# US Doctor moving to UK - can I practice?



## davepeds (May 23, 2013)

Hello and thank you for any attention and guidance you can offer me.

To start, I did as thorough of a search of the web and these forums as I could manage, but turned up very little.

My situation is this: I am a trained, board certified, and licensed pediatrician in the US. I'm finishing up a 3 year fellowship in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (sub specialty). I will, in all likelihood, be living in London from Sept 2014-Sept2015 while my wife is a student at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

I'd like to work for that year. I'm looking all over the GMC's website, but I'm struggling to make sense of the experience requirements.

I'd really like to hear from anyone who has done something like this (not exactly, of course). Would I need to have a job lined up before even applying? Can I be a specialist, or even practice as a pediatrician? This is quite confusing. Any help is appreciated!
David


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

You need to register with GMC. First you need to check your qualification is acceptable. Then you take the PLAB test, and if you pass, you can register and practise.
GMC | Acceptable overseas medical qualifications
List of acceptable awarding bodies: AVICENNA Directory Medicine Look under USA.

If you find it all too much for working just a year, you may want to do research or other non-clinical activities for which licence to practise isn't required.


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## davepeds (May 23, 2013)

Thanks - that simplifies it quite a bit. 

I have been thinking about research or other activities, but I haven't found any leads on those kinds of jobs. I'm not sure even where to start at this time.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

This is the biggest: Medical Research Council - Home 
There are others, such as Wellcome Trust, and those sponsored by drug companies etc.


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## davepeds (May 23, 2013)

Oh - thank you so much! I will look into that. I'm glad to have gotten some good advice on this tricky subject!


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## prancer (Feb 6, 2014)

I talked to someone from the GMC and if you are ABP board certified you do not need to take the PLAB test. I am in a similar situation having finished residency in general pediatics, board certified, FAAP, and working in outpatient general pediatrics for the last 12 years. 

My husband will be relocating to the UK and although I know I can be registered with the GMC and work in the UK, I don't know if I would be classifed as a Consultant versus some other category.


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## davepeds (May 23, 2013)

Prancer, that's interesting. I have done a lot of looking into this - we're not set to move until September 2014. 

I've come to the conclusion that the situation is this:

Working as a pediatrician in your first year in the NHS means you'll have to be working in a "probationary" position. That means a teaching hospital, in most cases (or all cases, but I couldn't be sure). Teaching hospital positions for pediatricians go to people in this order: 1st: Capable applicant from UK, 2nd: capable applicant from EU, 3rd: you, me and everyone else.

You've looked at this more freshly than me - did you learn something different? I had essentially given up the idea of practicing and was working on my ditch-digging CV.


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## ipsilonmusic (Jan 11, 2015)

*US Doctor in the UK*

Dear David,

I'm an American living in England, doing research and teaching at a UK university. I'm concerned about the quality of medical care here and am looking for a physician with an American-style patient care aesthetic. Did you move the the UK after all? Do you have any ideas on this issue?

John


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