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Medical Training Initiative - MTI

The Medical Training Initiative (MTI) was launched by the Department of Health in 2009. It is designed to allow international medical graduates to come to the UK to undertake clinical training in the NHS for a maximum of 24 months before returning to their home country, providing they have the support of the relevant medical Royal College.

As part of the scheme, The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) will act as the ‘professional sponsor’ for medical graduates, through the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC).

The Royal College of Pathologists do not hold a list of UK sponsors or acceptable training posts for the MTI Scheme. Most Training positions are offered as direct placements. IMGs wishing to pursue training in the UK will need to secure their own approved MTI posts within the NHS.

What posts are available? 

We offer sponsorship to trainees in the following specialties;

The Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB) oversees training in immunology. Further information on their MTI scheme can be found on the Royal College of Physicians website. 

Very few placements on the MTI Scheme are paid. Funding should be be organised by the trainee for the unpaid MTI scheme placements from an official source e.g. home institution, government, scholarship etc. The funding should be above the UK national minimum wage. 

What kind of visa will I be entitled to?

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) – the overarching visa sponsor for the initiative – is responsible for issuing the Tier 5 Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). This enables an applicant to apply for their Tier 5 visa, which is issued for a maximum two year period. The certificate of sponsorship will only be issued if the application is supported by RCPath. 

Please also note that the Home Office will never call applicants and ask for verification or information regarding their visa status. Furthermore, applicants will never be required to pay the Home Office outside of visa application fees, which are paid for through the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) website. Applicants will never be asked to transfer money into a bank account by the Home Office or UKVI.

There is a section on the UKVI website titled Fraud, tricks and scams: guidance. Please take care not to share the details of your visa with anyone outside of your Trust, College, and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.

Pre-registration verification of qualifications

All applicants seeking registration with a licence to practise will have their primary medical qualification independently verified before being granted registration, if they:

  • qualified at a medical school outside of the UK, EEA or Switzerland OR
  • are a national of a country outside the UK, EEA or Switzerland who graduated from a medical school outside the UK AND
  • do not already hold provisional registration with a licence to practice.

Verification will be carried out by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) through their online system, Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC) service. Please visit the GMC website for detailed information on the process. 

Fees

Below outlines how the fees for the MTI scheme will need to be paid:

  • £50 administration fee payable upon submission of application (non-refundable).
  • £300 MTI application fee, payment immediately prior to GMC registration.

How do I apply?

If you wish to apply, you need to complete the MTI application form below and email the documents listed in the MTI Supporting Documentation list to [email protected]. Please do not send any physical documents to the College.

Medical Training Initiative (MTI) Application Form

MTI Supporting Documentation List

All evidence must be submitted to the College within one week of completing the online application form. Applications submitted without all of the above will automatically be rejected.

Please note that applications that are submitted incomplete will be automatically rejected and that any applications submitted without the IELTS or OET test results will not be assessed. Applications will not be processed until the payment of a non-refundable administration fee is received by the College.
Applicants should remain in full-time (active) medical practice in their home country until the College has approved your application and instructed you to start your GMC registration. Failure to remain in full-time medical practice could result in your application being rejected. 

Supporting Resources