The Verifera Encyclopaedia — Careers edition

How to become a doctor in the UK — the training pathway

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Medical school → UKMLA → provisional GMC registration → the Foundation Programme (FY1/FY2) → specialty training (run-through or uncoupled) → CCT → the GMC Specialist or GP Register.

The UK medical training pathway runs from a five-year (or four-year graduate-entry) medical degree, through the UKMLA and provisional GMC registration, into the two-year Foundation Programme (with full registration granted after FY1), then specialty training — run-through or uncoupled core-then-higher — to the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) and entry to the GMC Specialist or GP Register. Internationally-trained doctors enter via the MLA-compliant PLAB (not a separate UKMLA), and specialists may register via the Portfolio Pathway.

Sources & verification

  • The pathway is: medical school → UKMLA → provisional GMC registration → Foundation Programme (full registration after FY1) → specialty training → CCT → Specialist/GP Register — source, verified 2026-06-09

Verified reference information — not professional, medical, legal or careers advice. Regulations change; always check the cited primary source before relying on it.

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