What to expect at your GMC identity check

In this post, I will write about what you should expect at your General Medical Council (GMC) identity check. 

As I mentioned in my post on August 16th titled, "GMC Identity Check," after the GMC has approved your application for full registration with a licence to practise you will receive an email inviting you to attend an identity check at their offices in London or Manchester. After receiving the email, you are required to complete the identity check within six months; otherwise, your application will be closed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the GMC had suspended these in-person identity checks, but since April 2022, they have resumed. 

The GMC will not be able to see you unless you have a pre-booked appointment. When I received my invitation email on August 10th, I logged into my GMC Online account and booked my appointment through the My appointments & workshops > Make a new booking tabs. The email provides a lot of crucial information that you need to be aware of before you attend, and answers some frequently asked questions like how to make an appointment, what you need to bring to the appointment, what will happen at your appointment etc. A question that I felt was missing was what to wear to your appointment. 

I recommend you wear something business formal. For males, this means a suit and tie. While for females, this means a pants suit, skirt suit, or dress and jacket. Some shoe options include ballet flats, heels, Oxfords or loafers. You want to look professional. However, you also want to feel comfortable in whatever you wear and dress within your cultural practices and beliefs. 

I chose the GMC London office because it was most convenient for me. It is located at 350 Euston Road, London NW1 3JN and the easiest way to get there is using the London Underground. If you hop on the Hammersmith & City line and get off at Great Portland Street station, the office will be in the building across the road. You will need to walk past the Pret a Manger and Wasabi Sushi & Bento restaurants to find the entrance of the building.

I had my appointment today at 11:00 am. Thank God I left 90 minutes before because there were some closures which delayed my arrival. I reached the GMC office with five minutes to spare. 

When you enter the building there will be a security/reception. Tell them your name, that you are there for your identity check with the GMC, and your appointment time. They will confirm and direct you upstairs to the second floor. 

Once on the second floor, you will see another reception. Tell them your name, that you are there for your identity check, and your appointment time. They will check you in and ask you to have a seat in the waiting area. There is a water fountain you can have a drink while you are waiting. 

I only had to wait a few minutes before a lady came out and said, “Dr Martinez, please come with me.” I followed her to her office, where she asked me to have a seat. She closed the door, and we both sat down. She introduced herself and confirmed my address in my GMC Online account was indeed the one I wanted my certificate sent to. She then asked for my passport and took a picture of me. Finally, she asked me to step back out into the waiting area while she completed the check of my passport. 

I took a seat in the waiting area. It felt like just 2 minutes passed before she came out and asked me to follow her back to her office again. Once more, she asked me to have a seat, she closed the door, and we both sat down. I didn’t know whether to be nervous or excited. But then she congratulated me and told me she had granted my registration for a licence to practise. She informed me that as of that minute, it would be visible on the online register, but that my certificate would take about ten working days to arrive at the provided address. I thanked her, and she returned my passport. We said our goodbyes and I left the office. 

That was it. All done, and I am officially a fully registered doctor with a licence to practise in the UK!!! You can search the register for my name by clicking here. 

The identity check was super easy and quick. I was in and out in less than 15 minutes. 

Now that I am done with my identity check and registered with the GMC, the next step is getting a job in the UK. 

In preparation for this, I have signed up for the GMC's Welcome to UK Practice workshop. This too can also be booked through the My Appointments & Workshops tabs on your GMC Online account. The workshop is free and designed to support internationally-qualified doctors on their move to the UK. Since the pandemic, the workshop is being delivered online via Zoom. 

I am looking forward to participating in the webinar and will share my opinion of it in a future post so look out for that.

I have a few more days in London before heading back home. I plan to catch up with some friends from medical school and celebrate this accomplishment. Until next time... 

 

       

This is the 2-page Certificate of proof of entry on the register which can be accessed through your GMC Online account.

**Bear in mind, that until you have completed your first revalidation, your practise in the UK is subject to the requirements of the GMC approved practice settings (APS) scheme. You must ensure that your status on the register is appropriate for the type of post in which you plan to practise. For more information about APS, click here.