What is MRCGP[INT]?
MRCGP[INT]: Membership of the Royal College of General
Practitioners [International] - The International
Assessment to Accredit Locally Developed Assessment Throughout the
World
Due to changes in the curriculum and the introduction of (new)
MRCGP examination, doctors based outside the UK are no longer
eligible to sit the MRCGP examination.
In the past many doctors from outside the United Kingdom wanted
to sit for 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 face extra challenges
in sitting the exam. With that in mind the College has
developed an international form of the exam, which maintains the
same academic rigour whilst at the same time trying to be more
relevant to the normal every-day practice of the candidate.
For some years in many parts of the world, there has been a
wish to develop an internationally recognised postgraduate standard
for general practice/family medicine, equivalent in status to
qualifications in hospital-based specialities. The RCGP has become
increasingly aware of the need for high quality postgraduate
assessments to be developed at a national or regional level in
different parts of the world, tailored to local needs, educational
systems and practice.
The MRCGP[INT] accreditation was developed by the RCGP in
response to the wishes of overseas colleagues and the world-wide
need for development of high quality post-graduate assessments. It
enables a country or region to develop an examination at the same
level and academic rigour as the MRCGP in the UK, appropriately
tailored to local needs, culture, health practices and education
systems. The aim is to provide a clear framework for locally
relevant assessments, with the availability of RCGP advice and
support. When the necessary criteria have been met, the examination
is accredited by the College and successful candidates receive the
award of MRCGP[INT] in addition to their local qualification.
The fundamental reason for the development of MRCGP[INT] and
create a new category of International Member is to support the
development of General Practice/Family Medicine world-wide and by
doing so to assist in raising of standards of the discipline. The
designation MRCGP[INT] will be in addition to, rather than replace
any qualification awarded by the relevant national body.
BACKGROUND: The fundamental
reason for the development of MRCGP[INT] and the creation of a new
category of International Member, is to support the development of
general practice/family medicine world-wide and, by doing so, to
assist in raising standards of the discipline, being of equivalent
academic rigour to the MRCGP in the UK (but does not confer the
right to practice in the UK or any other country). The designation
MRCGP[INT] may be in addition to the qualification awarded by the
relevant national bodies. Studying and preparation by Family
Doctors, and the subsequent assessment, is intended to provide a
focus and impetus for themselves, their academic organisations and
their programmes.
There has been a very positive response to the
development of an internationally recognised postgraduate standard
for General Practice / Family Medicine, equivalent in status to
qualifications in hospital-based specialities. There are currently
accredited sites for the MRCGP[INT] in Oman, Brunei, Kuwait, Dubai
and South Asia [Nepal, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka].
It is intended that many others will be accredited in the near
future.
AIMS: The MRCGP[INT]
offers:
- Assessment criteria equivalent in academic rigour to the MRCGP
UK;
- Impetus and focus to the educational aspirations of individuals
and organisations;
- Academic support to local Examination Boards for:
- Their own curriculum
development, appropriate to their own context and not that of a
doctor working as
a General Practitioner in the UK;
- The development of
test design, writing, conduct and standard setting;
- On-going quality
assurance through the accreditation and re-accreditation cycle.
- Support for the philosophy of life-long learning, continuing
professional development, and quality practice.
METHODS: The academic model
and framework for the examination has been developed by identifying
those aspects of good primary medical care that are truly
international, as well as the significant differences between
countries and regions of the world in terms of culture,
epidemiology, health systems and provision, history and geography.
While the examination package of each accredited MRCGP[INT] will be
somewhat different, reflecting these contextual aspects, the
principles whereby they can be assessed to modern international
standards and the criteria and the template against which
assessment procedures from different health care systems might be
developed, evaluated, endorsed, accredited and quality assured have
been validated.
CONCLUSIONS: The award of the
MRCGP[INT] confirms that the successful candidate has attained a
standard of competence as a Family Doctor, as tested by an
assessment equivalent in rigour to the MRCGP in the UK, but
appropriate for the curriculum of the local context of Primary
Healthcare.