The Afera Encyclopaedia: Careers edition
Doctor
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.
CCT — Certificate of Completion of Training
Awarded on completion of a GMC-approved specialty (or GP) training programme; it is the gateway to the GMC Specialist Register or GP Register, and to consultant or GP posts.
✔ Verified by Verifera · 15 Oct 2026RegisterGeneral Medical Council (GMC)
The UK regulator that registers doctors, grants the licence to practise, and holds the medical register — the surface on which a doctor's registration status, licence and any conditions are verified.
✔ Verified by Verifera · 9 Jun 2026PathwayHow 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 2026GuideMedical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026
The 2026 Act (Royal Assent 5 March 2026) that prioritises UK medical graduates — and graduates of Ireland, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein — for Foundation Programme and specialty training places. A direct response to the resident-doctor jobs crisis.
✔ Verified by Verifera · 15 Oct 2026CredentialThe Foundation Programme (FY1 / FY2)
The two-year, supervised first stage of a UK doctor's career after medical school — Foundation Year 1 (on completion of which full GMC registration is granted) and Foundation Year 2 — allocated through the UK Foundation Programme Office.
✔ Verified by Verifera · 16 Oct 2026CredentialThe Portfolio Pathway (formerly CESR)
The evidence-based route to GMC specialist (or GP) registration without a UK CCT — used by many internationally-trained specialists.
✔ Verified by Verifera · 16 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