Steps 4-6

This post is continued from my previous post on June 17th titled, "What's next for me?" If you haven't already read that post, perhaps, you may want to before reading this one. 

As a reminder, these are the steps...

With steps 1, 2, and 3 out of the way, I began step 4. 

Depending on the country you plan to work in after graduation, you may need to apply for some documents from the National Directorate General of Hospitals. There are several certificates they can prepare such as the Certificate of Good Standing, Certificate of Conformity, Certificate of Acquired Rights, Certificate which attests to the length of healthcare activity pursued in Hungary, and Certificate which attests to the level of the qualification. All the certificates can be applied for using the same application form, which can be found online here, but the form requires your basic registry number. 

The Registrar's Office (RO) at the Medical School sends our information directly to the National Directorate General of Hospitals after preparing the diplomas for them to create our Hungarian license number/basic registry number, Alapnyilvántartási szám in Hungarian. To check if your basic registry number is ready, you can visit the website https://kereso.enkk.hu, type in your family name and first name (in this order) in the box under Név, and then pull the slide by Zárva húzza el a csúszkát, and click on Keresés. If it is ready, you will see your name and basic registry number.

While I waited for the basic registry number, I went ahead and jumped to step 5. At the graduation ceremony, I received three copies of my diploma. One in Latin, one in Hungarian, and one in English. On July 4, 2022, I logged into the Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC) website, went to the My Credentials section, and uploaded a PDF of only the English diploma. I sent an email to my RO Officer informing them that I had submitted my diploma for verification and that they should expect a request from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) in the coming days. 

I continued to diligently check the National Directorate General of Hospitals for my basic registry number/Hungarian license number. On July 7, 2022, it finally appeared and I could submit my application. The General Medical Council (GMC) only requires the Certificate of Good Standing, however, I decided to apply for both the Certificate of Good Standing and the Certificate of Conformity.

The Certificate of Good Standing attests that an applicant has a clean criminal record and has not violated any professional ethical rules. The Certificate of Conformity confirms that the medical qualification satisfies the training requirements outlined in Articles (24, 31, 34, 40, 41, and 44) of the European Parliament and Council Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications. 

The application can be submitted via email and you should attach the application form, a copy of your valid passport/ID card, a copy of any official document concerning the applicant's registered address, a copy of the diploma, and a receipt of the bank transfer or postal cheque about the payment of the fee. In an email with all the information regarding this process, my RO Officer mentioned that we would also need to submit a copy of police clearance, Erkölcsi Bizonyítvány in Hungarian. It was not mentioned on the website as a requirement, but I included it anyway just to be safe.

The Operational Registration simply proves you are a physician in Hungary. It is not a requirement of the GMC and ultimately, I decided not to apply for it, even though I've been told by some past graduates that it might be good to have since it proves you have the competency to practice.

**Again, I want to point out the requirements vary between countries so check with hospitals or local authorities in the country you plan to work in to see what certificates you need.

For the last few days, I have been playing the waiting game hoping to hear back about either of these processes with no luck. I skipped to step 6 and created a GMC account. Here you can create your GMC account, just scroll to the bottom of the page and click set up an account.

I was able to fill out my data (name, date of birth, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability), address, contact details, and IELTS test results, before hitting a stone wall. When I tried to start the application, the first thing that I was asked to do was to input my unique EPIC ID. Unfortunately, the reference number was invalid because the GMC had not yet received any information regarding my credential verification and I could not proceed with the application. 

Today, I received confirmation from EPIC/ECFMG that their review of my diploma was complete. They have now forwarded my submission to the University of Pécs Medical School for the final verification. That means I can begin step 7 - apply for full GMC registration with a license to practice via the Relevant European Qualification (REQ) route. I can't complete the GMC application without the certificates I requested from the National Directorate General for Hospitals so it's back to playing the waiting game again, but I also have time because once my credential has been verified by the University an EPIC Report will be sent directly to the GMC and I also need that to submit the application.

Soon I'll be back to tell you all about step 7, but for now this is where I have reached.