My name is Ankit Kumar Choudhary an IMG from India; I plan on moving to the UK by 2024. I am an ambassador at TrewLink.
Moving ahead, when we plan on moving to the UK, we first have to create a GMC online account. While creating that, we come across a field asking us to mention our primary medical qualification (PMQ) followed by the selection of the name of the institution we did it from.
In some cases, we cannot find our institution/college name in that list even after trying various permutations & combinations, and it’s just frustrating. So in this article, I will be discussing and explaining all the steps to sort out this situation through my personal experience.
Checking Out Your PMQ Institution at WDOMS
World directory of medical schools (WDOMS) is a website containing information about every medical school around the world. Just type WDOMS in Google search it will take you to the website. Next, search the directory, don’t just search by your institution name; try searching by your city or country name. Most of the time, it will come eventually.
Now check the sponsor notes tab of your institution and look for ECFMG sponsor notes; if present, then it’s great because it is essential that your institution has it, or it will be problematic while getting your EPIC verification done. Ask your institution to communicate with ECFMG if it’s not there.
Writing a Mail to GMC
After checking the WDOMS and proper sponsor notes, write a mail to GMC at gmc@gmc-uk.org mentioning the issue along with your college FAIMER ID mentioned in WDOMS and your GMC reference No., whenever you write to GMC, always mention your reference number. You will receive an instant automated reply which means that your inquiry has been successfully registered. You will most of the time receive an official reply within 4 working days from GMC along with a PMQ 1 form.
PMQ-1 Form
This is the one and only form you would have to fill and send to GMC along with the required documents mentioned in this form itself. Therefore be vigilant while filling it out because any false or illegitimate information can lead to the termination of your current inquiry or further problems in the future.
This is the first page of the form that the GMC will mail you. It states all the documents they need from you along with the filled entries, before the deadline, which will be mentioned in the email. Getting these documents might be simple for someone but difficult for others; it completely depends on how cooperative your college/institution administration is.
Once you mail this form along with all the necessary documents, GMC will send you a mail acknowledging your response and mentioning that they have sent a mail to your college/institution to verify your PMQ.
Reply From Your PMQ Institution
At this step, good communication with your institution is vital as there is a deadline for this one, and if your institution is lousy in replying to the mail, you have to get on top of them to get it done, or your inquiry will be closed permanently. Therefore, do not let all your hard work go in vain visit your institution or send someone who might be near in person so that they take it seriously and do the needful.
Most of the time, the mail will ask your institution to clarify some of the information you sent them earlier. Try to read the mail that the GMC has sent to your institution, if possible, and create a reply yourself, as it is you who will have to suffer if your institution messes it up. Once your institution sends the response with valid clarifications, you will receive the final mail within the next 4 days.
The Final Mail of Elation
This is the mail for which you have been waiting. It will specify that after a thorough assessment, your PMQ meets the GMC's criteria for an acceptable overseas qualification and that it is acceptable for sitting PLAB or getting a GMC registration. As soon as you receive this mail, log in to your GMC online account and check the PMQ institution list; congratulations, you will now see your institution's name in the GMC list.
Need More Tips and Advice?
If you have any further queries about adding your PMQ institution to the GMC list, I would be happy to answer them at trewlink.com. You can register using this link https://trewlink.com?referrer=dr.366806. Find me as an Ambassador and follow my profile – Ankit Choudhary – to receive regular support and advice.