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Clinical attachment guidelines for international medical graduates

August 2006

These guidelines are for those involved in organising and supervising clinical attachments and international medical graduates (IMGs) For the purposes of these guidelines IMGs encompasses all international medical graduates whatever their reason for wishing to practise medicine in the UK. Some sections may be more relevant to specific groups, for example refugee doctors.. While some sections will be of greater relevance to particular groups the general content will be useful for mentors, careers advisors, postgraduate deans and tutors, the Royal Colleges, medical staffing departments and others likely to come into contact with IMGs. They have been written in collaboration with individuals/organisations providing services to refugee doctors. Feedback from the users of these guidelines is invaluable and will be welcomed.

What is a clinical attachment?
For the purposes of these guidelines a clinical attachment is defined as a period of time when a doctor is attached to a clinical unit, with a named supervisor, with the broad aims of gaining an appreciation of the nature of clinical practice in the UK and of observing the role of doctors and other health care professionals in the National Health Service (NHS). This includes learning about the legal, ethical and cultural context of medical practice as outlined in the General Medical Council’s (GMC) booklet “Duties of a Doctor.”