The UK offer great opportunities for doctors from around the world to advance their career. There are at the moment thousands of Nigerian doctors practicing in the UK. Have you or someone you know contemplated this option? Find answers to some of the questions you might have on your mind with regards to practicing in the UK as an International Medical Graduate (IMG).

Is it worth taking the effort to obtain UK medical registration?

The answer to this is that it all depends on you. Different people contemplate making this move for different reasons. However, whatever the reason might be for you, if it is something you desire, you can always take the required steps. It might cost you money and time but as a doctor, even if things do not work out as planned you can always go back to your current practice.

What do I need to do to practice in the UK as an IMG?

First, you need to make up your mind and go for it. Having made up your mind you need to get all necessary information from reliable sources, most importantly from the General Medical Council (GMC) website. This will ensure that you are clear on what the requirements are. It is however useful to know that things will also get clearer as you move along.

Usually the first stage to obtaining your GMC registration is to ensure that you have evidence of English language proficiency and the first way to do this is by taking an English language test. The most commonly one being IELTS. This is usually conducted by the British council in many countries and the requirement is that you sit for the Academic IELTS and you score an overall total of 7.5 and no less than 7 in each form of communication ( reading, writing and listening and speaking).

After completing your IELTS you have to sit PLAB 1 within 2 years for the IELTS results to be valid. PLAB 1 is usually also conducted by british council. PLAB 2 follows after passing PLAB 1 and this can only be done in the UK so after passing plab one you should have plans to come to the UK to sit PLAB 2 and possibly attended some courses prior to sitting the exam.

Once you have passed your PLAB exam you can apply for GMC registration and find jobs afterwards.

How much does it cost?

The cost will come from applying for exams, and costs for your visa and maintenance while in the UK. IELTS exam costs about £170 (N75 000 in Nigeria), PLAB 1 costs about £235 and PLAB 2, £840. The cost of visa application might depend on what country you are applying from.

How easy is it to get jobs in the UK?

It is relatively easy to get employment as a doctor in the UK and this is not likely to change in the near future. The National Health Service (NHS) is the main employer but there are also private hospitals who employ doctors including international doctors. As long as you all the necessary documentation, you should have no problems being called for interviews. You can check jobs.nhs.uk for example of available jobs.

What is the remuneration for doctors in the UK?

The starting basic salary for Junior doctors in the UK starts at £27,146 per annum. This rises to £31, 422 in the second year and then £37,422 in the first year of specialty training. Details of this can be found on the BMA website.

How is like living in the UK?

Different people have got different experiences but generally speaking the UK is a developed country with a relatively high standard of living. The people are relatively more conservative than you would find in other countries. You can find more about life in the UK here. https://theukimg.co.uk

Thanks

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