Frequently Asked Questions
General
Costs and Fees
Allowable expenses
MRCGP
What does the RCGP do during my
training?
The college is involved in a number of areas
of your training, from creating the new curriculum specifically for
general practice, to signing off your training through
certification and setting the assessment, satisfactory completion
of which will be an essential requirement for entry to the General
Medical Council’s GP Register.
To support you through your training the
college also provide a wide range of membership benefits. These
include access to discounts on the assessment components, College
publications, careers information and advice and access to
discounted educational events and conferences. There are also
opportunities to network with other GPs and trainees, and
for representation within the College and with other
groups.
What is
certification?
On completion of your training programme and
MRCGP you will be able to apply for a Certificate of Completion of
Training which will entitle you to work as a general practitioner
in the UK. The GMC issue the CCTs, but they have asked the
Royal Colleges to evaluate training programmes on their behalf and
to recommend whether or not each trainee has reached the standard
required for a CCT. Therefore, you will need to be registered with
the RCGP to enable us to make a full and detailed evaluation of
your training programme so that we can, if appropriate, recommend
to The GMC that a CCT should be issued to you.
For further information about Certification,
please visit the Certification pages.
Is there an
alternative route to CCT?
The alternative route to a CCT is to apply for
a Certificate confirming Eligibility for General Practice
Registration (CEGPR) under Article 11 of the The GMC Order.
This is usually for doctors whose specialty
training is likely to take longer than 7 years, or has included
posts that did not have prior approval for GP training, or has
included non-UK components. Article 11 doctors apply direct to The
GMC for this Certificate and do not require Certification services
from the College.
For both CCT and CEGPR applications, a
separate fee is payable to The GMC to issue you with your
certificate. This is paid at the end of your training and is at a
higher rate for CEGPR (Article 11) applications than for CCT.
For prices please refer to www.gmc-uk.org
What is MRCGP?
From August 2007 the MRCGP will be the
training and assessment system for UK-trained doctors wishing to
practice as a GP. Satisfactory completion of the scheme will be an
essential requirement for entry to the General Medical Council’s GP
Register and for full Membership of the Royal College of General
Practitioners.
The MRCGP is an integrated assessment
programme that includes three components:
·
Applied Knowledge Test (AKT)
·
Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA)
·
Workplace-based Assessment (WPBA).
Each of these is independent and will test
different competencies but together they will assess all the
knowledge, skills and attitudes required for CCT in general
practice.
Evidence for the workplace-based assessment
will be collated in the ePortfolio of each GP trainee.
More information about the MRCGP can be found
here
AiT Packages
What is an AiT?
An Associate in Training, or AiT, is a GP
specialty training registrar (GPSTR) who has joined the Royal
College of General Practitioners as an Associate. By joining as an
AiT they are eligible for certain membership benefits not available
to those who choose to buy the College's certification and
assessment services without joining. Upon successful completion of
their training they are eligible to join the College as a Member.
As a Member in good standing you can use the designation MRCGP.
What’s included in the
package?
Everything you’ll need to complete the WPBA
assessment component of the MRCGP, Certification (if you are
applying for a CCT under Article 10), annual subscription to the
British Journal of General Practice, a range of AiT
membership benefits, and discounts on the CSA and AKT components of
the MRCGP.
For a full list of AiT benefits
please click here.
What’s not included in the
package?
The cost of sitting the CSA and AKT, although
as an AiT you will pay less for these (and any subsequent re-sits)
than if you were a non-AiT.
What are the
benefits of joining as an AIT?
The AiT package is planned with value for
money in mind designed so the cost stated is what you will pay; no
hidden extras. You will also have the ability to spread the cost
over the three years of training. The package also includes
membership of the College. As well as many material benefits there
are opportunities to get involved with the College, either locally
via the Faculties or centrally.
For more information on the benefits of
membership please click here.
Which package should I
choose?
There are four packages to choose from – three
for CCT applicants (for ST1, ST2, and ST3) and one for doctors
applying for a CEGPR under Article 11. Simply choose the package
that is right for you:
·
AiT Package for ST1 (CCT)
·
AiT Package for ST2 (CCT)
·
AiT Package for ST3 (CCT)
·
AiT Package for Article 11
The detailed components of each package are
shown here.
Costs
How much will the package
cost?
The price depends on which year of specialty
training you are in.
·
If you are in ST1, you will pay £145 initial
subscription fee and three annual subscription payments of
£218 to remain an Associate in Training (total cost
£799)
·
For ST2, you would pay an initial subscription fee
of £234 and two annual payments of £218 (total cost £670)
·
For ST3, an initial subscription fee of £325 and
one annual payment of £218 (total cost £543).
If you are applying for Article 11, you can
join as an Associate in Training for an initial subscription fee of
£83 and annual subscription of £128, for as long as you remain in
training. This will allow you to take advantage of the
benefits of being an Associate in Training, minus the certification
component which you will apply to The GMC for.
Why is the
cost spread over the period of my training?
Following feedback from trainee
representatives, the packages are designed to enable you to spread
the cost over the length of your training. All members of the
College pay an annual subscription in April and being an AiT of the
College is no different. To further help you with the costs, as an
AiT you will also receive discounts on the cost of the CSA and AKT
components of the MRCGP (payable at the time of sitting them).
How do I pay the
Initial Subscription fee?
When you register you will be asked to pay the
full subscription fee. This can be done using a credit or debit
card.
If you have any problems with this section of
the process please contact 0203 188 7662
How do I make the annual
payments?
You will be asked to complete a direct debit
mandate upon registration as part of your application. The College
writes to all its members in February each year with a renewal
statement. You will be asked to confirm that you are still in
training, and if the details are still correct, the annual payment
will be taken from your account in April of that year.
Why are
there different initial subscription fees?
The College has a fixed fee for Certification,
which is why the initial subscription fee varies according to which
year of training you are in. All other costs (including membership
benefits, British Journal of General Practice, and access
to the ePortfolio) are calculated on an annual basis. All payments
are split between an
initialsubscription fee
(payable when you start your training programme and vary depending
on which year of training you are in) and an
annualsubscription fee
(payable in April each year).
Is the
amount paid annually kept the same from year to year?
Yes, when you undertake your specialty
training you will be given a total amount for the cost of your
training. Every one will pay a one off initial subscription fee
then the remaining is split equally over the remaining training
years, which is taken in April of each year.
When do I pay for
AKT/CSA?
You register and pay for these as and when you
sit them. They can be taken at any point of your training and AiTs
receive 10% off. For more information please click here.
I require
certification, but don’t require access to the e-Portfolio. How
much will that cost?
You can continue to register with the
College’s certification unit for a one-off fee of £350. This fee
includes up to three years free AiT membership, but excludes copies
of British Journal General Practice which can be
subscribed to at an additional cost of £30 per annum. (Access to
the online Journal is included).
Does the package
offer value for money?
Yes. Not only are you saving on certification
and assessment costs (including 10% off the AKT and CSA), the
package also includes free subscription to the British Journal
of General Practice, access to nPEP, 10% discount on
all books bought through the College bookshop as well as discounts
on most College events (including RCGP MRCGP preparation courses).
In addition, you are receiving access to a wide range of AiT
benefits including information, advice and representation.
What happens if I
default?
If for any reason we are unable to recover
payment from you (either the initial subscription fee or annual
subscription), we will write to you to let you know and to request
an alternative method of payment. Assessment results and a
recommendation to THE GMC for your CCT will be withheld if
there are any sums outstanding on your account. Membership benefits
including the British Journal of General Practice will
also be suspended after a period of 4 months if payment has still
not been received from you.
It used to cost £350 to register, why
is it more expensive now?
The costs for certification and AiT membership
have not gone up, rather the AiT package includes more components,
particularly the ePortfolio, the British Journal of General
Practice, the new journal for GPSTRs and nPEP. These are all
provided to trainees at cost but are reflected in the new package
prices.
Can I claim the tax back on my
subscriptions and assessment fees?
We have received instruction from a tax
advisor on this which can be found under Allowable
Expenses. The College cannot give financial advice
so always make enquiries with your own tax advisor or the
Inland Revenue. Visit their website http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/
Registration
How do I register?
You will need to register and pay the initial
subscription fee online via the College website. Register here
Once you’ve completed the online form, you
will be sent a confirmation email together with a link to a direct
debit mandate form which is required for the annual subscriptions.
You will need to download the form, complete it and return it to
the College.
Do I have to register
online?
Yes, the registration process is online and
will automatically alert the relevant departments to your
registration and activate the ePortfolio and benefits. If you are
unable to register online, please contact us at ait@rcgp.org.uk
or telephone 0203 188 7662
Do I have to
register as an Associate in Training?
No. There are 2 non-AiT plans which enable you
to register for Certification and the ePortfolio without becoming
an Associate in Training. One is for CCT trainees (who require both
Certification and ePortfolio, the other for Article 11 doctors (who
require only the e-Portfolio).
When should I register?
As soon as
you start your training programme; or if you are already part-way
through your training, and intending to sit a component of the
MRCGP, from August 2007.
You will not be able to access your
ePortfolio, or sign up for the other MRCGP components until you
register (either as an AiT or non-AiT).
Is there a
discount if I register later in the year?
No. The registration fee is fixed and must be
paid by everyone. The sooner you register, the sooner you will be
able to access AiT benefits and services.
You will not be able to access the ePortfolio
(required for the Workplace-Based Assessment) until you register
with the College (either as an AiT or as a non-AiT).
Why do I
have to register now? Couldn’t I just wait until I was in my final
year to register and save myself some money?
If you are doing the Workplace-Based
Assessment component of the MRCGP you’ll need access to an
ePortfolio account from the beginning of your training programme to
gather evidence, which you review with your trainer at appropriate
intervals. The ePortfolio also provides a personal learning log for
the trainee.
Rather than being a decision about whether to
join or not, it's really whether to join as an AiT or not. Joining
as an AiT allows you access to a number of additional benefits,
which include a subscription to the British Journal of
General Practice, InnovAiT, nPEP and discounts on the AKT
or CSA components of the assessment and discounts to College events
and in the bookshop.
What provisions have been made for
people training flexibly?
In response to feedback from trainees the
College has made provisions for those who are either training
flexibly and therefore over a longer period of time, or who take
maternity leave from training programmes.
Where training takes longer than 3 years the
annual subscription fee will be reduced to £129 collected by direct
debit in each of the remaining years in training. The fee of £129
allows the trainee to continue receiving access to the ePortfolio
and benefits of Associate in Training membership.
As usual a trainee will be able to upgrade to
full Membership of the College upon successful completion of the
MRCGP. The period from the date of joining to the following 31
March is deemed to be the first year of membership so AiT
subscriptions received in April will cover a trainee for full
Membership until the renewal the following year.
Your Fees and Allowable
Expenses
In response to enquiries from trainees, the
College has sought advice on the tax status of fees paid to
the College during their training. The following positions have
been outlined to us, based on a review of the current legislation
and the HMRC position where it is set out in their internal
manuals. The following advice is based on the assumption that a
trainee is an employee during their training, rather than
self-employed.
AiT Initial Registration and Annual
Subscription
As with all membership subscriptions, both
components of the AiT registration and annual subscription fees are
allowable deductions. Trainees who have paid the initial
registration and annual subscription fees after registering online
since August 2007 should be able to claim tax back on those
amounts.
AKT &
CSA Fees
The advice we have received states that anyone
sitting the Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) and/or Clinical Skills
Assessment (CSA) is unable to claim tax on either assessment, as
these are deemed preparation for performing the duties of
an employment rather than incurred in the actual
performance of the employee's duties.
Certification Fees
Trainees who registered with the Certification
Unit prior to August 2007 paid a one-off sum of £350 for
certification and up to 3 years free membership as an AiT. This fee
of £350 is likely to be regarded as a fee to join the training
process, rather than a fee to join the College, and as such it
would not be considered eligible for tax relief.
Further information
The information provided above is a generic
statement which is based on the advice that the College has
received in response to a generic enquiry. Individuals should
discuss their individual tax queries with their financial
advisors or accountants ON making appropriate claims. We
have provided a template that you may like to use when submitting
to the Inland Revenue but please note this is a suggested template
ONLY and has not been endorsed by the Inland Revenue.
Tax document