International Medical Graduates working or training in the UK

The information provided on these pages details the main routes for anaesthetists who want to come to the UK to train or work. For general information, you are first advised to consult the General Medical Council's document Important information for International Medical Graduates. Any doctor considering coming to the UK should also read the NHS information for Overseas Qualified staff.

Before coming to the UK and applying for registration with the GMC, you are strongly advised to research whether you have a realistic chance of obtaining the kind of job you want. Employment prospects in the UK are very competitive and careful consideration should be given to whether the risks involved in competing for posts are worthwhile.

Information about the number of applicants for posts categorised by specialty and location can be found at the British Medical Journal Careers website and guidance called Working and training in the National Health Service - A guide for IMGs can be found on the NHS Employers website.

The College does not assist doctors in obtaining employment but the following websites may be useful:

• BMJ Careers
• The Lancet
• NHS Careers.

GMC's Welcome to UK Practice

We would recommend that anyone new to medical practice in the UK attend a Welcome to UK Practice course run by the GMC. Adapting to UK medical practice can be hard for any doctor, regardless of where you’re from or how experienced you are. There can be significant differences in practising medicine in your home country and the UK, and it can be difficult to adjust to working in a new culture. The free workshop is designed to help doctors new to the UK, by offering practical guidance about ethical scenarios you may encounter, and the chance to connect with other doctors coming from abroad.  

Medical Training Initiative (MTI) doctors will receive a Welcome to UK Practice session from the GMC as part of our New to the NHS induction days.

Simulation courses for doctors new to the NHS

The simulation programme is an induction training package to integrate doctors into the NHS.

The learning outcomes are catered specifically for overseas international doctors new to the NHS and include:

• Introduction to flattened hierarchy, multidisciplinary team work
• Introduction to Common national protocols & guidelines and where to find them
• National Audit Projects, (NAP) & NELA.
• Introduction to consent and ethics
• Checklists, stop before you block
• Critical incidence – Major haemorrhage, Anaphylaxis, LA toxicity, FONA, ALS
• Communication skills including shared decision making, breaking bad news and SBAR handover

The following centres will be running the programme in 2022

Introduction to NHS Working Practices for Overseas International Doctors

A new elearning programme to support international medical graduates who are new to the NHS is now available here. The programme is available via Health Education England elearning for healthcare (HEE elfh).

The NHS Induction Programme for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) provides guidance for Trusts on how to welcome IMGs to the UK. The overarching aim is to ensure a standardised supportive induction for doctors who are new to UK practice. 
 
The elearning session, developed in partnership with NHS England and Improvement, is aimed at IMGs and outlines expectations regarding their induction into the NHS.

 By completing the session, learners will:

• recognise how a comprehensive induction for IMGs is essential for wellbeing, sense of inclusion and career progression
• discover the information, resources and support IMGs can expect their employing Trust to offer them and their families before and after they arrive in the UK
•  consider some potential challenges for a doctor moving into a new linguistic, cultural and professional environment
•  reflect on personal and professional learning needs and identify ways to meet these
• locate additional learning resources  

This programme will be accompanied by a guidance document aimed at Trusts including HR directors and medical directors and coves the contents of the indicative programme including: 

• Introduction 
• Welcome and pastoral induction 
• Professional practice induction 
• Language and communication 
• IT systems induction