MRCGP[INT] - International Membership of the Royal College of
General Practitioners
In the past many doctors from outside the United Kingdom wanted
to sit the MRCGP examination in the UK, perceiving it to be a
“golden standard” in Family Medicine. Whilst this is
undoubtedly true, the fact remains that the UK exam is culturally,
organisationally, linguistically and epidemiologically biased
towards UK practice, and thus non-UK doctors were facing extra
challenges in sitting the exam. For example, they could be less
familiar with NHS principles and guidelines that GPs in the UK
abide by. Hence, there was a need to introduce a more adequate
assessment system that would reflect such differences.
Because of the nature of general practice and family medicine,
which is much more community- and country/region-specific than any
other clinical discipline, such assessment should reflect local
conditions: epidemiology, healthcare practices, the structure of a
local healthcare system, as well as local culture and religious
traditions, which play a significant role in the work of the family
doctor.
It is these considerations that prompted a change in the
national curriculum and the introduction of a new membership
examination, nMRCGP, which is specifically designed for UK doctors.
This examination is now the licensing exam for GPs. Doctors from
outside the country are no longer eligible to sit the membership
examination offered in the UK. For such doctors who wish to join
the RCGP, a new category of “International Member” has been
created, and becoming an International Member is possible
by examination only.
The RCGP has been working with our partners in various countries
and regions of the world to develop an accreditation framework that
could be applied to local examinations to ensure they are of the
same academic rigour as the UK exam but at the same time relevant
to the normal every-day work of the candidate. This accreditation
framework is referred to as “MRCGP[INT]”. Any examination that is
MRCGP[INT]-accredited entitles successful candidates to apply for
International Membership of the Royal College of General
Practitioners.
Because MRCGP[INT] is specifically designed for each accredited
country, doctors from other parts of the world may not be eligible
to sit the exam in that country.
For more details on eligibility requirements, content and
structure of the exam, candidates should contact the accredited
sites directly. The RCGP in London is not involved in the admission
process. Contact details of all MRCGP[INT]-accredited sites can be
found by following the link below.
For more information, please browse the links below:
If you have passed an MRCGP[INT]-accredited
examination - what to do next...