In 2021, the British Medical Association (BMA) warned that England had a shortfall of just over 50,000 full-time equivalent doctors. Current BMA analysis still describes the NHS as facing a chronic medical workforce crisis, with England needing about 40,000 additional doctors to reach the OECD EU average for doctors per capita.
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) reported in December 2021 that more than 1 in 10 doctors across the United Kingdom were off work, including 4.2% who were off due to COVID-19. The increase in staff absences placed additional pressure on the remaining healthcare workforce. According to House of Commons Library analysis of NHS Digital data, 19% of NHS staff in England and 36% of doctors reported a nationality other than British in June 2025.
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan aims to double medical school training places in England to 15,000 a year by 2031/32 and increase GP specialty training places to 6,000 by 2031/32. This article outlines a comprehensive guide to the steps to becoming a doctor in the UK. Read on to learn more about the application and admissions process, training, exams, registration, and certifications necessary to become a fully qualified doctor in the United Kingdom.
How to Become a Doctor in the United Kingdom
Step 1. Accomplish Your Undergraduate Degree in Medicine
Choosing the path of medicine should ideally begin while you are still in secondary school or sixth form. Unlike in countries such as the United States, where medicine is usually a graduate-entry degree, many UK students apply directly to medical school after completing their school qualifications.
In the United States, medicine is generally a graduate degree, requiring aspiring students to first complete a four-year undergraduate program. In the United Kingdom, medicine is commonly offered as a standard undergraduate-entry degree, although graduate-entry routes are also available.
While you are preparing, look up the admissions requirements of individual medical schools. Requirements vary, but medical schools commonly expect strong grades in science subjects such as chemistry and biology, along with mathematics and English requirements at GCSE or equivalent level.
To qualify for a UK medical degree, such as a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree, check the requirements for each medical school carefully. UK medical degrees may use titles such as MBBS, MBChB, BMBS, or similar abbreviations, but they are primary medical qualifications that can lead to registration with the General Medical Council (GMC).
You may also need to take the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT). The UCAT is used by a consortium of UK and partner universities to help select applicants for medical and dental degree programs. Always check the requirements of each course before booking a test.
An undergraduate medical degree in the UK normally takes five years to complete, although some courses take six years, and some courses include an optional intercalated year. The course includes medical sciences, professional skills, and clinical training on wards and in other healthcare settings.
UK medical degrees are not identical to US MD or DO degrees, but they are primary medical qualifications that can lead to GMC registration and postgraduate medical training in the UK. Some medical schools also provide the option to earn an intercalated degree. By adding another year to your studies, you can study another subject in greater depth alongside your medical training.
Step 2. Fast-forward to Your Graduate Studies in Medicine
If you have already completed an undergraduate degree, you may be able to apply for a graduate-entry medicine program. Graduate-entry medicine programs in the UK usually take four years to complete, compared with five or six years for many standard-entry medical programs. Entry requirements vary by university, and some programs accept graduates from a range of academic backgrounds, not only science-based degrees.
Similar to standard-entry medicine degrees, a graduate-entry medical program includes theoretical learning, clinical skills, and applied training in hospitals and other healthcare settings.
Step 3. Earn Your Degree in Medicine
Whichever route you take to study medicine, you must complete a GMC-accepted medical degree before you can move into postgraduate medical training. After graduation, UK medical graduates usually enter the two-year Foundation Programme, beginning with Foundation Year 1 (F1).
Step 4. Register with the GMC for Licensure
Doctors must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and hold the appropriate license to practise medicine in the UK. UK medical graduates entering F1 normally hold provisional registration with a license to practise. Full registration is awarded after satisfactory completion of F1. All medical students graduating from UK universities must pass the Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) as part of their degree before joining the medical register, while international doctors continue to take PLAB, which is compliant with MLA requirements.
Step 5. Apply for the Foundation Programme
After earning your medical degree, you can apply for the UK Foundation Programme. The Foundation Programme is a two-year postgraduate training program for newly qualified doctors.
To apply for the two-year UK Foundation Programme, you must be eligible for provisional GMC registration. To apply for the F2 Stand-alone Programme, you must be eligible for full GMC registration.
Satisfactory completion of F1 leads to a Foundation Year 1 Certificate of Completion and a recommendation for full GMC registration. Satisfactory completion of F2 leads to the Foundation Programme Certificate of Completion, which indicates that the doctor is ready to enter core, specialty, or general practice training.
Step 6. Accomplish Your Specialty Training
In becoming a doctor in the UK, you will then proceed with work and training in your chosen specialty. You can train to become a general practitioner (GP) or choose another medical specialty, such as internal medicine, surgery, psychiatry, pediatrics, or emergency medicine.
Be clear about what type of doctor you want to become and which medical specialty you are most interested in. GP specialty training usually takes three years. It normally includes at least 18 months in an approved training practice, with the remaining time spent in approved hospital or integrated training posts.
Competition for training posts changes each year. In the 2025 recruitment round, NHS England reported 20,995 applications and 4,276 posts for General Practice ST1, giving a competition ratio of 4.91. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan aims to increase GP specialty training places to 6,000 by 2031/32.
On the other hand, you can also train in another medical specialty. Specialist training for hospital doctors can take around five to eight years, depending on the specialty.
Step 7. Continue With a Lifelong Education as a Doctor
Despite becoming a fully qualified doctor, the learning never stops. Doctors in the UK must remain up to date and fit to practise through Continuing Professional Development (CPD), appraisal, and revalidation. CPD can include courses, seminars, workshops, workplace learning, teaching, research, and reflective practice.
The United Kingdom is one of many countries experiencing pressure on its medical workforce. To address this issue, the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan includes plans to expand medical school places and GP specialty training places. The UK presents many career opportunities for graduates of medicine, but training pathways are competitive and applicants should check the latest official guidance.
International students and international medical graduates should also check current admissions, visa, GMC registration, Foundation Programme, and specialty training rules carefully. The application process for international applicants can be similar to that for home students at medical school, but there are additional requirements to consider, and the UK introduced medical training prioritization rules for foundation and specialty training from 2026.
Despite the demanding work hours, becoming a doctor can be a very rewarding experience. The United Kingdom’s healthcare system is far from perfect, but as medical training places and workforce plans continue to develop, the new generation of doctors can strive to work for the good of patients and for the appropriate support and compensation of medical professionals.
We hope that you found this article on how to become a doctor in the UK informative and helpful. Make sure to also check out our Study in the UK guide and more Available Programs for International Students!
