The Afera Encyclopaedia: Careers edition
UKMLA
Verified reference for UK professional registers, credentials and career pathways. Every entry shows its sources and last-verified date. The “Verified by Verifera” mark appears only when all facts are in-window.
How to become a doctor in the UK — the training pathway
The route from medical school to the GMC Specialist or GP Register: a five-year medical degree (four for graduate entry), the MLA, provisional registration, the two-year Foundation Programme with full registration after FY1, then specialty training to CCT. Total time varies by specialty — general practice is the shortest at three years of specialty training.
✔ Verified by Verifera · 15 Oct 2026CredentialUKMLA — UK Medical Licensing Assessment
The GMC's single licensing standard — the Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) plus the Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA). UK graduates sit it directly; international medical graduates are assessed against the same MLA standard via the MLA-compliant PLAB exam (PLAB 1 meets the AKT requirements, PLAB 2 the CPSA).
✔ Verified by Verifera · 15 Oct 2026