MRCP(UK) FAQs

The GMC has ruled that MRCP(UK) is one of the essential measures of CMT competency, and hence it is necessary for candidates to have obtained a minimum of MRCP(UK) Part 1 by time of application (note - not by time of start date) to ST3.

[NB - this requirement has been in place for some time, cf 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 person specifications.]

Also, please note that some equivalent qualifications to MRCP(UK) may be allowable, eg MRCP(Ireland). However (see FAQs further up this page), while possession of an equivalent qualification may be viewed as equivalent to MRCP(UK) in terms of entry to ST3, MRCP(UK) is the only examination recognised by GMC for CMT training accreditation, i.e. as an exit exam.

Thus candidates possessing alternative qualifications to MRCP(UK) will see their training result in a CESR(CP), not a CCT.

At the time at which you submit your application, it is only necessary for you to have passed MRCP(UK) Part 1 to be considered eligible at that stage. This will allow your application to progress further.

However, to take up a post you will need to obtain the full MRCP(UK) diploma, including all three parts: Part 1, Part 2 and PACES. These must all be obtained by the start date of the post.

As such, if - at the time of application - you do not have all three parts, you will need to demonstrate that it is possible for you to gain any that you are missing before the post start date. If it is not possible that you would be able to pass one of the missing parts before the post start date, you cannot be considered eligible.

If you have been offered, and have accepted, a LAT/NTN ST3 post during the recruitment round, subject to you passing any missing parts of the MRCP(UK) diploma; but then are not able to pass the missing part(s) before the post start date, then unfortunately the post offer must be withdrawn as you do not meet the essential criteria set out in the 2012 ST3 person specifications.

PACES re-sit

The first option to consider would be re-sitting the examination for the relevant part(s) of the diploma. Application, examination and results dates can be found on the MRCP(UK) website.

LAS recruitment

One further option that may be open in some cases is that of recruitment to LAS (Locum Appointment for Service) posts. Some deaneries may wish to recruit to LAS posts to meet service requirements while recruitment to ST3 posts is going on; and unlike NTN and LAT posts, LAS posts do not require trainees to meet the full eligibility requirements as set out in the person specification.

Deaneries will decide on a local, individual basis whether they wish to recruit candidates to LAS posts, and if so they will set their own requirements for the post and their own methods of recruiting candidates. For more information, please contact deaneries directly for this - contact details can be found on the deanery/UoA contacts page of this website.

Some specialties (eg haematology and palliative medicine) accept candidates from alternative training routes (ie not from CMT/ACCS). Applicants must have, as a minimum, the initial part(s) of the exam related to their training (eg MRCPCH Parts 1A and B), and must be in a position to pass the full qualifying exam prior to taking up ST3 training.

Please see the 2012 ST3 person specifications for more information.

As of 22 March 2012, the conference of postgraduate medical deaneries (COPMeD) produced some revised guidance on how the equivalence to MRCP(UK) of alternative postgraduate medical examinations will be judged - as below:

'The only examinations that should be treated as equivalent to MRCP(UK) for ST3 recruitment purposes (in 2012 only) are:

• MRCP(Ireland)
• MHKCP (Hong Kong)
• MMed Singapore.

'The Hong Kong and Singapore colleges require full MRCP(UK).

'No evidence [is available] to enable [deanery recruiters] to consider any other examinations to be equivalent, and MRCP(UK) is an international examination that is open to all.'

Update - as of 28 March, further information has been made available, stating that a European (EEA) CCT in general internal medicine can also be considered equivalent.