Revalidation for doctors in training

Step 1: Check your connection

Doctors in training are supported in their revalidation by a connection to a designated body. A responsible officer in the designated body then makes a recommendation to us, which forms the basis of our revalidation decision. Your responsible officer is usually your postgraduate dean responsible for your training programme, and not the responsible officer at the organisation where you are on placement.

Find your designated body using our connection tool and update this information in GMC Online. Your connection might change when you complete training or if you take a break in practice.

A-Z of designated bodies
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Step 2: Know your requirements

As a doctor in training, you revalidate by engaging in your training programme. This means you must:

• engage in and meet the assessment and curriculum requirements of your training programme
• discuss your progress and learning needs with your educational supervisors (including any practice you do outside of your training programme).

Your responsible officer is usually your postgraduate dean responsible for your training programme, and not the responsible officer at the organisation where you are on placement. They will make revalidation recommendations to us, confirming you are up to date and fit to practise. They base this recommendation on your participation in the annual review of Competence Progression (ARCP) process, or equivalent.

You can find more information on your requirements while in training, as well as information on what to do when taking a break from, or completing your training, in our guidance for doctors.

Step 3: Your revalidation

When you become eligible for your CCT, please make sure that your responsible officer has made a revalidation recommendation to us. You should do this before updating your connection in GMC Online. Our guidance on revalidation for doctors in training: Section 3 explains what to do when you complete your training, and what to do if you do not receive a recommendation before disconnecting from your training body.

Other guidance

The GMC protocol for making revalidation recommendations

Understand how responsible officers and suitable persons make revalidation recommendations.

The revalidation statements

The statements your responsible officer or suitable person must confirm when making a recommendation about your revalidation.

Guidance for decision makers

Understand the factors we take into account when making decisions about your revalidation.