Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed) runs a programme that enables its graduates to gain Full Registration with the UK General Medical Council (GMC) after completing a year of House Officer training at one of the 8 approved hospitals in Malaysia. This programme recognises the House Officer training as being equivalent to Foundation Year 1 (F1) in UK.
I underwent House Officer training at Hospital Enche' Besar Hajjah Khalsom, Kluang and I gained GMC Full Registration through the programme. Here, I would like to share some guidance for the programme.
The requirements for getting GMC Full Registration through the programme:
- You must be a graduate of the NUMed MBBS course.
- You must undergo House Officer training at one of the 8 hospitals approved by GMC:
(i) University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Kuala Lumpur
(ii) Hospital Enche' Besar Hajjah Khalsom (HEBHK), Kluang
(iii) Hospital Sultan Ismail (HSI), Johor Bahru
(iv) Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA), Johor Bahru
(v) Penang General Hospital
(vi) Hospital Sibu
(vii) Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching
(viii) Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu
- You must have Provisional Registration with GMC by the time you start working as a House Officer.
- You must complete 3 postings in your House Officer training successfully and keep the complete logbooks for the 3 postings.
- You must complete the Additional Procedures Form.
- You must complete the Your School Your Say (YSYS) survey and the Equality and Diversity (E&D) module.
- You must complete 3 pieces of reflective accounts. A sample of the reflective accounts is available here: https://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2023/07/numed-arcp-reflections-sample.html
- You must keep in contact with NUMed and update NUMed regarding your progress in House Officer training when necessary.
The procedure for getting GMC Full Registration:
1. After you get a place for House Officer training at one of the approved hospitals, apply for Provisional Registration with GMC as soon as possible. You have to apply through GMC Online and pay GBP52 to GMC.
2. Email NUMed to inform that you would like to register for the programme. NUMed will send you the application form, Additional Procedures Form and Template for Reflections.
3. Complete the application form and pay RM2000 to NUMed. This should be done within 3 months of starting your House Officer training.
4. Within the first year of your House Officer training, complete the Additional Procedures Form and ensure that it is properly signed and stamped. You also have to write 3 pieces of reflective accounts based on the Template for Reflections.
5. At some point during your House Officer training, NUMed will send you the links for Your School Your Say (YSYS) survey and Equality and Diversity (E&D) module. Complete them accordingly.
6. If you have any extensions or unanticipated absence in your House Officer training, you need to inform NUMed about that promptly.
7. You have to complete 3 postings in House Officer training successfully. Ensure that you have complete logbooks that are properly signed and stamped for the 3 postings.
8. Once you have completed all of the above, you have to inform NUMed about that.
9. You will undergo the Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP). NUMed will inform you the date of the ARCP.
10. Once you are successful in the ARCP, you will be granted a Certificate of Experience which enables you to apply for Full Registration with GMC.
11. To apply for GMC Full Registration, you have to go to GMC Online and pay GBP166 to GMC.
12. GMC will send you a Postgraduate Professional Experience (PPE) form which you have to complete. You also have to apply for a Certificate of Good Standing (COGS) from the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) through MeRITS, which requires you to pay RM500.
13. Once MMC approves your COGS and sends it to GMC, you will be granted GMC Full Registration.
The benefits of GMC Full Registration:
- Right after you gained GMC Full Registration, you are eligible to apply for the Foundation Year 2 (F2) Stand-alone programme in UK. After completing F2, you may apply for specialty training programmes in UK.
- There are also various locum posts in UK you can apply for with GMC Full Registration.
- If you choose to complete the 2nd year of House Officer training in Malaysia after gaining GMC Full Registration, you may apply for specialty training programmes in UK directly.
- Some other countries recognise GMC Full Registration, so you may be able to practise Medicine in those countries.
- Unlike GMC Provisional Registration, GMC Full Registration doesn't expire and is valid indefinitely.
Other information:
- In addition to this programme, NUMed graduates have the option of joining the 2-year UK Foundation Programme (UKFP).
- NUMed graduates are exempted from taking the PLAB, IELTS and OET when applying for Provisional Registration or Full Registration with GMC.
- House Officer training in Malaysia is only open to Malaysian citizens. Therefore, non-Malaysian citizens are unable to join the programme.
- If you do not fulfill every single one of the requirements for the programme (e.g. you are not a NUMed graduate or you are doing House Officer training at a hospital not approved by GMC), you are not eligible to join it.
- If you are not eligible for the programme, it may still be possible for you to apply for GMC Full Registration provided that you have completed a year of House Officer training at any hospital. In that case, you need to apply to GMC directly and they can take into consideration your work experience as a House Officer. However, the process is quite complicated and there is no guarantee of success.
- Other hospitals may be added to the list of hospitals approved by GMC in the future, but no information on that is available currently.
For more information on this programme, go to these pages:
You can read about my experience with this programme here: