Dead Horse Beating: US Physician Migrating to the UK

[BigPharmBoy]

Greetings Everyone,

I hope this letter finds you all well! I am new to this forum, so I would like to thank the admins for inviting me to this great community. I am currently an American graduate student in biochemistry contemplating medical school. I have visited a cousin in London several times, and from what I experienced as a traveler, I fell in love with the city and have wanted to live and work there ever since.

Therefore, I have some purely hypothetical questions to that end. Suppose an American-trained physician who has completed a specialty in let's say orthopaedic surgery wanted to move to London. How would this process work?

Question 1: After passing the UK licensure exams (PLAB), would she/he be required to complete another specialist training program in the UK in order to practice as an orthopaedic surgeon?

Question 2: The post nominal after an American physician's name is M.D. That in the UK is of course MBChB. If an American physician passes the PLAB licensure exams, what would his post nominals be in the UK?

From my understanding, this is how the current process for obtaining UK licensure works. Please correct me if I am wrong.

1. Apply for Tier 1 Visa
2. Wait
3. Apply for the Postgraduate Medical Education & Training Board Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration (PMETB CESR)
4. Wait
5. Apply for registration with a license to practice through the General Medical Council (GMC)
6. Wait
7. Sign up for PLAB Steps 1 & 2
8. Wait
9. Take PLAB Steps 1 & 2 Exams

Now I realize that just because you are registered with a license to practice doesn't necessarily entitle you to getting a job as a physician in the UK. I realize the competition is cut-throat. But like I said before, these are purely hypothetical questions...........FOR NOW!

Best Wishes
Some Indiana Bloke

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[usmd]

For whatever reason, I got logged off after I sent a reply to your message. So, before I write another lengthy dissertation, I'll just wish you luck.

I trained in Indiana in Internal Medicine and now practicing in the UK. You can read about my experiences in other posts, but the order of events you have above is a bit off. You have to get your English exam (or alternative) as well as your PLABs done before you register for GMC (registration is different from licensing; however, as of November, if you are registered, you are automatically licensed). PMETB is only required if you want to be on the GP or Specialist Register. I haven't done that yet because of the cost. If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

 

[BigPharmBoy]

Thanks a lot usmd. I'll be sure to bug you in the months and years to come, provided you still frequent the site. Congratulations on everything.

 

[Perry Mason]

From what I've read I had an impression that PLAB is only required if you want to train in the UK (i.e. do the equivalent of residency). If you're already a physician trained elsewhere then the route is applying to PMETB for CESR. I might be wrong on this, please correct me.

usmd, may I ask what grade you're employed at? Can you get a consultant post in the NHS being trained overseas, and is specialist registration a requirement for that?

 

[usmd]

PLAB is for anyone wishing to be registered in the UK. I didn't go through this route as it would have taken me a lot longer. I have not gone through the PMETB route, either, as it is quite expensive and I'll need to save up some money for that. At the moment, I can barely scrape enough to get by every month. (People think doctors make a lot of money, but when you're supporting a family of 4 with the income of a "staff grade" doctor, it's not enough.)

Staff grade is a middle-grade, somewhere between finishing training without being a consultant. I can be a consultant in Internal Medicine if I get accepted to the specialist register. In order to do that, I need to go through the PMETB. Apparently, there may be consultant positions that do not require that registration, but I have not run across any.

My definition of staff grade is not completely accurate, however, as some people can go through the basic training and move into a staff grade without completing training in a specific field. At least, I've been told so by colleagues.

Terminology is very confusing and unless you have always been in it, it may be difficult to understand. Another name for the grade I'm employed at is Specialist Registrar, which is sort of equivalent to fellowship training position in the US. Having said that, it's not quite the same and it would be very confusing to explain.