Hello,

You won't commission until you attend the commissioning course after FY2, so I'm afraid FY1&2 won't count towards the 4 year return of service.

01 December, 2023 18:00

Thank you for the quick response. I read that you begin the commissioning course after you obtain full registration with the GMC, wouldn't this be after F1?

05 December, 2023 11:47

Although you get full registration after FY1, you need to finish the foundation programme before undertaking the commissioning course, so that once you've completed it you can work as a GDMO. Usually all the direct entrants and bursars start together on the SCC that runs over Oct/Nov/Dec.

05 December, 2023 11:54

Thank you for your quick responses. What would be the equivalent of a GDMO (in terms of duties carried out) in the civilian world? Are you able to specialise immediately after F2 as a GDMO?

05 December, 2023 12:49

The equivalent of a GDMO I would say is that of GP. Applications for speciality training would come at the end of your two year GDMO posting.

15 December, 2023 12:46

I'm going to add a little to Josh's post - A GDMO is similar to a GPST1/FY3, so post FY2, doing structured training including ARCP, but the difference being there's no formal civilian qualification gained.

GDMOs are supervised by GPs, either directly or remotely depending on the environment you are in - you could be in a military medical centre in the UK, or in the middle of a jungle abroad.

GDMOs will do a combination of primary healthcare, occupational medicine and pre hospital emergency care.

After FY2 you attend the commissioning course for a few months, and then traditionally it would have been straight into a post grad medical course to learn how to be a GDMO, this would take around 5 months to complete, although it's being updated currently so you may complete smaller chunks of the course around periods working in a medical centre so you can consolidate your knowledge. This all takes about a year to complete, then you have two years as a GDMO (so time from end of FY2 to specialty training is 3 years).

To be an Army GP you would then need to complete 3 years of specialty training, the same as your NHS colleagues.

15 December, 2023 13:28