Medical education in the UK is wide and diverse. On average, undergraduate courses last between 4 – 6 years, after which students have to undergo an additional 2 years of Foundation studies, before choosing a specialty, which, in Obstetrics & Gynaecology, lasts 7 years.
To find out more about UK based universities offering medical degrees at Bachelors level, please contact the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) A list of links to UK Medical Schools and their O&G departments is available here.
Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) was set up to ensure that all doctors undergoing training during their Foundation years followed a structured programme of study and practical experience before progressing on to specialist training. To find out more about the 2 year Foundation programmes, please visit the NHS's Modernising Medical Careers website.
Upon successful completion of the Foundation programme, doctors then have the option to undertake further study in a field of medicine, in order to develop the intermediate and advanced competencies and skills required to practice in their chosen discipline.
The RCOG works closely with the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) to promote medical education, develop standards and curricula and deliver specialty training. For more information about PMETB, please visit their website.
Medical students who want to become obstetricians or gynaecologists must first complete the Parts 1 and 2 of the MRCOG, the qualifying exams in O&G. To view the structure of specialist education and training, please click here.
More information about specialist training provided by the RCOG and at the respective Deaneries and teaching hospitals is available in the Education & Exams webpages.