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If you are an international doctor, you will have to go through an independent verification process of your primary and post-graduate medical qualifications, in order for your GMC registration to proceed.

Verification is carried out by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) through an online system called the Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC) service.

The ECFMG will contact your awarding institution to verify that the qualifications you have obtained are genuine.

What to check before you start the verification process:

Before you proceed down this route, you must ensure that the GMC accept your primary and post-graduate medical qualifications. As without them accepting the qualifications you will not be granted a license to practice.

Click here to view the acceptable primary medical qualifications and here for the post-graduate medical qualifications.

The Verification Process

Once you have clarification on the acceptance of your medical qualifications, you may then start the ECFMG verification process.

1. To start you must set up an online EPIC account, where you will first have to confirm your identity.

2. Now you must log into your EPIC account and upload the qualifications you require to be verified.

When you upload them, make sure to select ‘the GMC’, as by doing so it ensures you will receive an EPIC report, and will also notify the GMC once you have been verified.

1. Once the ECFMG have received your qualifications, they will then assess them and communicate directly with your awarding institution to confirm their authenticity.

After they have completed the verification, they will notify and confirm this with the GMC.

1. Now you may use your EPIC ID and input this when completing your GMC application.

Please note: The GMC recommend that you start the verification process as early as you can, and have your qualifications confirmed and verified before applying. The time it takes for your qualifications to be verified can vary on a number of factors, and the GMC only keep applications open for 90 days.

How long will verification take?

As mentioned above, the process length can differ, due to factors including:

• The time it takes for your awarding institution to respond to ECFMG (most respond within 90 days)

• Whether your awarding institution accepts requests electronically (sending request by post or courier could take much longer)

Will I be able to keep track on the progress on my verification?

The ECFMG will keep you up to date and email you when they send your qualification, as well as when it has been verified.

If you want to monitor the status of your verification, or have any queries regarding the process, then you will need to do so via your EPIC account.

How much will the verification process cost?

The fee for opening an EPIC account and confirming your identity is $130.

They then charge $100 per credential verification through the EPIC system.

(You will most likely be getting your primary and post-graduate qualifications verified, therefore will need to pay $200 for this part of the process).

However, the ECFMG have a fees section and full breakdown of costs which you can double-check and find here*.

*Please note: There are new fee increases for 2021 – check here for further information.

The fees are charged in USD and you will need to pay ECFMG directly. To make this efficient it would be best for you to contact your bank and check currency conversion sites for the most up to date conversion rates.

To read the GMC’s full guide to the ECFMG verification process, you can find it by clicking here. The ECFMG also have a page specifically for doctors applying to work in the UK, which you can find by clicking here.

This blog is the last of our GMC series, so if you are still unsure about certain parts of the GMC registration process then please refer to our previous blogs. Alternatively, our Medical Experts will be more than happy to help you. You can get in touch with them by calling 0203 857 4106 or emailing info@kaizenrecruitment.co.uk.