Archive note: this article reflects the position discussed at its original publication date. Registration, examination and visa requirements may have changed; check the relevant official guidance before making plans.
If you are a UK/EU student, one of the benefits of going to Study Medicine in Europe is the ability to apply for registration in the UK after graduation without sitting the PLAB exam. Non-EU citizens or those qualifying outside of the EEA would usually have to apply to sit for the PLAB. The introduction of the UKMLA means this is all set to change. Aspiring medical students need to make intelligent choices about which universities to consider.
Unlike the PLAB, the UKMLA will be a requirement for all medicine graduates regardless of where they have studied. This includes all UK and EU graduates in addition to the already assessed non-EU graduates. While the proposals are still in development, it is suggested the initial implementation might be an assessment which:
- Is taken by UK graduates and international medical graduates (IMGs) including European nationals.
- Focuses on clinical competencies and competencies linked to patient safety and healthcare quality in the context of UK clinical practice.
- Consists of several parts, the last part taken by conclusion of the first year after graduation for UK graduates.
- Is intended to determine eligibility for licensing, but with a performance score made available to candidates.
Study Medicine in Europe – Choose your University carefully
A timeline for implementation has already been set by the GMC.
- 2015/16 – Choosing UKMLA model
- 2016/17 – Development of the UKMLA model
- 2018 – Testing and low level piloting of the UKMLA
- 2019 – UKMLA goes live for IMGs
- 2019/20 – UK graduate testing of the UKMLA
- 2021 – UKMLA goes live for UK graduates
- 2021/22 – Post implementation evaluation of the UKMLA
Based on the above, it would appear that UK/EEA graduates from EEA programmes may commence sitting the UKMLA at the same time as UK graduates in 2021. This is still to be clearly articulated by the GMC however. If this is the case, students enrolling at UK and European universities from September 2016 and 2017 could find themselves being amongst the first to sit this assessment.
The implementation of a form of medical licensing assessment in the UK has been discussed for some time. With this definitive timeline, it is vital that students who want to Study Medicine in Europe choose their university carefully. Our advice is to look at the success of the truly established programmes and the universities are actually graduating students who go on to work in the UK. Medical Doorway only work with universities that have a long history of teaching Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Medicine, this is part of our commitment to empowering students to succeed. Not all university programmes are the same and the reputation of your university really does matter.
More information on the UKMLA can be accessed on the GMC website.