Can someone explain to me why someone is considered a 'qualified doctor' after FY2?

JW2019

My apology for the long post. International student here applying to medicine in the UK and trying to understand how things work in your country, so please forgive me my ignorance if any part of my question shows a lack of knowledge on the topic.

When I read various websites including the GMC's, a lot of time an individual who graduated from a UK medicine course, and who have successfully completed 2 Foundation Years in the UK is said to be fully 'registered' with the GMC, and is considered a 'qualified doctor'.

My understanding is that such individual is not a really fully qualified yet and has to take at least another three years of 'specialty' training (3 years in the case of GP), before he or she can practice as a full doctor independently.

So what is the meaning of having 'full registration' with GMC, and why is the person is said to be 'fully qualified' after FY2? What is so special about FY2, instead of just the year-2 milestone of a 5 or 8 year journey to become a full, independent doctor who is allowed to practice medicine in the UK? Can one work as a doctor after FY2 without further specialist training?

Thank you in advance for explaining the system to me.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 1

JW2019

Thanks. So what does "fully registered" mean? Does one earn the right to do something after full registration??

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 2

JW2019

Original post by ecolier

No. You are provisionally registered as a Foundation Year 1 doctor, after successful completion of the FY1 year, you will be fully registered. You can only become an FY2 if you are fully registered.

Thanks. So what does "fully registered" mean? Does one earn the right to do something after full registration??

I am still replying - see my edits :h:

[/QUOTE

Thank you for taking the time to explain things to me ....

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 3

Democracy

Original post by JW2019

You are a qualified doctor the moment you graduate from medical school.

Completing FY1 is when you gain full registration with the GMC. This does not mean an FY1 is not a fully qualified doctor however; they absolutely are and will have lots of responsibility to show for it.

You can work as a doctor after FY2 without undergoing further specialist training, though in practice few people would choose to do this forever more.

Reply 4

JW2019

Quote: "Technically, as I have mentioned, you can work independently without further specialist training after FY2. Indeed many doctors do take gap year(s) after FY2 to travel the world, or locum (work in vacant posts). What you cannot do, is to work as a specialty doctor - that will require you to have trained in that specialty first."

What kind of doctor can one be without any further training after FY2, if even GP/generalist requires another 3 years of "specialty training"? I am confused.

Original post by JW2019

What kind of doctor can one be without further training after FY2, if even GP/generalist requires another 3 years of “specialty training”? I am confused.

So in many other countries a General Practitioner is a job people take up because they HAVEN’T done further training. Not so in the UK. GP is it’s own specialty here, and requires its own training. It’s also, funnily enough, one of the few things you couldn’t do because GPs need to practice independently

As for what you can do, most of the same types of jobs as through foundation. You can work on most wards, or in A&E, where you would be an ‘SHO’ as work as a junior doctor within the team. In practice this looks very similar to being in training on the day to day, you’re a working doctor, but the main difference is you won’t progress up the ladder year on year. The main advantage is more flexibility, not having to do exams and portfolio stuff etc