MRCS after MBBS
Dear Dr. Sandeep,
I was going through your posts on MRCS. I am an MBBS doctor and planning to take MRCS after MBBS. As you said that after completing the exams successfully we need to get registered by GMC after taking IELTS exam. Is there any issue in getting GMC registration for an MBBS candidate as compared to MBBS, MS candidate (I am not able to understand the difference if there is any difference in the process for MBBS and MBBS, MS for registration?).
After completing all the parts of MRCS exam when will they give General Surgery Diploma .. is it after training or on completion of the test?
What is the minimum duration of training for successfully complete MRCS?
Once a person gets registered by GMC he/she is eligible to apply in any of the training centers in UK or can the training be done in India?
One we are good to go can we practice general surgery in India when in my case I am MBBS and I will do MRCS (when I continue to work with the senior surgeon in India)?
Kindly Guide!
Below are the answers to your questions:
I am not able to understand the difference if there is any difference in the process for MBBS and MBBS, MS for registration for MRCS?
There is no difference in the process of registration as the proof which needs to be sent for MRCS Part A exam registration is just a Certified copy of basic medical degree certificate.
After completing all the parts of MRCS exam when will they give General Surgery Diploma .. is it after training or on completion of the test?
MRCS is just a membership which is given once you have cleared both Part A and Part B exams. Though you can use MRCS in your post nominal (eg Dr ABCD MBBS, MS, MRCS), it is not like a conventional diploma or degree. It just indicates that your basic surgical knowledge is good enough to join further surgical training in the UK. In India, we have entrance exams like NEET PG for this, which are a stepping stone for surgical training.
Once you have MRCS, then you can apply for GMC registration. Once you have GMC registration, you are eligible to apply for Non Training posts (Medical Officer) or Training posts for Specialty surgical training (General surgery is considered to be a specialty surgical training).
What is the minimum duration of training for successfully completing MRCS?
MRCS is just a set of 2 exams and they do not require you to produce any proof of surgical training. But practical things which are asked in MRCS Part B exam, can only be possibly answered if you have at least some experience in General surgery, even as a JR.
Once a person gets registered by GMC he/she is eligible to apply in any of the training centers in UK or can the training be done in India?
You are confused I guess. MRCS is given to get a surgical training/ non training post in UK. It is like USMLE which you give to get training/ non training seats in the US except that MRCS is specific for surgical streams.
One we are good to go can we practice general surgery in India when in my case I am MBBS and I will do MRCS (when I continue to work with the senior surgeon in India)
Once you have MRCS, you are just a member of royal college of surgeons and not a fellow, you are not a qualified surgeon. To be a qualified surgeon, you should qualify both steps of MRCS, get a surgical training post in the UK, give exit exam FRCS (General Surgery, Urology, Neurosurgery etc) and only then you will be a qualified surgeon in a particular specialty. So with just a MRCS post MBBS, you will not be allowed to practice surgery in India.
Hope I answered all your questions.
All the best!
Chat regarding MRCS after MBBS
+91 99307 *****: hello
+91 99307 *****: I am a medical graduate from India. looking to appear for mrcs exam
+91 99307 *****: can you please guide me?
World Surgery Forum: What questions do you have?
+91 99307 *****: I completed my MBBS from Maharashtra and have a valid permanent registration. I appeared for neet but I did not score well. I aspire to do a career in surgery.
+91 99307 *****: Can I apply for mrcs after MBBS degree?
+91 99307 *****: Will I need a clinical job on my resume?
World Surgery Forum: 1) Just MRCS without MS General Surgery holds no value
World Surgery Forum: 2) MRCS does not give you license to practice as a general surgeon in India
World Surgery Forum: 3) As such you need just MBBS degree to appear for MRCS, you can apply, no clinical experience is required. But the level of questions tested in MRCS part 1 and Part 2 , needs some exposure in General surgery department to clear these exams easily.
+91 99307 *****: With experience as medical officer in surgery dept is doable?
+91 99307 *****: Can I get into surgical training with only MBBS as qualifying degree if I score well in mrcs?
World Surgery Forum: Yes it is doable.. But why do you want to do MRCS…?
World Surgery Forum: If you want to go to the UK, then it makes sense. But if you want to practice in India without doing a General surgery degree then it does not.
+91 99307 *****: I want to pursue surgery as career and settle in UK in future
+91 99307 *****: No. I don’t want to practice in India
World Surgery Forum: Yeah it will get you a GMC registration after completing MRCS Part A and Part B followed by OET Exam. Then you will be eligible to apply for various training and non training posts in the UK.
World Surgery Forum: In the meantime, join General Surgery department in some good hospital to make your CV stronger. Also coauthor a research paper if you get an opportunity.
+91 99307 *****: Yes. Sure
+91 99307 *****: Do they check for gap year in CV?
World Surgery Forum: It is always better to show some work experience even in some small hospital, or as a primary care physician than showing a gap year… Usually in other countries people don’t waste time in preparation of useless exams like we Indians do 😊
+91 99307 *****: Ohhk. I will try that
World Surgery Forum: 👍
Dev A
Hi Dr. Sandeep.
Would like to ask a question in regards to your last paragraph in this Forum.
I understand, as you write, one can NOT perform surgery/practice Surgery in India after successfully passing both parts of the MRCS exam.
1. Then what is one allowed to do in India ?
2. Will they still have to give the currently enforced MCI-FMGE exam ?
Kindly inform.
Dr Sandeep
MRCS is degree that is meant for presurgical training, that means only after MRCS are you allowed to start your actual operative training and surgical residency. Similarly, just with MRCS you won’t be allowed to operate in India, you should get your training by registering in any form of surgical residency program.
With just an MBBS + MRCS, you are still a general practitioner and will do all things what a general practitioner does.
With MBBS + MS General Surgery residency in India + MRCS, You will be considered an accomplished General Surgeon with a foreign degree (MRCS).
About need for FMGE Exam after MRCS
The post-graduation degrees obtained from English speaking western countries such as the UK, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canda, etc. are recognised by the MCI including the degrees offered by all the Royal colleges, London, Edinburgh and Glasgow. You don’t need to clear FMGE exam but just do the documentation (what we do to register with the MCI) to enter yourself in the MCI’s register.
Dev A
Thank you for the prompt response.
I am an FMG with a M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) degree.
I am currently in the U.K. so will be writing the MRCS exam here itself.
I understand that if I then travel to India, I will need to show the documentation for this to the MCI and can then enter into the MCI register.
1. After the documentation is verified, would I still have to do the 1-year Internship ?
2. What will be the scope of the jobs available to me (with and M.D. + MRCS degree) ?
Hope you can give some insight. Thank you.
Admin
As you can check in the second schedule of the NMC (Previously MCI), M.R.C.S is mentioned as a RECOGNISED MEDICAL QUALIFICATION.
https://www.nmc.org.in/acts-amendments/the-second-schedule-of-imc-act/
I don’t think you would be required to do 1 year internship or write FMGE exam.
As far jobs are concerned you would still be considered a General Practitioner. You would need to clear MS General Surgery residency in India or finish FRCS General Surgery in the UK itself to be considered for jobs as a General Surgeon.
In my view you should do your Surgery residency and FRCS in the UK itself if you can, as you are anyways appearing for MRCS there and will also be getting some work experience there. This will eventually help you in getting a training post easily.
Karthik Jayakumar
Hello Dr. Sandeep
I am currently studying medicine in Poland and going to finish next year and I am confused where should I go further(UK or India).
I am very adamant to pursue my career as a surgeon. I stumbled upon this resourceful forum and was delighted to recieve some answers to the questions I had, but I have a few more questions. Please could you answer these questions and give me some insight?
1. If I do the UK foundation program and take up MRCS, after passing the exam what are the chances of and IMG getting a spot in surgery? Is it very competitive or you do get eventually?
2. If I take up NEET PG and MS, and then MRCS while working for a year or two in India, after passing, will I have a better chance of getting a spot in the UK or Australia?
3. Is there anything else I would need apart from just passing the exam? Am I missing something?
4. Out of these two pathways, which one is the best way? Not talking about easy but more worthy and probable.
Thank you so much in advance.
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Admin
Thanks for your comment. Kartik. Here are the answers to your questions:
Attaining a Royal College qualification (MRCS) is a preferred path for doctors like you who have already chosen their field of specialization i.e. surgery.
Getting into a surgery residency or training post is competitive but not unachievable and certainly within reach.
In the past, the surgical pathway was almost closed to IMGs unless you found a way to work around the immigration rules. However, as of October 2019, immigration laws have changed in a way that meant that UK graduates are no longer prioritized for training posts.
This means that IMGs will be considered equally alongside UK graduates, and the only determining factor of success is the application score.
To get an idea of the competetion, as per the available stats:
– For Core Surgery, there are approximately 630 vacancies throughout the UK each year and around 1,800 applicants.
-At ST3 level, there are around 200 jobs nationwide each year and approximately 400 applicants.
-Upto 9% of the training jobs in Orthopaedics are taken up by IMGs.
Getting into the UK system right from foundation training will give you a competitive edge over other IMGs from India who will finish NEET PG and MS and then clear MRCS. As Indian exams are majorly fact based as compared to the UK exams which are majorly skill based.
Ref:
https://thesavvyimg.co.uk/general-surgery-guide-uk/
ASEEM MAHAVIR
Hello WorldSurgeryForum,
In one oF your comments under the BloG- MRCS AFTER MBBS, you Wrote that “Usually in other countries people don’t waste time in preparation of useless exams like we Indians do 😊”
With all the regards, What diD you mean by this Sir? DiD you mean
MRCS is not Worth it? Or
MRCS after MBBS is not Worth it? Or
Why the Hell Indians are looKinG for a useless exam liKe MRCS?
Or AnY other thinG 😁
Admin
Aseem,
This statement is in context of Indian exams which solely rely on memorization of facts without due consideration to clinical application and doctors in India tend to waste 1-3 years of preparation without doing any fruitful clinical work, just to clear these exams.
MRCS on the other hand gives more importance to clinical application and skills.