A detailed explanation on the full medical licence in the UK without Staż and PLAB (The Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board) test.
Yes, you have read it right. The full GMC (General Medical Council) registration with a licence to practice medicine without the need to do the infamous Staż and the PLAB test as a polish medical graduate irrespective of your nationality.
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Important Information:
I have recently (November/December 2023) informed by a candidate that the GMC has asked said candidate to present the evidence of Post-Graduate Internship (Staż). At the same time, many others are also in the process currently (November/December 2023) and I have not heard anything correlating to this information, but please be aware about this new development.
You are also more than welcome to contact me using any of the possible platforms under the ‘Contact Tab’ or through my Instagram.
First, what is General Medical Council?
The General Medical Council is the responsible authority for issuing a licence to practice medicine in the UK. Moreover, they work to protect patient safety and improve medical education and practice across the UK.
What is Staż?
‘Staż’ is a 13-month long postgraduate internship. You are supposed to finish a 13-month long internship within the five years of your graduation. However, you need to know the Polish language at an advanced level to take part in Staż in Poland.
Staż is also one of the evidence of formal qualifications in basic medical training as mentioned in Annex V of Article 5.1.1 of the 2005/36/EC. Polish graduates need all the requirements mentioned in the above mentioned EU guideline, in order to be eligible for automatic recognition in the EU/EEA for their medical education in Poland.
Read more about Staż: What is Staż? – COMING SOON
How is it possible to get a full licence in the UK without staż?
Since the 1st of January 2021, GMC has made some radical changes on how they issue a full registration with a licence to practice medicine. Two major changes have been introduced for EEA/EU medical graduates. Firstly, your citizenship does not decide whether you will need to do the PLAB test if you are an EEA medical graduate. Finally, you do not need Staż as a polish medical graduate to obtain the full registration.
On the day of Brexit, the GMC published the Relevant European Qualifications list (REQ). In the list of the REQ, Polish graduates only need their Diplomas and LEK certificates in order to gain full registration with the GMC. Hence, you no longer need to do the Staż as well as have an EEA nationality to get an exemption from the PLAB test.
In summary, you just need a medical diploma and a LEK passing certificate from Poland in order to obtain full registration in the UK.
What is LEK?
LEK is the final medical examination of Poland, conducted by the Center for Medical Examination (CEM: Centrum Egzaminów Medycznych), which is necessary to pass in order to apply for the licence to practice medicine in Poland as well as to complete your medical education under Polish and EU laws.
It is conducted in Polish as well as English.
What is PLAB?
The PLAB test is a prerequisite for an Internation Medical Graduate (IMG) to obtain full registration with a licence to practice medicine. The PLAB test has 2 parts. PLAB 1 is MCQ based exam and PLAB 2 is an OSCE (Objective structured clinical examination).
Before the 1st of January 2021, EEA nationals with EEA qualifications were exempted from it. Now, as mentioned above all the EEA medical graduates with the REQs, irrespective of nationality, are exempted from the PLAB test.
What additional documentation is required?
Lastly, you need an appropriate language certificate in order to prove your English language proficiency. The GMC accept two English language exams: IELTS (academic) and OET (medicine).
For International English Language Testing System(IELTS), your IELTS certificate must show:
- that you took the academic version of the test
- that you got a score of at least 7.0 in each testing area and an overall score of 7.5
- that you got these scores in the same test
- that you got these scores in your most recent sitting of the test
- the original stamp and test report form number.
For Occupational English Test (OET) certificate it must show:
- you took the medicine version of the test
- you got at least a grade ‘B’ (350 points) in each testing area (speaking, listening, reading and writing)
- you got those grades in the same test
- your candidate number
- you obtained the grades in your most recent sitting of the test.
Your certificate from either of the exam can not be older than 2 years and it must be valid when they approve your application for full registration.
In summary!
A Polish medical graduate needs:
- Diploma
- LEK Certificate
- An appropriate language certificate. GMC say this on their website:- “Evidence of your knowledge of English”
This is all one need to obtain a full-fledged licence in the UK and can start looking for jobs.
Let me emphasize one more time. It is not too good to be true. It is logical and based on carefully evaluated procedures.
I get approached by way too many students and graduates alike doubting it because the GMC says you need Staz (Internship). Do not get distracted or fooled by it! They reply with standard responses. Moreover, I would kindly direct you to the comments section of this post for further reassurance. You will find a couple of testimonies there, a lot many to me privately, to confirm it. Moreover, I, myself have used this pathway.
Further, I leave it to you! I wish you all, the best of luck!
Read more: How to apply for full licence in UK as Polish medical graduate? – COMING SOON
Do you still have doubts and thoughts about this article, then please share them in the comment section?
Disclaimer: The information presented here is provided to the best of my knowledge and should be used for general informational purposes only. I do not guarantee its accuracy or completeness and disclaim any liability for errors. It is essential to conduct your own research through official channels to make informed decisions. Additionally, any product recommendations are based on my personal opinions, and this post may contain affiliate links or coupons, which could result in a small commission for me at no extra cost to you. Your use of this information is at your own risk, and I am not responsible for any consequences that may arise.
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