Psychiatry careers in Scotland: A guide for IMGs

A supportive environment for professional growth

When planning your career path in NHS Scotland, you’ll find a range of opportunities to match your career goals:

• Enter a structured postgraduate training programme—Start your formal medical education. Discover more about postgraduate medical training in Scotland.
• Achieve specialist recognition—Work towards achieving specialist status through the Portfolio pathway. Find out more about the General Medical Council (GMC) Portfolio pathway.
• Apply for a non-training post—Gain valuable experience and work in a role outside of the formal postgraduate training pathway. Learn more about specialty and specialist (SAS) doctor opportunities in psychiatry.

Scotland offers a supportive environment for your professional growth, regardless of your chosen route. Find out more on our International recruitment hub

Essential first step: GMC registration

GMC registration is mandatory before you can work or train as a doctor in the UK. They are the regulatory organisation for doctors in the UK. Registration with the GMC confirms you meet the required competence, knowledge, and fitness standards to practise.

Routes to full GMC registration with a licence to practise:

• Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) test—A 2-part exam assessing clinical knowledge and skills for doctors who qualified outside the UK/EEA.
• Acceptable postgraduate qualification—Holding accepted postgraduate qualifications may exempt you from the PLAB test.
• Sponsorship—Specific sponsorship routes often for recognised training programmes or the Medical Training Initiative (MTI).
• MTI—A visa scheme allowing international doctors to do short-term training in the UK.

Always refer to the GMC website for the most up-to-date information on registration requirements and pathways for IMGs.

Discover help and advice for IMGs on the GMC website.

Entering structured medical training in Scotland

You can become a consultant psychiatrist by following the postgraduate training pathway. Your goal is to secure a place on a psychiatry specialty training programme. Competition for places is competitive and involves a national recruitment process.

Discover more about postgraduate medical training in Scotland.

Psychiatry training pathway options:

• Foundation programme for IMGs—While aimed at UK medical graduates, IMGs who meet the eligibility criteria may be able to apply for foundation year 1 (FY1). If you’ve already completed an internship year, you could apply for a foundation year 2 (FY2) standalone post. Check out A guide to IMG applications for specialty training in the UK by the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
• Core psychiatry training—You can apply for core psychiatry training if one of the following is confirmed:
  
  • You’ve completed the foundation programme.
  • Your previous experience and qualifications have been assessed and accepted by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
• Higher psychiatry training—You may be able to apply directly to higher psychiatry training depending on your previous experience and qualifications.

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is responsible for medical training programmes in Scotland. You can learn more about the support for IMGs on the Scotland Deanery website.

Achieve specialist recognition via the Portfolio pathway

Are you an experienced IMG who hasn’t completed a GMC-approved postgraduate training programme? The GMC Portfolio pathway offers a route to specialist recognition.

The Portfolio pathway allows you to submit a portfolio of evidence. It’s your opportunity to demonstrate that your overseas training is equivalent to the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) in psychiatry.

NES and the Royal College of Psychiatry (RCPsych) support IMGs who choose the Portfolio pathway option.

Resources include:

• workshops
• mentorship
• portfolio advice

Completing the Portfolio pathway means you can be entered onto the GMC specialist register. You can then apply for substantive consultant psychiatrist posts.

Find out more about the GMC Portfolio pathway.

Working in NHS Scotland in a non-training post

As an IMG, you may choose to begin your NHS Scotland career journey by working in a non-training post. These roles are invaluable for gaining experience within the Scottish healthcare system, including:

• becoming familiar with clinical psychiatry practices
• building your professional network

These posts also provide a salary, helping you to settle in Scotland.

Common non-training roles include:

• Specialty and specialist doctors in psychiatry—These roles offer significant clinical responsibility and opportunities for development within psychiatry. Learn more about SAS doctor support.
• Locum doctors—These are flexible, short-term contracts to cover rota gaps. They offer varied experiences across different health and social care settings, geography, and patient groups.

These roles are excellent opportunities to:

• gain experience in the Scottish health and social care system
• enhance your CV
• secure a psychiatry role while you think about your long-term career goal, including:
  
  • entry to a structured postgraduate training programme
  • applying for the Portfolio pathway

Find out more about becoming a SAS doctor in psychiatry.