| Organisation | What it does |
|---|---|
| GMC (General Medical Council) | Regulates all doctors. Keeps the register, sets standards (Good Medical Practice), approves medical education and runs PLAB and revalidation. |
| Medical schools / Medical Schools Council | Teach and examine UK medical students; the Council represents UK schools and designs the UKMLA knowledge test. |
| UCAS and the UCAT Consortium | UCAS handles university applications; UCAT runs the admissions test most UK medical schools use. |
| UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) | Runs the national application and allocation for Foundation Programme places. |
| NHS England (workforce, training and education) and the devolved nations | Commission and manage postgraduate training and national recruitment through the Oriel system. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own bodies. |
| Royal Colleges and Faculties | Set the curricula and run the exams for each specialty (MRCP, MRCS, MRCGP, FRCA, MRCOG and so on). |
| BMA (British Medical Association) | The doctors’ trade union and professional body. |
| NHS Employers / employing trusts and boards | Employ you, run payroll and provide supervision. |
| Home Office / UKVI | Decide visas and sponsorship for non-UK doctors. |
Terms you will see everywhere
- ARCP: Annual Review of Competence Progression, the yearly review every trainee must pass.
- CCT: Certificate of Completion of Training, awarded at the end of specialty training.
- Oriel: the online system for specialty and foundation recruitment.
- Trust grade / locally employed doctor: a hospital job outside the national training programmes.
- FY1/FY2, CT1, ST3: Foundation Year 1/2, Core Training year 1, Specialty Training year 3.
- Revalidation: the five-yearly process proving you remain fit to practise.
This page is general education, reviewed 24 October 2026. Rules, fees and dates change: always confirm with the official sources below. It is not medical, legal or immigration advice.