MBChB Medicine

When you successfully complete the undergraduate course, you will receive your MBChB (or equivalent) degree, which is a primary medical qualification (PMQ).

Holding a PMQ entitles you to apply for provisional registration with the General Medical Council UK (GMC), subject to its acceptance that there are no Fitness to Practise concerns that need consideration.

Provisional registration is time limited to a maximum of three years and 30 days (1,125 days in total). After this time period, your provisional registration will normally expire.

Provisionally registered doctors can only practise in approved Foundation Year 1 posts; the law does not allow provisionally registered doctors to undertake any other type of work.

To obtain a Foundation Year 1 post, you will need to apply during the final year of your undergraduate course through the UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) scheme, which allocates these posts.

So far, all suitably qualified UK graduates have found a place on the Foundation Year 1 programme, but this cannot be guaranteed if, for instance, there were to be an increased number of applications from non-UK graduates.

Successful completion of the Foundation Year 1 programme is normally achieved within 12 months and is marked by the award of a Certificate of Experience. You will then be eligible to apply for full registration with the General Medical Council. You need full registration with a licence to practise for unsupervised medical practice in the NHS or private practice in the UK.

Although this information is currently correct, candidates and students need to be aware that regulations in this area may change and requirements for registration are determined through the GMC and applications to Foundation Training through UKFPO . It should be noted that it is very likely that graduates will still need to apply for a training programme similar to the current Foundation Programme and that places on this programme may not be guaranteed for every applicant.

From academic year 2024-2025 onwards, all final-year medical students in the UK will be required to complete the GMC's Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) . In the Manchester MBChB course, the MLA is fully integrated into the assessments that you will normally take during the course. You will therefore not be required to undertake any additional examinations to complete the MLA.