UK medical graduates training overseas

Can I complete the first year of the Foundation Programme (F1) overseas?

As a graduate from a UK medical school, F1 is still part of your basic medical education. Your medical school is therefore required to oversee your F1 training. When you complete your training, it is the medical school's or local foundation school's responsibility to sign off your certificate of experience. The certificate of experience is the evidence we’ll need to confirm that you’re eligible to apply for full registration.

If you’re thinking of taking your F1 year outside the UK, you must have the following in place before you do.

• Prior confirmation from your medical school that they support your overseas training (some medical schools will not support posts outside of the UK).
• Prior confirmation from your local foundation school/LETB/deanery that they will have oversight of the quality of your training (some postgraduate deans do not accept posts outside of the UK).
• You must hold provisional registration with us for the full duration of your approved overseas training.
• You must make sure that you’re appropriately registered with the relevant medical regulatory authority in the country where you’re planning to undertake your training.

Once your school has confirmed your overseas training, they will let us know. We’ll then grant approval for you to do your F1 training outside of the UK.

If your post isn’t pre-approved, you won't be eligible to receive a certificate of experience on completion of your training. This means you would not automatically be eligible to apply for full registration if you chose to return to the UK and work here in the future.

What should I do when I finish my approved F1 overseas training post?

You should speak to your medical school and local education and training board or postgraduate dean. Ask them what evidence they need to confirm that you have completed your programme and met the same outcomes as the foundation programme curriculum. Once you have completed all their requirements, they will be able to issue your certificate of experience and you’ll be able to apply for full registration with us.

Make sure you know what information you’ll need to get signed off before you start your overseas training post, as you should be gathering the evidence as you go through your training.

Taking time out from an approved F1 overseas training post

If you want to take time out from an overseas training programme, you should inform your medical school and local education and training board or postgraduate dean about your break in practice. You should also give up your provisional registration and licence if you’re not planning to practise for an extended period. This is because there is a limit on the amount of time you can hold provisional registration.

Will I be able to register in the future if I don’t complete F1?

Graduates of UK medical schools who complete the Intern Year in the Republic of Ireland can apply directly for full registration based on the Certificate of Experience awarded at the end of their training.

We may be able to consider other experience gained overseas for the purposes of assessing your eligibility to apply for full registration. But this would be entirely at the registrar’s discretion. There is no guarantee you would be able to apply for full registration based on this experience - you may only be eligible to apply for provisional registration.

You don't need to hold provisional registration with us while you’re training overseas, except where you have received approval from your medical school and your local foundation school to complete F1 overseas.