The Medical Training Initiative is designed to support international medical graduates (IMGs) who come to the UK for short-term training opportunities. They then return to their home countries to implement that newly acquired knowledge in the development of local health services.
Our scheme is open to applications throughout the year. Acceptance is subject to meeting the criteria listed below. Those applying for the scheme must have a valid job offer before submitting documents for review.
The College works closely with NHS Health Boards and Trusts to support their local recruitment efforts.
Next steps
Finding a suitable job
The candidate needs to find a job that meets the following criteria:
- Must be ST3 grade or above (please check the ST3 application for the specialty to ensure the candidate has the minimum equivalent level of training).
- The minimum placement length should be at least 12 months.
- Must follow Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) criteria.
- The job must offer the same level of support as a UK trainee of equivalent grade, in terms of training, mentoring, guidance, CPD and study leave.
The following websites can be used to search for job vacancies:
Please note we are unable to consider the application without a valid job offer.
Fees
A £100 non-refundable administration fee is payable before review of the submitted documents. Please note: we will only conduct this review when we’ve received all the required evidence/documents and payment.
A placement fee of £1550 is payable by the employing NHS Trust or Board once the application is accepted and a placement has been confirmed.
Please read through the below information before proceeding with the application:- Secure a valid MTI job offer for a UK training position graded at ST3-ST7
- Hold a primary medical qualification accepted by the GMC and verified by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) as listed on World Directory of Medical Schools
- Hold a postgraduate qualification (e.g. Royal College Membership Exam, another higher degree in medicine or a medical subspecialty).
- Three years’ minimum postgraduate experience (including one year’s internship and at least one year in the speciality you wish to train in while in the UK).
- Have sat and achieved the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) OR Occupational English Test (OET) within the past two years. IELTS – minimum overall score of 7.5 and minimum 7.0 in all categories. OET – minimum grade B in all categories.
- 12 months of continuous practice prior to applying as well as three years of practice out of the last five years.
- Be resident and employed outside of the UK at the time of application.
- Must not have previously pursued GMC registration through the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) route and failed.
- Be willing to return to their home country upon completion of placement.
- Must be in good standing with the national regulatory body.
- Submit copies of CV and Passport.
A good working knowledge of English is a requirement of the GMC for registration to practice. Candidates must meet this requirement in one of two ways:
IELTSAchieve a minimum overall score of 7.5 in the academic version of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with minimum scores of 7.0 in all four components.
View the IELTS online preparation course
Top tip: We recommend applying for IELTS as early as possible to avoid long waiting lists at some centres. The British Council, and other providers, have a wide range of IELTS preparation and study resources.
OETAchieve a grade of at least ‘B’ in each testing area (speaking, listening, reading and writing) in the medical version of the Occupational English Test (OET). These grades must be obtained in the same test at the most recent sitting.
Candidates must have passed the English language qualification no more than two years before we submit the MTI application.
CostsThere are costs associated with both IELTS and OET which the candidate should be aware of before applying.
International medical graduates applying for provisional or full registration with a licence to practise need to have their primary medical qualification independently verified before we grant registration.
How does this work?Verification is carried out by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) through their online system – known as the Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC) service.
ECFMG will verify the qualification is genuine by checking this directly with your awarding institution.
The candidate needs to set up an online EPIC account and have their qualification verified before we can provide GMC sponsorship.
FeesThere are fees associated with this process - visit the fees section of the ECFMG for more information.
The candidate must be able to provide a Certificate of Good Standing (CoGS) from the regulatory body where they’ve practised in the last five years. The CoGS must confirm all the following:
- Candidate is authorised to practise medicine in the relevant country.
- Candidate has not, at any stage, been disqualified, suspended or prohibited from practising medicine.
- The regulatory authority is not aware of any matters that raise doubts about the candidate’s good standing.
Due to the limited validity period (three months) of CoGS, this is only required when the candidate begins the GMC application (Step 4 of the application process).
Please complete every step of the application process.
Check the requirements before submitting documentation as set out in the ‘Candidate Requirement’ section. Candidates are required to pay a non-refundable £100 administration fee for document review.
Please email the digital copies of supporting documents to mti@rcpsg.ac.uk including qualifications, CV and job offer letter.
We do not require original copies of documents but please be aware that the GMC may request these during the GMC registration process.
Step 2: Employer confirmationOnce the evidence has been received, we will contact the employer to verify it meets the requirements for MTI. It can take approximately one month for all the required information to be received.
Step 3: Online ApplicationThe next step is to begin the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges (AoMRC) MTI application form.
Please follow the guidance within the application form to ensure it is completed correctly.
When completing the form make sure to save progress. There’s a button at the bottom of Part 7 which allows the user to save the form. It also generates a link which should be shared with whoever is most appropriate to complete each part.
There are nine parts to this form, completed as follows:
- Part 1 is completed by the employer or RCPSG MTI Team. Once Part 1 is completed, the candidate will be sent an MTI data protection consent (DPC) form.
- Part 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8a are typically completed by the employer.
- Part 8b must be completed by the supervising consultant for the post.
- Part 9 is usually completed by the candidate, although the documentation can be uploaded by whoever has it.
Upon successful completion, submission and acceptance of the online application form, the candidate will receive a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from the Academy. This is needed to apply for the visa.
Step 4: Applying to the GMCPlease change to “Following completion of parts 1 - 8b of the Academy application form, we’ll contact the candidate to instruct them when to begin their GMC application. They’ll be given a seven-digit GMC reference number which they should inform us of as soon as possible. Once we receive this, the College will complete a Sponsorship Registration Certificate (SRC) on behalf of the candidate and will send this to the GMC directly.
At this point the candidate will also be required to provide their Certificate of Good Standing.
Once the registration process is complete, the GMC will issue an email inviting the candidate to attend the online compulsory identity check. Full registration can’t be granted until this identity check is completed.
View the full list of GMC registration requirements
Please don’t begin the GMC registration process until instructed. The College needs to submit the Sponsorship Registration Certificate (SRC) to GMC first.
Step 5: Applying for the visa, entering the post and beyondOnce the candidate has received their Certificate of Sponsorship and has successfully applied for GMC registration, they’ll be able to apply for the visa, enter the UK and take up their post.
To apply for the visa visit https://www.gov.uk/government-authorised-exchange
The MTI Team are here to guide/support candidates throughout their placement and can be contacted at mti@rcpsg.ac.uk
Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) exam is not required for MTI. Candidates can apply for MTI and GMC registration sponsorship if they have not attempted PLAB in the past.
However, doctors who have failed either Part 1 or Part 2 of PLAB are not eligible for GMC registration via sponsorship route.
Exceptions may be applicable to candidates who have sat and passed Part 1 of PLAB more than 3 years ago. Please contact mti@rcpsg.ac.uk to enquire further about exceptions.
Acknowledging return to home countryMTI is not suitable for candidates wishing to relocate to the UK permanently. We sponsor trainees for a maximum of two years, at which point they must return to their home countries to continue contributing to the medical workforce there.
How long does the process take? When can I give notice to my current employer/hospital?The MTI application process takes four to six months on average. As a requirement for GMC registration, doctors must stay in continuous practice for 12 months prior to GMC registration with no gaps (except for contractual leave less than five weeks in total within the last 12 month period). Candidates are advised not to give notice to leave their current job until GMC registration is completed.
Is there any deadline for application?We do not have application deadlines. Applications are accepted and processed on an ongoing basis. However, if the job has a set start date, then the average application processing time must be considered.