Workforce & IMG Services
Your NHS career, mapped step by step
A clear roadmap, practical checklists and a supportive community for international medical graduates building a UK career.
The journey
From exams to settled NHS practice
- Plan your routeUnderstand the PLAB/UKMLA pathway and map your timeline.
- Prepare & passExam preparation via our Medical Education cohorts and tutoring.
- Apply with confidenceApplication, portfolio, CV and interview support.
- Settle & growCommunity, mentoring and continuing development.
Scope. We provide education, career and application support only — not immigration or legal advice.
The challenge
The hardest part is rarely the medicine
International medical graduates arriving into the NHS are, almost by definition, capable doctors — they have trained, qualified and often practised independently before they ever look towards the UK. What trips people up is seldom clinical knowledge. It is the system: an unfamiliar licensing pathway with its own exams and deadlines, applications scored against person specifications written in language you have not used before, interviews in formats you have never sat, and a working culture with its own expectations around documentation, escalation and teamworking. Each of these is learnable, but learning them piecemeal, under time pressure and far from home, is exhausting and easy to get wrong.
Our purpose is to replace that uncertainty with a clear, ordered path. Rather than a scatter of advice, we give you a roadmap that shows the whole journey at once — which exam route applies to you, what each stage demands, and in what order to tackle them — alongside practical support and a community of people walking the same road. You always know what the next step is and why it matters.
What we provide
Support for every stage of the move
Route planning
A clear read on whether PLAB or the UKMLA applies to you and a realistic timeline to GMC registration.
Exam preparation
Cohorts, tutoring and OSCE coaching through our medical education programme, tuned to the exam you are sitting.
Application support
CV, portfolio and interview work that reframes overseas experience into UK selection language — see interview, portfolio & CV review.
Settling and progression
Induction into UK practice, appraisal and revalidation habits, and a peer community for the long haul.
How we work with you
Meet you where you are
- Orientate. Start with the IMG route guide and a checklist for your stage, so the whole pathway is visible before you commit time or money to any single step.
- Pass the exams. Prepare for the AKT, CPSA, PLAB 1 or PLAB 2 through structured cohorts, with tutoring and OSCE practice where you need them.
- Win the post. Build an application and interview performance that score well against the published criteria, not just a CV that reads nicely.
- Build for the future. Start your appraisal evidence early and develop the portfolio that specialty progression will eventually require.
New here? Read our IMG route to the NHS guide, compare exams with the UKMLA vs PLAB explainer, and explore the dedicated international medical graduates sector page for the full picture.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
Who are these services for?
International medical graduates (IMGs) planning or progressing an NHS career — from exam routes (PLAB/UKMLA) to applications, interviews and settling into UK practice, plus a peer community.
Do you provide immigration or legal advice?
No. We provide career, education and application support. We do not provide immigration or legal advice; for those matters you should consult a qualified, regulated adviser.
How do I get started?
Begin with the UK-entry roadmap and a checklist, then book support for the stage you are at — exams, applications or interviews.
Should I sit PLAB or the UKMLA?
It depends on your qualifications, timing and how current GMC requirements apply to you. PLAB has been the established IMG route to registration, and the UKMLA is being introduced as the common standard. We keep our guidance aligned to current GMC requirements; our UKMLA vs PLAB explainer and IMG route to the NHS guide walk through the decision.
What support is available once I am in the NHS?
The first NHS post is the start, not the finish. We support induction into UK ways of working, help you build the portfolio you will need for appraisal and progression, and stay alongside you through specialty applications. Our peer community connects you with others who have made the same move so you are not navigating it alone.
Start your UK-entry plan
Tell us your stage and we'll recommend the right support.