Medical Training Initiative
What is the MTI Scheme?
The Medical Training Initiative (MTI) is designed to enable a
small number of International Medical and Dental Graduates to enter
the UK to experience training in the NHS for up to two years before
returning to their home country. Under the scheme, training
capacity not required for planned UK/EEA training numbers is made
available for overseas doctors and dentists who meet the required
eligibility criteria. The paid posts are approved by Deaneries/LETB
and the Academy
of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) acts as the UK Sponsor to
enable participants to apply for a Tier 5
visa with the UK Borders Agency.
How does it work?
On receipt of a complete application from a doctor, the RCPsych
will send an acknowledgement. The application will then be
processed and all those candidates that meet the requirements will
be invited to an interview via video link at a predetermined date
in either February or March. Successful candidates will be offered
a post in an NHS Trust that has a suitable vacancy. Applicants are
sponsored by the RCPsych to register with the
General Medical Council (GMC). Once registered with the
GMC, applicants can apply for a Tier 5 working visa valid
for up to 24 months. Applicants will take up their posts in
August.
The MTI scheme is intended for doctors from low and middle
income countries and priority is given to applicants accordingly.
Applicants from other countries may not be granted sponsorship for
a Tier 5 visa due to the
AoMRC prioritising system.
The flowchart below outlines the various steps involved in this
process:
How do I apply as a Doctor?
Entry Criteria for Doctors
-
Must hold a primary medical qualification
recognised by the UK General Medical Council from an
internationally accepted medical
institution.
-
Have completed an
acceptable internship (or equivalent) of not less than 12
months following undergraduate training.
-
Have at least three years’ experience working in Psychiatry in
the last five years, including the last 12 months.
-
Have completed the IELTS
(International English Language Testing System) Academic Test
within the last 18 months and achieved a minimum overall score
of 7.5 (and at least 7.0 in each category) OR
have achieved a grade B in each testing area of the medical version
of the Occupational
English Test (OET)
-
Have been engaged in at least 2 years of full-time clinical
practice, including the last 12 months.
-
Be resident overseas at time of application and have no rights
of residence in the UK/EU/EEA/Switzerland.
-
Obtained, or are working towards, a postgraduate qualification
in psychiatry.
-
Have not previously made any unsuccessful attempts to register
with the GMC (e.g. PLAB test) within the previous 12 months up to
the point of the application deadline, or exceeded the
GMC’s limit
on unsuccessful attempts at the PLAB test.
Application Documents for Doctors
*Applications for
doctors for the 2018 RCPsych MTI scheme are now closed. If you
would like to be notified when the next application round opens
then please email the MTI team*
Below is a list of all
the documents required. All documents should be clearly named and
saved in
.doc/.docx/.pdf
or standard image formats. Documents should
be saved using the document title and your name. Unfortunately
we are unable to accept any documents stored in cloud storage
services such as Google Drive etc. Emails should contain the
applicant’s full name in the subject field. Please do not send
any additional documentation. Forms should be completed
with applicants' full names as they appear in their passport.
- Section A1 - to be completed by hand then
scanned
- Section A2 - to be completed either digitally
or by hand
- Section B1 - to be completed by referee then
submitted by applicant
- Section B2 - to be completed by referee then
submitted by applicant
- Section B3 - to be completed by referee then
submitted by applicant
- Letter of support from Current
Employer/Institution
- Letter of support from National Psychiatric Association
(or from International Division Chair, if you do not have
a National Psychiatric Association) (template
available)
- Copy of IELTS Academic Test Result Certificate
or OET certificate
- Copy of Primary Medical Qualification
Certificate
- Copy of Postgraduate Medical Qualification Certificate
OR evidence of current postgraduate training
How do I apply as a Trust?
*Applications for Trusts for the 2018 RCPsych MTI scheme
are now closed. If you would like to be notified when the next
application round opens then please email the MTI
team*
Trusts wishing to employ an RCPsych International Fellow from
August 2018 should refer to the RCPsych MTI
Guidance Document for Trusts and then complete the Trust Post
Submission Form and email to mti@rcpsych.ac.uk.
If you have any questions, please email mti@rcpsych.ac.uk.
For each doctor that is successfully matched with a post, the
Trust will be required to pay an administrative fee of £750 to
RCPsych.
Post Specification for Trusts
Only vacant CT3 posts in your Trust can be filled by an
MTI Doctor. Vacant posts must be authorised for use by MTI
International Fellows by the appropriate Deanery/LETB.
The RCPsych recruits MTI candidates and ensures that they have
met the standards set out above. Trusts are not required to sponsor
any visa applications as this is taken care of by the national
scheme sponsor - the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC). The
Medical Training Initiative is a government authorised exchange
operated under Tier 5 of the Points Based System.
The MTI application process involves the applicant, the RCPsych,
the GMC, the Trust and the Deanery as well as the AoMRC and UK Visa
& Immigration - it can take several months to secure a
position, and approximately 3 months for a Doctor to complete the
necessary registrations from the point at which Trusts submit their
signed agreements to RCPsych.
MTI International Fellows should be offered an NHS induction, a
Trust induction and a departmental induction. They should also have
access to the same training opportunities as other trainees in the
department. As the Medical Training Initiative is a training scheme
International Fellows on the MTI Programme cannot fill service
posts.
MTI International Fellows should engage in the revalidation
process, even if their date for revalidation never comes up whilst
they are working in the UK. Therefore they need to link to a
Responsible Officer, engage in an annual appraisal process and
collect supporting information exactly as any other doctor should.
The designated body should be their Trust.
How much does it cost?
MTI Fee for Doctors
MTI International Fellows are required to pay RCPsych an
administrative fee. Please see the RCPsych
MTI banding fees.
Associated Costs for Doctors
MTI Fee for Trusts
Trusts are required to pay RCPsych an administrative fee of £750
for each post that is matched successfully with an MTI
International Fellow.
What else do I need to know?
Useful Documents / Links
Further Information
If any
further information is required please contact Prof. Mohammed
Al-Uzri, Specialist Advisor for MTI and/or Elen Cook International
Liaison Manager at mti@rcpsych.ac.uk / +44
(0)203 701 2584 or +44 (0)203 701 2576.
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