There are several routes a radiation oncologist can take to GMC registration and clinical (radiation) oncology in the NHS.  Clinical (or radiation) oncologists looking to secure a job in the NHS will need to satisfy certain criteria before they can apply for full GMC (General Medical Council) registration with license to practice in the NHS. As an oncologist, these criteria depend on where in the world you trained, and the qualifications you hold. In this blog, we’re giving you a snapshot of the steps you need to take to start your journey to the UK, as an overseas oncologist. We’ll be covering the following:  Will my training be recognised in the UK? How do I demonstrate my knowledge and skills as an EEA oncologist? How do I demonstrate my knowledge and skills as a non-EEA oncologist? How can I demonstrate my English language skills? What is a certificate of good standing and how do I get one? What do I need to register with the GMC? Will I need a visa to work in the UK? Recognition of knowledge and skills  For clinical oncologists who trained in an EEA country (all countries inside the EU, including Lichtenstein, Iceland, Switzerland & Norway), there are a number of different options potentially available to you.  Depending on the country and year you completed your residency or basic medical training, the GMC may automatically recognise your qualifications and grant you either General Registration, or Specialist Registration in the UK. To find out if your country’s qualifications will allow you to register for either general or specialist registration, check the relevant GMC page here.  Knowledge and skills for EEA radiation oncologists  Basic Medical Training: If you have met the basic medical training requirements, this would mean that you would not need to demonstrate your medical knowledge and skills to work as a doctor in the UK and would not need to complete a UK- recognised postgraduate qualification or PLAB to register with a license to practice. You would be granted full registration in this case, but not Specialist Registration.   Specialist Training / Residency: If you have met the criteria listed for your country, then once you have completed the GMC application process, you would be granted Specialist Registration in oncology and can be appointed as a substantive or permanent consultant in the NHS. So as an oncologist, if you hold a Relevant European Specialist qualification, you would be put on the specialist register for medical or clinical oncology and can be appointed as a substantive oncologist in the NHS.  Therefore, the main hurdle that you will face as an EEA doctor will be demonstrating that your English skills are of a high enough standard to practice safely and proficiently as a doctor in the NHS.  As a European oncologist, this is in most cases the easiest route to becoming GMC-registered and being able to practice oncology in the UK.  If you do not meet the GMC requirements for your training to be approved for full or specialist registration, other routes you may consider to GMC registration include PLAB or (via the postgraduate route) the Royal College exams for either clinical oncology (FRCR) or medical oncology (MRCP). You can find out more about these alternative routes here.  Knowledge and skills for non-EEA radiation oncologists  If you qualified as an oncologist outside the EEA, then you will have to demonstrate that both your medical knowledge and skills AND English Language capabilities meet the level required to practice safely in the UK.   Oncologists who've trained from outside the UK and EEA and must demonstrate to the GMC they have sufficient knowledge & skills to practice safely in the UK. For oncologists this can be done through one of three main routes:  Professional & Linguistics Assessment Board (PLAB) The PLAB exam is a two-part exam that assesses a doctor’s ability to work safely as an SHO in the NHS, as such it does not demonstrate ability in oncology specifically. For this reason, PLAB tends to be a route for junior doctors who have not already chosen their field of specialisation in medicine. That said, for some senior doctors PLAB can be an attractive option, offering a quicker route to the UK, whilst still securing competitive salaries. If taking this option, clinical oncologists can then take up training or a more senior post once they have established themselves in the NHS. Take a look through our comprehensive guides on PLAB. Fellowship of Royal College of Radiologists The Royal College of Radiologists is the professional body that regulates the specialism of clinical oncologists in the UK, and Fellowship of the Royal College of Radiologists (FRCR) is the full qualification attainable by examination. For overseas doctors, attaining FRCR (Oncology) will satisfy the knowledge & skill criteria for GMC registration and facilitate application for more senior roles in UK clinical oncology. Take a look at our IMG Resources library for complete guides on Fellowship of the Royal College of Radiologists for clinical oncology to learn more.  GMC recognised or equivalent qualifications  Some overseas qualifications and licensing exams are recognised by the GMC and accepted for registration purposes. This is to say these qualifications or licensing exams are considered as meeting the same standards as the Royal College qualifications.   To find out if your qualification is accepted by the GMC, take a look at our blog: Overseas accepted postgraduate qualifications. English Language Testing  Both EEA and non-EEA oncologists, regardless of experience, and country of origin, must demonstrate that they have a sufficient grasp and competence of the English language. This can be done by passing either the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Occupational English Test (OET). Detailed guides to these tests can be found below:  IELTS – a guide for overseas doctors OET – a guide for overseas doctors Experience in English-speaking countries  For doctors who have at least two years of their most current experience in an English-speaking country, you can use a reference from your current employer or employers over these two or more years to demonstrate competence of the English language. This would exempt you from sitting an English language exam.  Certificate of Good Standing  All doctors registering with the GMC must provide a certificate of good standing from each medical regulatory authority they’ve been registered or licensed with in the last five years.   The medical regulatory authority may send you a certificate of past good standing if you're not currently registered or licensed with them. You can find out which medical regulatory authority to contact via the GMC website here.  Please note that each certificate is only valid for three months from the date it's signed and must be valid when we approve your application.  If there's no medical regulatory authority in the country to issue a certificate, the GMC will give you further advice once your application has been assessed.  GMC Registration  Once you’ve completed your English language exam, you can now apply for full GMC registration with a license to practice. For registration, you must provide evidence of:  English language capabilities - either your IELTS, OET or an approved reference from your current employer (if you have been working in an English-speaking country for the last two years).  AND  Certificate of good standing – the certificate from your medical regulatory authority which demonstrates good standing.   AND  (EEA oncologists) Sufficient skill and knowledge – as an EEA oncologist, this would either be your recognised EEA qualification.  OR  (Non-EEA oncologists) Sufficient skill and knowledge – as a non-EEA oncologist, this would either be PLAB, FRCR or a GMC-approved qualification.  To understand the registration process more fully, read our blog on GMC registration for overseas doctors here.  Visas  If you or your family are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and started living in the UK by 31 December 2020, you may be able to apply to the free EU Settlement Scheme. Otherwise, you will need to apply for a visa from the UK Home Office.  A Tier 2 visa is the document given to a skilled worker by the UK Home Office following a job offer from a UK employer with a valid Tier 2 Sponsorship License. The list of valid Tier 2 Sponsors can be found here.  Understand Tier 2 visas and Certificates of Sponsorship in depth by taking a look at our article: Tier 2 Visa - how do I apply and what's the process? Wondering whether you can relocate with your family? Take a look at our blog on the Tier 2 dependent visa below: Tier 2 Dependent visa - Can I bring my family with me to the UK? IMG Oncologists Join the IMG Oncologists Facebook group for access to a community of like-minded FRCR (Oncology) aspirants and dedicated oncology recruiters. In this group you will find tailored resources for oncology IMGs, including access to our FRCR (Oncology) crash courses, completely free to all doctors. You can access our IMG Oncologists community here. For clinical or radiation oncologists looking to come to the UK to work in the NHS, GMC registration and specialist registration is a crucial part of the process. Therefore, it’s important to put together a good application to present to the GMC, and IMG Connect are here to help with this.  For regular news and updates on the Royal College and all things oncology, follow IMG Connect on social media using the links below: