GMC announces new rules after BREXIT
On the 24th of November 2020, the GMC announced that after the BREXIT transition period ends (December 31st, 2020), new rules will apply for registration of all European Economic Area (EEA) graduates.
1. Graduates from EEA Universities will no longer benefit from the automatic recognition of their medical degrees as they will have to follow the same registration process of the Non-EEA University graduates. More specifically, they will need to have their qualifications independently verified by the ECFMG before the GMC can grant them registration. This is an effort to have medical graduates from the UK, EEA, and Non-EEA on the same level as the same registration tests will apply (PLAB till 2023 and UKMLA in 2024 onwards). More information will be provided by the GMC in January 2021.
2. The status of EEA graduates having provisional or full registration rights with the GMC won’t change so, they can continue practicing medicine in the UK as normal.
3. EEA countries will no longer automatically recognise medical qualifications from the UK. Therefore, after the 31st of December 2020, doctors with a UK Primary Medical Qualification (PMQ) will have to apply to work in an EEA country the same way an applicant from outside the EEA does.
