine of South Africa |
Fellowship of the College of Radiologists of SA FC Rad Diag (SA) - Diag Rad awarded after 1 October 2013 |
|
South Africa |
Colleges of Medicine of South Africa or College of Family Physicians of South Africa |
Fellowship of the College of Family Physicians of South Africa (FCFP(SA)) awarded since 1 January 2007 |
|
Sri Lanka |
University of Colombo, Sri Lanka |
Doctor of Medicine or MD (Anaesthesiology) Doctor of Medicine or MD, (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) Doctor of Medicine (MD) in General Medicine awarded after January 2017 Doctor of Medicine or MD (surgery) awarded after July 2017 |
| United States | American Board of Anaesthesiology | Certificate of the American Board of Anaesthesiology |
| United States | The American Board of Radiology | The American Board of Radiology diagnostic radiology examination |
|
West Indies |
University of the West Indies |
Doctor of Medicine (Anaesthesia) or Doctor of Medicine (Anaesthesia and Intensive Care) awarded between September 2003 and May 2014 |
