Tomorrows Doctors

Tomorrow’s Doctors
Outcomes and standards for

undergraduate medical education
The duties of a doctor registered with

the General Medical Council
Patients must be able to trust doctors with their lives and health. To justify that
trust you must show respect for human life and make sure your practice meets the
standards expected of you in four domains.
Knowledge, skills and performance
n Make the care of your patient your first concern.
n Provide a good standard of practice and care.
l Keep your professional knowledge and skills up to date.

l Recognise and work within the limits of your competence.
Safety and quality
n Take prompt action if you think that patient safety, dignity or comfort is being
compromised.
n Protect and promote the health of patients and the public.
Communication, partnership and teamwork

n Treat patients as individuals and respect their dignity.
l Treat patients politely and considerately.

l Respect patients’ right to confidentiality.
n Work in partnership with patients.
l Listen to, and respond to, their concerns and preferences.

l Give patients the information they want or need in a way they can understand.
l Respect patients’ right to reach decisions with you about their treatment
and care.
l Support patients in caring for themselves to improve and maintain their health.
n Work with colleagues in the ways that best serve patients’ interests.
Maintaining trust
n Be honest and open and act with integrity.
n Never discriminate unfairly against patients or colleagues.
n Never abuse your patients’ trust in you or the public’s trust in the profession.
You are personally accountable for your professional practice and must always be
prepared to justify your decisions and actions.
Published September 2009
General Medical Council | 01

Contents
Paragraph(s) Page
Foreword 4
Introduction 1–6 8
Outcomes for graduates 7–23 14
Overarching outcome for graduates 7 14
Outcomes 1 – The doctor as a scholar
and a scientist 8–12 14
Outcomes 2 – The doctor as a practitioner 13–19 19
Outcomes 3 – The doctor as a professional 20–23 25
Standards for the delivery of teaching,
learning and assessment 24–174 30
Domain 1 – Patient safety 26–37 31
Domain 2 – Quality assurance, review
and evaluation 38–55 36
Domain 3 – Equality, diversity
and opportunity 56–70 41
Domain 4 – Student selection 71–80 45
Domain 5 – Design and delivery of
the curriculum, including assessment 81–121 47
Domain 6 – Support and development of
students, teachers and the local faculty 122–149 61
Domain 7 – Management of teaching,
learning and assessment 150–158 70
Domain 8 – Educational resources
and capacity 159–167 72
Domain 9 – Outcomes 168–174 75
02 | General Medical Council

Page
Appendix 1 – Practical procedures for graduates 77

Diagnostic procedures 77
Therapeutic procedures 79
General aspects of practical procedures 81
Appendix 2 – What the law says about
undergraduate education 82
UK law 82
European Union law 83
Appendix 3 – Related documents 85
Undergraduate medical education: Outcomes 85
Undergraduate medical education: Delivery 87
Postgraduate medical training 90
Medical education and training: all stages 91
Medical practice 91
Higher education 93
Appendix 4 – Glossary 94
Endnotes 97
Index 98

Foreword
Doctors must be capable of regularly taking responsibility See Appendix 3,

Related
for difficult decisions in situations of clinical complexity documents: 62
and uncertainty.
Medical schools equip medical students with the scientific

background and technical skills they need for practice. But,
just as importantly, they must enable new graduates to both
understand and commit to high personal and professional
values. Medicine involves personal interaction with people, as
well as the application of science and technical skills.
In Good medical practice the GMC states: See GMC,

Good medical
‘Good doctors make the care of their patients their first concern:
practice,
they are competent, keep their knowledge and skills up to date, paragraph 1
establish and maintain good relationships with patients and
colleagues, are honest and trustworthy, and act with integrity
and within the law.’
Putting patients first involves working with them as partners in

their own care and making their safety paramount. It involves
dedication to continuing improvement, both in the doctor’s
individual practice and in the organisation and environment in
which they work.
It is not enough for a clinician to act as a practitioner in their

own discipline. They must act as partners to their colleagues,
accepting shared accountability for the service provided to
patients. They are also expected to offer leadership, and to
work with others to change systems when it is necessary for
the benefit of patients.1

In Tomorrow’s Doctors, we cover these themes under three

headings, relating to the doctor as a scientist and a scholar, as
a practitioner, and as a professional. These categories cover the
development of the knowledge, skills and behaviour students
must demonstrate by the time they graduate. However, the
categories and the specific outcomes should not be considered
in isolation from each other. Doctors need to link them routinely
in clinical practice.
Graduation is an early threshold in doctors’ careers. New See Appendix 3,

Related
graduates cannot be expected to have the clinical experience, documents: 39
specialist expertise or leadership skills of a consultant or GP.
But they must be able to demonstrate all the outcomes in
Tomorrow’s Doctors in order to be properly prepared for clinical
practice and the Foundation Programme. The Foundation
Programme builds on undergraduate education, allowing
new doctors to demonstrate performance in the workplace.
It includes a range of clinical experience which often involves
caring for acutely ill patients.
The outcomes set out what the GMC expects medical schools
to deliver and what the employers of new graduates can expect
to receive although medical schools are free to require their
graduates to demonstrate additional competences. These
outcomes mark the end of the first stage of a continuum of
medical learning that runs from the first day at medical school
and continues until the doctor’s retirement from clinical practice.

Professional regulation has changed dramatically since the See GMC,

Good medical
first edition of Tomorrow’s Doctors was published in 1993. The practice
GMC has published Good medical practice and other guidance
which sets out the positive standards expected of good doctors
in the new world of partnership with patients and colleagues.
Registration and fitness to practise procedures have been
transformed. Licensing and revalidation will also support
regulation, professional values and lifelong learning.
For this edition, among a number of important changes, we have

responded specifically to concerns about scientific education,
clinical skills, partnership with patients and colleagues, and
commitment to improving healthcare and providing leadership.
We have also set out standards for the delivery of medical
education with a new emphasis on equality and diversity,
involving employers and patients, the professional development
of teaching staff, and ensuring that students derive maximum
benefit from their clinical placements.
We realise that meeting these outcomes and standards will be

challenging. There are implications for resources and priorities
both for medical schools and for the health service. But the
benefit will be a further enhancement of the knowledge, skills
and behaviour which new graduates will bring to their practice.

Today’s undergraduates – tomorrow’s doctors – will see See GMC,

Good medical
huge changes in medical practice. There will be continuing practice
developments in biomedical sciences and clinical practice, new
health priorities, rising expectations among patients and the
public, and changing societal attitudes. Basic knowledge and
skills, while fundamentally important, will not be enough on
their own. Medical students must be inspired to learn about
medicine in all its aspects so as to serve patients and become
the doctors of the future. With that perspective and
commitment, allied to the specific knowledge, skills and
behaviours set out in Tomorrow’s Doctors and Good medical
practice, they will be well placed to provide and to improve
the health and care of patients, as scholars and scientists,
practitioners and professionals.
Professor Peter Rubin

Chair – General Medical Council

Introduction
1 The GMC, the medical schools, the NHS, doctors and

students all have different and complementary roles in
medical education.
2 The GMC is responsible for:
a Protecting, promoting and maintaining the health and

safety of the public.
b Promoting high standards of medical education.
c Deciding on the knowledge, skills and behaviours
required of graduates.
d Setting the standard of expertise that students need
to achieve at qualifying examinations or assessments.
e Making sure that:
i. the teaching and learning opportunities provided
allow students to meet our requirements
ii. the standard of expertise we have set is
maintained by medical schools at qualifying
examinations.
f Appointing inspectors of qualifying examinations and
assessments to report on the standard of examinations
and assessments, and on the quality of teaching and
learning.
g Appointing visitors to medical schools and proposed
medical schools, to report on the quality of teaching
and learning.

h Recognising, continuing to recognise or no longer

recognising individual UK primary medical
qualifications (PMQs), in the light of the outcome of
quality assurance activities.
i Maintaining a list of bodies that, having satisfactorily
demonstrated that they meet our requirements, are
entitled to award PMQs.
j Removing bodies which have failed to meet our
requirements from the list of those that are entitled to
award PMQs.
k Considering applications under Section 10A(2)(f) of the
Medical Act 1983 for arrangements for a person with a
disability not to be disadvantaged unfairly by the
disability when participating in a programme for
provisionally registered doctors.
l From the introduction of the licence to practise,
granting graduates provisional registration with a
licence to practise, subject to their fitness to practise
not being impaired.

Continuing professional development: guidance for all doctors
3 Medical schools are responsible for:
a Protecting patients and taking appropriate steps to

minimise any risk of harm to anyone as a result of the
training of their medical students.
b Managing and enhancing the quality of their medical
education programmes.
c Delivering medical education in accordance with
principles of equality.
d Selecting students for admission.
e Providing a curriculum and associated assessments
that meet:
i. the standards and outcomes in Tomorrow’s Doctors
ii. the requirements of the EU Medical Directive.
f Providing academic and general support to students.
g Providing support and training to people who teach
and supervise students.
h Providing appropriate student fitness to practise
arrangements.
i Ensuring that only students who demonstrate the
outcomes set out in Tomorrow’s Doctors are permitted
to graduate.
j Managing the curriculum and ensuring that appropriate
education facilities are provided in the medical school
and by other education providers.2

4 NHS organisations3 are responsible for:
a Making available the facilities, staff and practical

support needed to deliver the clinical parts of the
curriculum.
b Ensuring that performance of teaching responsibilities
is subject to appraisal.
c Including, when appropriate, a contractual requirement
for doctors to carry out teaching.
d Releasing doctors and other staff to complete the
training needed to be teachers, and to take part in
professional development and quality assurance
activities.
e Taking part in the management and development of
the clinical education they carry out.
f Supporting medical schools in complying with
Tomorrow’s Doctors.
g Providing quality-control information to the medical
school about their education provision.

5 Doctors are responsible for:
a Following the principles of professional practice that 5a See GMC,

Good medical
are set out in Good medical practice, including being practice
willing to contribute to the education of students.
b Developing the skills and practices of a competent
5b See GMC,
teacher if they are involved in teaching.
Good medical
c Supervising the students for whom they are practice,
responsible, to support their learning and ensure paragraphs
39–43;
patient safety. Appendix 3,
d Providing objective, honest and timely assessments of Related
the students they are asked to appraise or assess. documents:
45
e Providing feedback on students’ performance.
f Meeting contractual requirements, including any that
relate to teaching.

6 Students are responsible for:
a Their own learning, including achieving all the

outcomes set out in Tomorrow’s Doctors, whatever
their personal preferences or religious beliefs.
b Ensuring patient safety by working within the limits of
their competence, training and status as medical
students.
c Raising any concerns about patient safety, or any 6c See GMC,
Good medical
aspect of the conduct of others which is inconsistent practice,
with good professional practice. paragraphs
24–27; GMC,
d Providing evaluations of their education for quality
Raising concerns
management purposes. about patient
e Keeping to the guidance Medical students: professional safety
values and fitness to practise developed by the GMC
6e See GMC
and the Medical Schools Council. and Medical
Schools Council,
Medical
students:
professional
values and
fitness to
practise

Outcomes for graduates
Overarching outcome for graduates
7 Medical students are tomorrow’s doctors. In accordance 7 See GMC,

Good medical
with Good medical practice, graduates will make the care of
practice, ‘duties
patients their first concern, applying their knowledge and of a doctor’
skills in a competent and ethical manner and using their (also inside
front cover of
ability to provide leadership and to analyse complex and Tomorrow’s
uncertain situations. Doctors)
Outcomes 1 − The doctor as a scholar

and a scientist
8 The graduate will be able to apply to medical practice 8 See

Appendix 3,
biomedical scientific principles, method and knowledge
Related
relating to: anatomy, biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, documents:
immunology, microbiology, molecular biology, nutrition, 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 13
pathology, pharmacology and physiology. The graduate
will be able to:
a Explain normal human structure and functions.

b Explain the scientific bases for common disease
presentations.
c Justify the selection of appropriate investigations for
common clinical cases.
d Explain the fundamental principles underlying such
investigative techniques.
e Select appropriate forms of management for common
diseases, and ways of preventing common diseases,
and explain their modes of action and their risks from
first principles.

f Demonstrate knowledge of drug actions: therapeutics 8f See

Appendix 3,
and pharmacokinetics; drug side effects and Related
interactions, including for multiple treatments, documents:
long term conditions and non-prescribed medication; 10, 11
and also including effects on the population, such as

the spread of antibiotic resistance.
g Make accurate observations of clinical phenomena and
appropriate critical analysis of clinical data.
9 Apply psychological principles, method and knowledge to 9 See

Appendix 3,
medical practice.
Related
a Explain normal human behaviour at an individual level. documents:
b Discuss psychological concepts of health, illness and 4, 14
disease.
c Apply theoretical frameworks of psychology to explain
the varied responses of individuals, groups and societies
to disease.
d Explain psychological factors that contribute to illness,
the course of the disease and the success of treatment.
e Discuss psychological aspects of behavioural change
and treatment compliance.
f Discuss adaptation to major life changes, such as
bereavement; comparing and contrasting the abnormal
adjustments that might occur in these situations.
g Identify appropriate strategies for managing patients 9g See
Appendix 3,
with dependence issues and other demonstrations of Related
self-harm. documents: 8

10 Apply social science principles, method and knowledge to

medical practice.
a Explain normal human behaviour at a societal level.

b Discuss sociological concepts of health, illness and
disease.
c Apply theoretical frameworks of sociology to explain
the varied responses of individuals, groups and
societies to disease.
d Explain sociological factors that contribute to illness,
the course of the disease and the success of treatment
− including issues relating to health inequalities, the
links between occupation and health and the effects
of poverty and affluence.
e Discuss sociological aspects of behavioural change and
treatment compliance.

11 Apply to medical practice the principles, method and 11 See

Appendix 3,
knowledge of population health and the improvement of Related
health and healthcare. documents:
5, 12, 63
a Discuss basic principles of health improvement,

11a See
including the wider determinants of health, health Appendix 3,
inequalities, health risks and disease surveillance. Related
b Assess how health behaviours and outcomes are documents:
43, 44
affected by the diversity of the patient population.
c Describe measurement methods relevant to the
improvement of clinical effectiveness and care.
d Discuss the principles underlying the development of
health and health service policy, including issues relating
to health economics and equity, and clinical guidelines.
e Explain and apply the basic principles of communicable
disease control in hospital and community settings.
f Evaluate and apply epidemiological data in managing
healthcare for the individual and the community.
g Recognise the role of environmental and occupational
hazards in ill-health and discuss ways to mitigate their
effects.
h Discuss the role of nutrition in health.
i Discuss the principles and application of primary,
secondary and tertiary prevention of disease.4
j Discuss from a global perspective the determinants of
health and disease and variations in healthcare delivery
and medical practice.

12 Apply scientific method and approaches to medical 12 See

GMC, Good
research. practice in
research and
a Critically appraise the results of relevant diagnostic, Consent to
research
prognostic and treatment trials and other qualitative
and quantitative studies as reported in the medical and
scientific literature.
b Formulate simple relevant research questions in
biomedical science, psychosocial science or population
science, and design appropriate studies or experiments
to address the questions.
c Apply findings from the literature to answer questions
raised by specific clinical problems.
d Understand the ethical and governance issues involved
in medical research.

Outcomes 2 − The doctor as a practitioner
13 The graduate will be able to carry out a consultation with 13 See

Appendix 3,
a patient:
Related
documents: 6
a Take and record a patient’s medical history, including
family and social history, talking to relatives or other
carers where appropriate.
b Elicit patients’ questions, their understanding of their
condition and treatment options, and their views,
concerns, values and preferences.
c Perform a full physical examination.
d Perform a mental-state examination.
e Assess a patient’s capacity to make a particular 13e See GMC,
Consent:
decision in accordance with legal requirements and
patients and
the GMC’s guidance. doctors making
f Determine the extent to which patients want to be decision
together,
involved in decision-making about their care and paragraphs
treatment. 71–74
g Provide explanation, advice, reassurance and support.

14 Diagnose and manage clinical presentations. 14 See

Appendix 3,
Related
a Interpret findings from the history, physical documents: 12
examination and mental-state examination,
appreciating the importance of clinical, psychological,
spiritual, religious, social and cultural factors.
b Make an initial assessment of a patient’s problems and
a differential diagnosis. Understand the processes by
which doctors make and test a differential diagnosis.
c Formulate a plan of investigation in partnership with
the patient, obtaining informed consent as an essential
part of this process.
d Interpret the results of investigations, including growth
charts, x-rays and the results of the diagnostic
procedures in Appendix 1.
e Synthesise a full assessment of the patient’s problems
and define the likely diagnosis or diagnoses.
f Make clinical judgements and decisions, based on the
available evidence, in conjunction with colleagues
and as appropriate for the graduate’s level of training
and experience. This may include situations of
uncertainty.
g Formulate a plan for treatment, management and
discharge, according to established principles and best
evidence, in partnership with the patient, their carers,
and other health professionals as appropriate. Respond
to patients’ concerns and preferences, obtain informed
consent, and respect the rights of patients to reach
decisions with their doctor about their treatment and
care and to refuse or limit treatment.

h Support patients in caring for themselves.

i Identify the signs that suggest children or other
vulnerable people may be suffering from abuse or
neglect and know what action to take to safeguard
their welfare.
j Contribute to the care of patients and their families at 14j See GMC,
Treatment and
the end of life, including management of symptoms, care towards
practical issues of law and certification, and effective the end of life:
communication and teamworking. good practice in
decision making
15 Communicate effectively with patients and colleagues in a 15 See GMC,

medical context. Good medical
practice,
paragraphs
a Communicate clearly, sensitively and effectively with 31–34, 44;
patients, their relatives or other carers, and colleagues Appendix
from the medical and other professions, by listening, 3, Related
documents: 6,
sharing and responding. 31, 42, 46, 47
b Communicate clearly, sensitively and effectively with
individuals and groups regardless of their age, social,
cultural or ethnic backgrounds or their disabilities,
including when English is not the patient’s first
language.
c Communicate by spoken, written and electronic
methods (including medical records), and be aware of
other methods of communication used by patients.
The graduate should appreciate the significance of
non-verbal communication in the medical consultation.

d Communicate appropriately in difficult circumstances,

such as when breaking bad news, and when discussing
sensitive issues, such as alcohol consumption, smoking
or obesity.
e Communicate appropriately with difficult or violent
patients.
f Communicate appropriately with people with mental
illness.
g Communicate appropriately with vulnerable patients.
h Communicate effectively in various roles, for example,
as patient advocate, teacher, manager or improvement
leader.
16 Provide immediate care in medical emergencies.
a Assess and recognise the severity of a clinical

presentation and a need for immediate emergency care.
b Diagnose and manage acute medical emergencies.
c Provide basic first aid.
d Provide immediate life support.
e Provide cardio-pulmonary resuscitation or direct other
team members to carry out resuscitation.

17 Prescribe drugs safely, effectively and economically. 17 See GMC,

Good practice
in prescribing
a Establish an accurate drug history, covering both medicines;
prescribed and other medication. Appendix 3,
Related
b Plan appropriate drug therapy for common indications, documents:
including pain and distress. 7, 10, 11
c Provide a safe and legal prescription.
d Calculate appropriate drug doses and record the
outcome accurately.
e Provide patients with appropriate information about
their medicines.
f Access reliable information about medicines.
g Detect and report adverse drug reactions.
h Demonstrate awareness that many patients use
complementary and alternative therapies, and
awareness of the existence and range of these
therapies, why patients use them, and how this might
affect other types of treatment that patients are
receiving.
18 Carry out practical procedures safely and effectively.
a Be able to perform a range of diagnostic procedures,

as listed in Appendix 1 and measure and record the
findings.
b Be able to perform a range of therapeutic procedures,
as listed in Appendix 1.
c Be able to demonstrate correct practice in general
aspects of practical procedures, as listed in Appendix 1.

19 Use information effectively in a medical context. 19 See

Appendix 3,
Related
a Keep accurate, legible and complete clinical records. documents:
b Make effective use of computers and other information 12, 49
systems, including storing and retrieving information.

c Keep to the requirements of confidentiality and data 19c See GMC,
Confidentiality
protection legislation and codes of practice in all
dealings with information.
d Access information sources and use the information 19d See GMC,
Good medical
in relation to patient care, health promotion, giving practice,
advice and information to patients, and research and paragraphs 8, 11,
education. 12, 32, 49
e Apply the principles, method and knowledge of health

informatics to medical practice.

Outcomes 3 − The doctor as a professional
20 The graduate will be able to behave according to ethical and 20 See GMC,
legal principles. The graduate will be able to: Good medical
practice and
in particular
a Know about and keep to the GMC’s ethical guidance paragraphs 12,
65–71; Appendix
and standards including Good medical practice, the
3, Related
‘Duties of a doctor registered with the GMC’ and documents: 16,
supplementary ethical guidance which describe what is 61, 62, 64
expected of all doctors registered with the GMC.
b Demonstrate awareness of the clinical responsibilities
and role of the doctor, making the care of the patient
the first concern. Recognise the principles of patient-
centred care, including self-care, and deal with patients’
healthcare needs in consultation with them and, where
appropriate, their relatives or carers.
c Be polite, considerate, trustworthy and honest, act with
integrity, maintain confidentiality, respect patients’
dignity and privacy, and understand the importance of
appropriate consent.
d Respect all patients, colleagues and others regardless of 20d See GMC,
their age, colour, culture, disability, ethnic or national Good medical
practice,
origin, gender, lifestyle, marital or parental status, race, paragraphs 48,
religion or beliefs, sex, sexual orientation, or social or 52, 54, 56–60;
GMC, Personal
economic status. Graduates will respect patients’ right
beliefs; Appendix
to hold religious or other beliefs, and take these into 3, Related
account when relevant to treatment options. documents:
44, 52

e Recognise the rights and the equal value of all people

and how opportunities for some people may be
restricted by others’ perceptions.
f Understand and accept the legal, moral and ethical
responsibilities involved in protecting and promoting
the health of individual patients, their dependants
and the public − including vulnerable groups such as
children, older people, people with learning disabilities
and people with mental illnesses.
g Demonstrate knowledge of laws, and systems of
professional regulation through the GMC and others,
relevant to medical practice, including the ability to
complete relevant certificates and legal documents
and liaise with the coroner or procurator fiscal where
appropriate.
21 Reflect, learn and teach others. 21 See

Good medical
practice,
a Acquire, assess, apply and integrate new knowledge, paragraphs 7–13,
learn to adapt to changing circumstances and ensure 39–43
that patients receive the highest level of professional
care.
b Establish the foundations for lifelong learning and
continuing professional development, including
a professional development portfolio containing
reflections, achievements and learning needs.

c Continually and systematically reflect on practice

and, whenever necessary, translate that reflection
into action, using improvement techniques and audit
appropriately − for example, by critically appraising
the prescribing of others.
d Manage time and prioritise tasks, and work
autonomously when necessary and appropriate.
e Recognise own personal and professional limits and
seek help from colleagues and supervisors when
necessary.
f Function effectively as a mentor and teacher including
contributing to the appraisal, assessment and review
of colleagues, giving effective feedback, and taking
advantage of opportunities to develop these skills.
22 Learn and work effectively within a multi-professional team. 22 See Good

medical practice,
paragraphs
a Understand and respect the roles and expertise of 35–38, 44–45;
health and social care professionals in the context of Appendix
3, Related
working and learning as a multi-professional team.
documents:
b Understand the contribution that effective 20, 23
interdisciplinary teamworking makes to the delivery
of safe and high-quality care.
c Work with colleagues in ways that best serve
the interests of patients, passing on information
and handing over care, demonstrating flexibility,
adaptability and a problem-solving approach.

d Demonstrate ability to build team capacity and 22d See

Appendix
positive working relationships and undertake various 3, Related
team roles including leadership and the ability to documents: 48
accept leadership by others.
23 Protect patients and improve care.
a Place patients’ needs and safety at the centre of the 23a See
Appendix
care process.
3, Related
b Deal effectively with uncertainty and change. documents:
c Understand the framework in which medicine is 12, 18
practised in the UK, including: the organisation,

management and regulation of healthcare provision;
the structures, functions and priorities of the NHS;
and the roles of, and relationships between, the
agencies and services involved in protecting and
promoting individual and population health.
d Promote, monitor and maintain health and safety in 23d See
Appendix
the clinical setting, understanding how errors can
3, Related
happen in practice, applying the principles of quality documents: 63
assurance, clinical governance and risk management
to medical practice, and understanding responsibilities
within the current systems for raising concerns about
safety and quality.
e Understand and have experience of the principles and
methods of improvement, including audit, adverse
incident reporting and quality improvement, and how
to use the results of audit to improve practice.

f Respond constructively to the outcomes of appraisals,

performance reviews and assessments.
g Demonstrate awareness of the role of doctors as
managers, including seeking ways to continually
improve the use and prioritisation of resources.
h Understand the importance of, and the need to keep
to, measures to prevent the spread of infection, and
apply the principles of infection prevention and control.
i Recognise own personal health needs, consult and
follow the advice of a suitably qualified professional,
and protect patients from any risk posed by
own health.
j Recognise the duty to take action if a colleague’s
health, performance or conduct is putting patients
at risk.

Standards for the delivery of teaching,

learning and assessment
24 The following paragraphs set out the standards expected

for the delivery of teaching, learning and assessment in
medical education. The standards are grouped under nine
‘domains’. For each domain there are one or more broad
‘standards’. Under these are the more technical ‘criteria’
by which we will judge whether medical schools are
meeting these standards, and the ‘evidence’ used for this.
The ‘detailed requirements and context’ expand upon the
criteria, and these paragraphs contain some important
principles and requirements.
25 Statements using ‘must’ or ‘will’ mean something is

mandatory. Statements using ‘should’ may be taken into
account in the quality assurance process when the GMC
considers whether the overall criteria have been met.

Domain 1 – Patient safety
Standards
26 The safety of patients and their care must not be put at risk 26 See
by students’ duties, access to patients and supervision on Appendix
3, Related
placements5 or by the performance, health or conduct of documents: 18
any individual student.
27 To ensure the future safety and care of patients, students 27 See GMC
and Medical
who do not meet the outcomes set out in Tomorrow’s Schools Council,
Doctors or are otherwise not fit to practise must not be Medical
students:
allowed to graduate with a medical degree.
professional
values and
Criteria fitness to
practise
28 Systems and procedures will:
28 See
a ensure that medical students undertake only Domain 6
appropriate tasks in which they are competent or
are learning to be competent, and with adequate
supervision
b identify and address immediately any concerns about
patient safety arising from the education of medical
students
c identify and address immediately any concerns about
a medical student whose conduct gives cause for
concern or whose health is affected to such a degree
that it could harm the public, where possible through
providing support to the student

d ensure that medical students who are not fit to

practise are not allowed to graduate with a
medical degree
e inform students, and those delivering medical
education, of their responsibility to raise concerns if
they identify risks to patient safety, and provide ways
to do this.
Evidence
29 Evidence for this domain will include:
n medical school quality data (including inspections,

reports of other visits and surveys)
n medical school guidance on fitness to practise policies
and their implementation
n data from other education providers
data from other healthcare regulators and organisations.
Detailed requirements and context

30 The medical school has a duty to ensure that systems are
in place to minimise harm to anyone taking part in the
training of medical students. Therefore, all those who teach,
supervise, counsel, employ or work with medical students
are responsible for protecting patients. The medical school
must ensure that teachers and others are provided with
relevant contextual information about what stage students
are at in their training, what they are expected to do, and, if
necessary, any concerns about a student. Medical schools
must consider providing initial training in a clinical skills
facility to minimise the risk to patients.

31 Although medical students may not be directly observed or

supervised during all contact with the public – whether in
hospitals, in general practice or in the community – there
must be a general oversight of students on placement to
ensure patient safety. Closer supervision will be provided
when students are at lower levels of competence, ensuring
that they are not put in situations where they are asked to
work beyond their current competence without appropriate
support.
32 The four UK health departments are responsible for deciding

how students may have access to patients on NHS premises.
Students are responsible for following guidance issued by
the UK health departments and other organisations about
their access to patients in NHS hospitals and community
settings. They also need to be aware of any departmental
guidance for healthcare workers which may have an effect
on their practice in due course.
33 As future doctors, students have a duty to follow the 33 See

paragraph 133;
guidance in Good medical practice from their first day
also see GMC,
of study and must understand the consequences if they Good medical
fail to do so. In particular, students must appreciate the practice
importance of protecting patients, even if this conflicts

with their own interests or those of friends or colleagues.
If students have concerns about patient safety, they must
report these to their medical school. Medical schools
must provide robust ways for concerns to be reported in
confidence and communicate these to students.

34 Students must be aware that:

n under Section 49 of the Medical Act 1983 it is an
offence for a doctor to pretend to hold registration
when they do not
n from the introduction of the licence to practise, it is
an offence under Section 49A of the Act for a doctor
to pretend to hold a licence when they do not.
35 Clinical tutors and supervisors6 must make honest and

objective judgements when appraising or assessing the
performance of students, including those they have
supervised or trained. Patients may be put at risk if a
student is described as competent without having reached
or maintained a satisfactory standard.
36 Guidance is given in the joint GMC and Medical Schools 36 See

paragraphs
Council publication Medical students: professional values
145–147;
and fitness to practise about how medical schools should also see GMC
handle concerns about a medical student’s performance, and Medical
Schools Council,
health or conduct. The most appropriate form for a medical Medical
school’s fitness to practise procedures will be decided by students:
the medical school, taking into account the university’s professional
values and
structure and statutes. But they should include provision fitness to
for immediate steps to be taken to investigate any practise
concerns to identify whether they are well-founded and
to protect patients. There should also be a flow of
information between medical schools and other education
providers to ensure that clinical tutors and supervisors are
appropriately informed.

37 From the introduction of the licence to practise, a student 37 See

Domain 5; also
awarded a recognised PMQ is eligible for provisional see GMC, Good
registration with a licence to practise with the GMC, medical practice
subject to their fitness to practise not being impaired.
By awarding a medical degree, the awarding body7 is
confirming that the medical graduate is fit to practise as a
Foundation Year One doctor to the high standards that we
have set in our guidance to the medical profession, Good
medical practice. Therefore, university medical schools
have a responsibility to the public, to employers and to the
profession to ensure that only those students who are fit to
practise as doctors are allowed to complete the curriculum
and gain provisional registration with a licence to practise.
This responsibility covers both the thorough assessment of
students’ knowledge, skills and behaviour towards the end
of the course, and appropriate consideration of any
concerns about a student’s performance, health or conduct.

Domain 2 – Quality assurance, review and

evaluation
Standard
38 The quality of medical education programmes will be
monitored, reviewed and evaluated in a systematic way.
Criteria
39 The medical school will have a clear framework or plan for
how it organises quality management and quality control,
including who is responsible for this.
40 Management systems will be in place to plan and monitor

undergraduate medical education (including admissions,
courses, placements, student supervision and support,
assessment and resources) to ensure that it meets required
standards of quality.
41 The medical school will have agreements with providers

of each clinical or vocational placement, and will have
systems to monitor the quality of teaching and facilities on
placements.
42 The medical school will produce regular reports about

different stages or aspects of the curriculum and its delivery,
and these will be considered at appropriate management
levels of the medical school. There will be systems to plan,
implement and review enhancements or changes to the
curriculum or its delivery.

43 Quality data will include: 43 See GMC,

Patient
and public
a evaluations by students and data from medical involvement in
school teachers and other education providers about undergraduate
medical
placements, resources and assessment outcomes education
b feedback from patients
c feedback from employers about the preparedness of
graduates.
44 Concerns about, or risks to, the quality of any aspect of

undergraduate medical education will be identified and
managed quickly and effectively.
Evidence
45 The evidence for this domain will include:

n university and medical school quality assurance
documentation, including policies, handbooks and

minutes of meetings
n documentation about expected standards of curriculum
delivery, including placement agreements with other

education providers
n monitoring reports and reports of inspections or visits
quality-control data including student evaluations.


46 General guidance on quality assurance is given in the 46 See
Appendix
Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Code of practice for 3, Related
the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher documents: 66
education. Medical schools should draw on this when
designing systems and procedures for quality assurance,
management and control.
47 Quality management policies and procedures at a medical

school will vary according to the university’s structure and
statutes. But these must include clear information about
roles and responsibilities, committee structures, lines of
reporting and authority, and the timing of monitoring
reports and reviews.
48 Apart from the medical school officers and committees, all 48 See GMC,
Patient
education providers of clinical placements, and all clinical
and public
tutors and supervisors, students, employers and patients involvement in
should be involved in quality management and control undergraduate
medical
processes. Their roles must be defined and information
education
made available to them about this.

49 Quality management must cover all aspects of

undergraduate medical education, not just teaching. This
covers planning, monitoring and the identification and
resolution of problems, and includes the following areas:
n admission to medical school

n the learning experience (including induction, teaching,
supervision, placements, curriculum)
n appraisal of, and feedback to, students
n pastoral and academic support for students
n assessment of students
n educational resources and capacity (including funding
and facilities).
50 As part of quality management, there must be agreements in 50 See

place with providers of each clinical or vocational placement. paragraphs 157,
165
These agreements should set out roles and responsibilities,
the learning objectives for the placement, and arrangements
to ensure that medical students have appropriate learning
opportunities to meet the learning outcomes.
51 There must be procedures in place to check the quality of 51 See GMC,

Patient
teaching, learning and assessment, including that in clinical/
and public
vocational placements, and to ensure that standards are involvement in
being maintained. These must be monitored through a undergraduate
medical
number of different systems, including student and patient education
feedback, and reviews of teaching by peers. Appraisals
should cover teaching responsibilities for all relevant
consultant, academic and other staff, whether or not
employed by the university.

52 There must also be systems in place to check the quality

and management of educational resources and their
capacity, and to ensure that standards are maintained.
These must include the management and allocation of
funding, clear plans for the planning and management of
facilities, and monitoring of student numbers on
placements to prevent overcrowding.
53 Any problems identified through gathering and analysing

quality-control data should be addressed as soon as
possible. It should be clear who is responsible for this.
There should also be documentation covering:

n the actions taken
n the feedback given to students and staff on what
is being done
n how the problems were resolved.
54 Given the importance of assessment, including placement- 54 See

Domain 5
based assessments, there must be specific quality-control
standards and systems in place to ensure the assessments
are ‘fit for purpose’.
55 The quality assurance system should ensure that,

through the regular reporting upwards on all aspects of
undergraduate medical education, the medical school can
keep these under constant review, and introduce changes
and enhancements. This will include, but should not be
limited to, the reviews of faculties, schools or degree
programmes prescribed by university procedures.

Domain 3 – Equality, diversity and opportunity
Standard
56 Undergraduate medical education must be fair and based 56 See
on principles of equality. Appendix
3, Related
documents: 50
Criteria
57 The medical school will have policies which are aimed at
ensuring that all applicants and students are treated fairly
and with equality of opportunity, regardless of their
diverse backgrounds.
58 Staff will receive training on equality and diversity to

ensure they are aware of their responsibilities and the
issues that need to be taken into account when
undertaking their roles in the medical school.
59 Reasonable adjustments will be made for students with 59 See GMC

disabilities in accordance with current legislation and and others,
Gateways to
guidance. the professions:
advising
60 The medical school will routinely collect and analyse data medical schools:
encouraging
about equality and diversity issues to ensure that policies disabled
are being implemented and any concerns are identified. students;
Appendix
3, Related
61 The medical school will act promptly over any concerns documents:
about equality and diversity, implementing and monitoring 37, 51
any changes to policy and practice.

Evidence

n medical school policies and action plans about
equality and diversity

n information about staff training in equality and
diversity, including data on attendance/

compliance
n monitoring data about student applications:
evidence of addressing equality and diversity

matters within admissions processes,
progression, assessment and arrangements
made for supervision, covering sex, race,
disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief,
gender identity and age
n information about ‘reasonable adjustments’ made for
students with disabilities and the procedures in place to

review the effectiveness of the adjustments
reports and minutes of meetings.

63 This domain is concerned with ensuring that students
and applicants to medical schools are treated fairly and
impartially, with equality of opportunity, regardless of
factors that are irrelevant to their selection and progress.
It is also concerned with encouraging diversity within the
student population to reflect modern society.

64 Specific advice on disabled applicants and students is given 64 See GMC

and others,
in the Gateways guidance. Medical schools should have Gateways to
policies on disability which take into account this guidance, the professions:
relevant legislation and good practice elsewhere. These advising
medical schools:
should cover the assessment of an applicant’s ability to encouraging
meet the ‘outcomes for graduates’, and the provision of disabled
students;
reasonable adjustments and support for a student. Schools
Appendix
should consult each individual concerned to identify the 3, Related
most appropriate adjustments and have them in place documents: 34
before the student’s course begins. Schools should review
the effectiveness of the adjustments once the student has
had time to benefit from their introduction.
65 Medical schools should have clear policies, guidance and

action plans for tackling discrimination and harassment,
and for promoting equality and diversity generally. Medical
schools should ensure that these meet the current relevant
legal requirements of their country and that they are made
available to students.
66 Medical schools’ policies for the training, conduct and

assessment of students should have regard for the variety
of cultural, social and religious backgrounds of students,
while maintaining consistency in educational and
professional standards.

67 Medical schools should have clear guidance on any areas

where a student’s culture or religion may conflict with
usual practice or rules, including when on placements −
for example, dress codes or the scheduling of classes and
examinations.
68 Monitoring data must be collected, used and stored in

keeping with current legislation and guidance about data
protection, confidentiality and privacy.
69 All providers of education and work experience must

demonstrate their commitment to equality and diversity.
70 An important part of ensuring equality and diversity is the 70 See

support provided to students. Domain 6

Domain 4 – Student selection
Standard
71 Processes for student selection will be open, objective and 71 See
Appendix
fair.
3, Related
documents: 33
Criteria
72 The medical school will publish information about the
admission system, including guidance about the selection
process and the basis on which places at the school will be
offered.
73 Selection criteria will take account of the personal and 73 See GMC,
Good medical
academic qualities needed in a doctor as set out in Good practice;
medical practice and capacity to achieve the outcomes set Appendix
3, Related
out in Tomorrow’s Doctors.
documents: 64
74 Selection processes will be valid, reliable and objective.
75 Those responsible for student selection will include people 75 See

with a range of expertise and knowledge. They will be Appendix
3, Related
trained to apply selection guidelines consistently and fairly. documents: 34
They will also be trained to be able to promote equality
and diversity (people’s different backgrounds and
circumstances) and follow current equal opportunities
legislation and good practice, including that covering
disabled applicants.

76 Students admitted will pass any health and other checks 76 See
Appendix
(such as criminal record checks) required by the medical 3, Related
school’s fitness to practise policy. The purpose and documents: 36
implications of each of these checks, and the points at
which they are made, should be made clear to applicants
and students.
Evidence

n information about medical school selection processes
n data about applicants and selected students
n minutes of committees and reports.

78 Medical schools should base their policies and procedures
on relevant guidance, recognised best practice, and research
into effective, reliable and valid selection processes which
can have the confidence of applicants and the public.
79 Medical schools should also take account of relevant 79 See GMC

and others,
legislation and the Gateways guidance in their student
Gateways to
selection processes. This includes the requirement to make the professions:
reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities where advising
medical schools:
the disability would not prevent the applicant from meeting encouraging
the outcomes for graduates. Schools should be wary of disabled
not offering a place on the basis of a judgement about students
hypothetical barriers to achievement and employment

specifically associated with an applicant’s disability.

80 The assessment of any risks associated with an applicant’s

fitness to practise in relation to their health or conduct
should be separated from other processes of selection.
Domain 5 – Design and delivery of the curriculum,

including assessment
Standard
81 The curriculum must be designed, delivered and assessed
to ensure that graduates demonstrate all the ‘outcomes
for graduates’ specified in Tomorrow’s Doctors.
Criteria
82 A clear curriculum plan will set out how the ‘outcomes for
graduates’ will be met across the programme as a whole.
The curriculum will include opportunities for students to
exercise choice in areas of interest.
83 The curriculum will be structured to provide a balance of

learning opportunities and to integrate the learning of
basic and clinical sciences, enabling students to link theory
and practice.

84 The curriculum will include practical experience of working 84 See GMC,

Clinical
with patients throughout all years, increasing in duration placements
and responsibility so that graduates are prepared for their for medical
responsibilities as provisionally registered doctors. It will students;
Appendix
provide enough structured clinical placements to enable 3, Related
students to demonstrate the ‘outcomes for graduates’ documents: 35
across a range of clinical specialties, including at least one
Student Assistantship8 period.
85 Students will have regular feedback on their performance.
86 All the ‘outcomes for graduates’ will be assessed at 86 See GMC,

Assessment in
appropriate points during the curriculum, ensuring that undergraduate
only students who meet these outcomes are permitted to medical
graduate. Assessments will be fit for purpose – that is: valid, education
reliable, generalisable,9 feasible and fair.
87 Students will receive timely and accurate guidance about

assessments, including assessment format, length and range
of content, marking schedule and contribution to overall
grade.
88 Examiners and assessors will be appropriately selected,

trained, supported and appraised.
89 There will be systems in place to set appropriate standards

for assessments to decide whether students have achieved
the curriculum outcomes.

90 Assessment criteria will be consistent with the requirements

for competence standards set out in disability discrimination
legislation. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to help
students with disabilities meet these competence standards.
Although reasonable adjustments cannot be made to the
competence standards themselves, reasonable adjustments
should be made to enable a disabled person to meet a
competence standard.
Evidence
91 Evidence for this domain will include and principally be:
n the curriculum plan

n schemes of assessment
n supporting documentation, including the proportion
of the curriculum devoted to Student Selected

Components (SSCs).
There must also be supplementary information

about the delivery of teaching and clinical placements, the
operation of assessments and evaluations from students.


Curriculum design and structure:
Criteria, paragraph 82: A clear curriculum plan will set
out how the ‘outcomes for graduates’ will be met across
the programme as a whole. The curriculum will include
opportunities for students to exercise choice in areas of
interest.
92 It is for each medical school to design its own curriculum

to suit its own circumstances, consistent with Tomorrow’s
Doctors. Both curriculum design and delivery must take into
account modern educational theory and current research.
93 The overall curriculum must allow students to meet

the outcomes specified in the first part of Tomorrow’s
Doctors. This is to ensure that graduates have the
necessary knowledge, skills and behaviours to practise as
a provisionally registered doctor. Medical schools must
demonstrate the way in which these outcomes are met.
94 The curriculum must allow for student choice for a

minimum of 10% of course time.
95 SSCs must be an integral part of the curriculum, enabling

students to demonstrate mandatory competences while
allowing choice in studying an area of particular interest
to them.

96 The purpose of SSCs is the intellectual development of

students through exploring in depth a subject of their
choice.
97 SSC learning outcomes must be mapped to outcomes in

Tomorrow’s Doctors, and contained within the assessment
blueprint for the programme, thus helping to make SSCs
transparently relevant and clarify how SSCs contribute to
the programme.
98 The assessment of these elements of the curriculum must

be integrated into the overall assessment of students.
99 Information on the extent and nature of choice available

in each SSC, and details on how they will be assessed and
contribute to the overall assessment of students, must be
publicly available for prospective and current students.
Teaching and learning:

Criteria, paragraph 83: The curriculum will be structured to
provide a balance of learning opportunities and to integrate
the learning of basic and clinical sciences, enabling students to
link theory and practice.
100 Students must have different teaching and learning

opportunities that should balance teaching in large groups
with small groups. They must have practical classes and
opportunities for self-directed learning. Medical schools
should take advantage of new technologies, including
simulation, to deliver teaching.

101 The structure and content of courses and clinical 101 See
Appendix
attachments should integrate learning about basic medical 3, Related
sciences and clinical sciences. Students should, wherever documents:
possible, learn in a context relevant to medical practice, 20, 23
and revisit topics at different stages and levels to reinforce

understanding and develop skills and behaviours.
102 Medical schools must ensure that students work with and
learn from other health and social care professionals and
students. Opportunities should also be provided for
students to learn with other health and social care students,
including the use of simulated training environments with
audiovisual recording and behavioural debriefing. This will
help students understand the importance of teamwork in
providing care.
Clinical placements and experience:

Criteria, paragraph 84: The curriculum will include practical 84 See GMC,
Clinical
experience of working with patients throughout all years,
placements
increasing in duration and responsibility so that graduates are for medical
prepared for their responsibilities as provisionally registered students;
Appendix
doctors. It will provide enough structured clinical placements
3, Related
to enable students to demonstrate the ‘outcomes for documents: 35
graduates’ across a range of clinical specialties, including at
least one Student Assistantship8 period.

103 The curriculum must include early and continuing contact

with patients. Experiential learning in clinical settings,
both real and simulated, is important to ensure graduates’
preparedness for Foundation Year One (F1) training. Over
the curriculum it should increase in complexity, and the
level of involvement and responsibility of the student
should also increase.
104 From the start, students must have opportunities to

interact with people from a range of social, cultural, and
ethnic backgrounds and with a range of disabilities, illnesses
or conditions. Such contact with patients encourages
students to gain confidence in communicating with a wide
range of people, and can help develop their ability to take
patients’ histories and examine patients.
105 The involvement of patients in teaching must be consistent 105 See GMC,
Good medical
with Good medical practice and other guidance on consent
practice; GMC,
published by the GMC. Consent:
patients and
doctors making
decisions
together;
GMC, Patient
and public
involvement in
undergraduate
medical
education

106 Clinical placements must be planned and structured to 106 See

Domain 2
give each student experience across a range of specialties,
rather than relying entirely upon this arising by chance.
These specialties must include medicine, obstetrics and
gynaecology, paediatrics, surgery, psychiatry and general
practice. Placements should reflect the changing patterns
of healthcare and must provide experience in a variety
of environments including hospitals, general practices
and community medical services. Within each placement
there must be a plan of which outcomes will be covered,
how this will be delivered, and the ways in which students’
performance will be assessed and students given feedback.
107 Medical schools should ensure that appropriate

arrangements are made for students with disabilities on
placements. Students should be encouraged to feed back
to the medical school on their experience, for example,
in relation to the provision of reasonable adjustments,
guidance and pastoral support, and the working culture.
Medical schools should ensure appropriate feedback is
communicated to the placement provider and that they
intervene, where appropriate, to ensure students receive
the support they require.
108 During the later years of the curriculum, students should 108 See
have the opportunity to become increasingly competent Domain 1
in their clinical skills and in planning patient care. They

should have a defined role in medical teams, subject to
considerations of patient safety, and this should become
more central as their education continues.

109 In the final year, students must use practical and clinical
skills, rehearsing their eventual responsibilities as an F1
doctor. These must include making recommendations for
the prescription of drugs and managing acutely ill patients
under the supervision of a qualified doctor. This should take
the form of one or more Student Assistantships in which
a student, assisting a junior doctor and under supervision,
undertakes most of the duties of an F1 doctor.10
110 Students must be properly prepared for their first allocated

F1 post. Separate from and following their Student
Assistantship, they should, wherever practicable, have a
period working with the F1 who is in the post they will take
up when they graduate. This ‘shadowing’ period allows
students to become familiar with the facilities available, the
working environment and the working patterns expected of
them, and to get to know their colleagues. It also provides
an opportunity to develop working relationships with the
clinical and educational supervisors they will work with in
the future. It should consist of ‘protected time’ involving
tasks that enable students to use their medical knowledge
and expertise in a working environment, distinct from the
general induction sessions provided for new employees and
Foundation Programme trainees. The ‘shadowing’ period
should normally last at least one week and take place as
close to the point of employment as possible.

Feedback and assessment:

Criteria, paragraph 85: Students will have regular feedback
on their performance.
Criteria, paragraph 86: All the ‘outcomes for graduates’ 86 See GMC,
Assessment in
will be assessed at appropriate points during the curriculum,
undergraduate
ensuring that only students who meet these outcomes are medical
permitted to graduate. Assessments will be fit for purpose – education
that is: valid, reliable, generalisable,9 feasible and fair.
Criteria, paragraph 87: Students will receive timely and

accurate guidance about assessments, including assessment
format, length and range of content, marking schedule and
contribution to overall grade.
Criteria, paragraph 88: Examiners and assessors will be

appropriately selected, trained, supported and appraised.
Criteria, paragraph 89: There will be systems in place to

set appropriate standards for assessments to decide whether
students have achieved the curriculum outcomes.
Criteria, paragraph 90: Assessment criteria will be consistent

with the requirements for competence standards set out in
disability discrimination legislation. Reasonable adjustments
will be provided to help students with disabilities meet these
competence standards. Although reasonable adjustments
cannot be made to the competence standards themselves,
reasonable adjustments should be made to enable a disabled
person to meet a competence standard.

111 Students must receive regular information about their 111 See GMC,
Patient
development and progress. This should include feedback and public
on both formative and summative assessments. Clinical involvement in
logbooks and personal portfolios, which allow students undergraduate
medical
to identify strengths and weaknesses and to focus their education
learning, can provide this information. Using these will
emphasise the importance of maintaining a portfolio of
evidence of achievement, which will be necessary once
they have become doctors and their licence to practise is
regularly revalidated. All doctors, other health and social
care workers, patients and carers who come into contact
with the student should have an opportunity to provide
constructive feedback about their performance. Feedback
about performance in assessments helps to identify
strengths and weaknesses, both in students and in the
curriculum, and this allows changes to be made.
112 Medical schools must ensure that all graduates have

achieved all the outcomes set out in Tomorrow’s Doctors,
that is:

n each of the five outcomes under ‘The doctor as a
scholar and a scientist’

n each of the seven outcomes under ‘The doctor as a
practitioner’
n each of the four outcomes under ‘The doctor as a
professional’
n every practical procedure listed in Appendix 1.

This must involve summative assessments during the course

that cumulatively demonstrate achievement of each outcome.
The medical school must have schemes of assessment that
map the outcomes to each assessment event and type,
across an appropriate range of disciplines and specialties
(‘blueprinting’). Students’ knowledge, skills and professional
behaviour must be assessed. There must be a description of
how individual assessments and examinations contribute to
the overall assessment of curricular outcomes, which must be
communicated to staff and students.
113 Assessments must be designed and delivered to provide a

valid and reliable judgement of a student’s performance.
This means that methods of assessment must measure
what they set out to measure, and do so in a fair and
consistent way. A range of assessment techniques should
be used, with medical schools deciding which are most
appropriate for their curriculum.
114 Students must have guidance about what is expected

of them in any examination or assessment. No question
format will be used in a summative assessment that has
not previously been used in a formative assessment of the
student concerned.
115 Examiners11 must be trained to carry out their role and to

apply the medical school’s assessment criteria consistently.
They should have guidelines for marking assessments,
which indicate how performance against targeted
curricular outcomes should be rewarded.

116 Medical schools must have mechanisms to ensure

comparability of standards with other institutions and
to share good practice. The mechanisms must cover the
appointment of external examiners. The duties and
powers of external examiners must be clearly set out.
117 Medical schools must have appropriate methods for

setting standards in assessments to decide whether
students have achieved the ‘outcomes for graduates’.
There must be no compensatory mechanism which would
allow students to graduate without having demonstrated
competence in all the outcomes.
118 Those responsible for assessment must keep to relevant 118 See GMC
and others,
legislation and aim to apply good practice relating to the Gateways to
assessment of those with a disability. Medical schools the professions:
advising
should also take account of the Gateways guidance.
medical schools:
encouraging
119 Medical schools should be guided by the QAA Code of disabled
students
practice for the assurance of academic quality and
standards in higher education. 119 See
Appendix
3, Related
documents: 66

120 Medical schools must use evidence from research into

best practice to decide how to plan and organise their
assessments: from blueprinting and choosing valid and
reliable methods to standard-setting and operational
matters. Medical schools must be able to explain clearly
their schemes of assessment and demonstrate a wide
understanding of them among their staff. Medical schools
must therefore have staff with expertise in assessment or
access to such staff in other institutions to advise on good
practice and train staff involved in assessment.
121 Undergraduate medical education is part of a continuum

of education and training which continues through
postgraduate training and continuing professional
development. While it is essential that the outcomes are
achieved by all graduates, medical schools should also
make arrangements so that graduates’ areas of relative
weakness are fed into their Foundation Programme
portfolios so they can be reviewed by the educational
supervisor. This information should draw on assessments in
relation to the outcomes and include graduating transcripts.

Domain 6 – Support and development of students,

teachers and the local faculty
Standard
122 Students must receive both academic and general guidance
and support, including when they are not progressing well or
otherwise causing concern. Everyone teaching or supporting
students must themselves be supported, trained and
appraised.
Criteria
123 Students will have comprehensive guidance about the
curriculum, their placements, what is expected of them and
how they will be assessed.
124 Students will have appropriate support for their academic

and general welfare needs and will be given information
about these support networks.
125 Students will have access to career advice, and opportunities

to explore different careers in medicine. Appropriate
alternative qualification pathways will be available to those
who decide to leave medicine.
126 Students will be encouraged to look after their own health

and given information about their responsibilities in this
respect as a trainee doctor. They will feel confident in
seeking appropriate advice, support and treatment in a
confidential and supportive environment.

127 Medical schools will have robust and fair procedures to deal 127 See GMC
and Medical
with students who are causing concern on academic and/ Schools Council,
or non-academic grounds. Fitness to practise arrangements Medical
and procedures will take account of the guidance issued by students:
professional
the GMC and the Medical Schools Council. Students must values and
have clear information about these procedures. fitness to
practise
128 Everyone involved in educating medical students will be 128 See GMC,
appropriately selected, trained, supported and appraised. Developing
teachers and
trainers in
Evidence undergraduate
129 Evidence for this domain will include: medical
education
n medical school documentation about student

support arrangements
n regulations and procedures
n documentation about support and training provided
to staff and other education providers
n inspection reports
n medical school quality management reports.


Academic and pastoral support and guidance:
Criteria, paragraph 123: Students will have comprehensive
guidance about the curriculum, their placements, what is
expected of them and how they will be assessed.
Criteria, paragraph 124: Students will have appropriate

support for their academic and general welfare needs and will
be given information about these support networks.
Criteria, paragraph 125: Students will have access to career

advice, and opportunities to explore different careers in
medicine. Appropriate alternative qualification pathways will
be available to those who decide to leave medicine.
130 Medical schools must give students comprehensive

guidance about the curriculum and how their performance
will be assessed. This must include:
n information about the objectives of clinical placements

and how they are assessed
n briefing about practical arrangements for assessments
n the medical school’s policies on cheating, plagiarism
and the importance of probity.
Students should also be able to get academic advice and

guidance from identified members of staff if they need it in
a particular subject.

131 Students must have appropriate support for their academic

and general welfare needs at all stages. Medical schools
must produce information about the support networks
available, including named contacts for students with
problems. Students taking SSCs that are taught in other
departments or by other medical schools, and those on
clinical attachments or on electives, must have access to
appropriate support.
132 Guidance and support in making reasonable adjustments 132 See GMC
and others,
can be found in the Gateways guidance and should also
Gateways to
be sought from an appropriate member of staff, such as a the professions:
disability officer. Implementing reasonable adjustments advising
medical schools:
promptly and reviewing their effectiveness may remedy encouraging
the difficulties faced by the student. It is important that the disabled
medical school gives sufficient time for the student to reap students; GMC
and Medical
the benefit of the adjustment (and receive the necessary Schools Council,
training to use the adjustment, where required) before Medical
students:
reviewing the situation.
professional
values and
133 Support and guidance must be provided for students who fitness to
practise,
raise concerns about the health or conduct of anyone else,
paragraph 48
in order to protect them from victimisation. The process for
raising such concerns must be made clear to students. 133 See
Appendix
3, Related
documents: 21

134 Schools must have a careers guidance strategy. Generic

resources should include an outline of career paths in
medicine and the postgraduate specialties, as well as
guidance on application forms and processes. Specific
guidance should be provided for personalised career
planning. The careers strategy should be developed and
updated with the local postgraduate deanery.
135 A small number of students may discover that they have

made a wrong career choice. Medical schools must make
sure that these students, whose academic and non-
academic performance is not in question, are able to gain an
alternative degree or to transfer to another degree course.
136 Students who do not meet the necessary standards in

terms of demonstrating appropriate knowledge, skills and
behaviour should be advised of alternative careers to follow.
Students’ health:
Criteria, paragraph 126: Students will be encouraged to
look after their own health and given information about their
responsibilities in this respect as a trainee doctor. They will 137 See GMC
feel confident in seeking appropriate advice, support and and others,
Gateways to
treatment in a confidential and supportive environment. the professions:
advising
137 It is important to differentiate between disability and medical schools:
encouraging
ill-health in relation to fitness to practise. Having an disabled
impairment does not mean that a person is in a students, section
3.2
permanent state of poor health.

138 Medical schools must stress to students the importance of

looking after their own health, encourage them to register
with a general practitioner and emphasise that they may
not be able to assess their own health accurately. They
must tell students about the occupational health services,
including counselling, that are available to them.
139 Medical students who may be experiencing difficulties due

to a disability, illness or condition should be encouraged to
get appropriate help so that they might receive informed
advice and support, including reasonable adjustments
where appropriate. Students who misuse drugs or alcohol
should also be provided with appropriate advice and
support.
140 Good medical practice requires doctors to take 140 See GMC,
Good medical
responsibility for their own health in the interests of practice
public safety, and medical students should also follow this
guidance. Students should protect patients, colleagues
and themselves by being immunised against serious
communicable diseases where vaccines are available. If a
student knows that they have a serious condition which
could be passed on to patients, or that their judgement or
performance could be significantly affected by a condition
or illness (or its treatment), they must take and follow
advice from a consultant in occupational health or from
another suitably qualified doctor on whether, and in what
ways, their clinical contact with patients should be altered.
Students should not rely on their own assessment of the
risk to patients.

141 Guidance on the responsibilities of students and the medical 141 See
Appendix
school is in the Medical School Charter, produced jointly 3, Related
by the Medical Schools Council and the Medical Students documents: 22
Committee of the British Medical Association.
142 Medical schools and students must also be aware of the

four UK health departments’ guidance on exposure-prone
procedures.
143 Medical students who are ill have the same rights to 143 See GMC,
Confidentiality
confidentiality as other patients. Doctors providing
medical care for students must consider their duties under
the GMC’s Confidentiality guidance. Passing on personal
information without permission may be justified if failure to
do so may result in death or serious harm to the patient or
to others. Doctors should not pass on information without
the student’s permission, unless the risk to patients is so
serious that it outweighs the student’s rights to privacy.
They must remember that students will be in close contact
with patients from an early stage of their training.
144 Doctors providing medical care for students should consult

an experienced colleague, or get advice from a professional
organisation, if they are not sure whether passing on
information without a medical student’s permission is
justified.

Student progression and fitness to practise procedures:

Criteria, paragraph 127: Medical schools will have robust
and fair procedures to deal with students who are causing
concern on academic and/or non-academic grounds. Fitness
to practise arrangements and procedures will take account
of the guidance issued by the GMC and MSC. Students must
have clear information about these procedures.
145 Medical schools must provide appropriate support, advice 145 See GMC
and Medical
and adjustments. They must also have robust and fair
Schools Council,
arrangements and procedures, including an appeals process, Medical
to deal with students who are causing concern − either on students:
professional
academic or non-academic grounds, including ill-health or values and
misconduct. Medical schools must tell students about these fitness to
arrangements and procedures so that they understand their practise
rights and obligations. The medical school should decide

on the most appropriate form of procedures, taking into
account its statutes and circumstances.
146 If a student’s fitness to practise is called into question

because of their behaviour or their health, the medical
school’s arrangements must take account of the joint GMC
and MSC guidance: Medical students: professional values
and fitness to practise. The arrangements should cover both
informal and formal procedures, and include clear policies
on disclosure of information and evidence to students, to
staff and outside the medical school, such as to deaneries
and the GMC.

147 The GMC can agree arrangements for disabled graduates so

that they are not disadvantaged unfairly by their disability
when participating in F1 training, under Section 10A(2)(f)
of the Medical Act 1983. Medical schools should contact
us at the earliest opportunity should they consider that
such arrangements may become necessary for any of
their students. The educational aspects of postgraduate
medical training are subject to an anticipatory duty to
make reasonable adjustments for disabled trainees. It is
expected that doctors with a range of disabilities and health
conditions should be able to meet the outcomes for F1.
Support for educators:

Criteria, paragraph 128: Everyone involved in educating
medical students will be appropriately selected, trained,
supported and appraised.
148 Medical schools must make sure that everyone involved in 148 See GMC,
Developing
educating medical students has the necessary knowledge
teachers and
and skills for their role. This includes teachers, trainers, trainers in
clinical supervisors and assessors in the medical school undergraduate
medical
or with other education providers. They should also make
education
sure that these people understand Tomorrow’s Doctors and
put it into practice. The medical school must ensure that
appropriate training is provided to these people to carry
out their role, and that staff-development programmes
promote teaching and assessment skills. All staff (including
those from other education providers) should take part in
such programmes.

149 Every doctor who comes into contact with medical

students should recognise the importance of role models
in developing appropriate behaviours towards patients,
colleagues and others. Doctors with particular responsibility
for teaching students must develop the skills and practices
of a competent teacher and must make sure that students
are properly supervised.
Domain 7 – Management of teaching, learning

and assessment
Standard
150 Education must be planned and managed using processes
which show who is responsible for each process or stage.
Criteria
151 A management plan at medical school level will show who
is responsible for curriculum planning, teaching, learning
and assessment at each stage of the undergraduate
programme, and how they manage these processes.
152 Teachers from the medical school and other education

providers will be closely involved in curriculum
management, represented at medical school level and
responsible for managing their own areas of the programme.
153 Employers of graduates, and bodies responsible for their

continuing training, will be closely involved in curriculum
planning and management.

Evidence
n medical school policies

n management plans
n agreements with providers of clinical or
vocational placements.

155 Medical schools should have supervisory structures that
involve individuals with an appropriate range of expertise
and knowledge. Lines of authority and responsibility must
be set out. This will allow medical schools to plan curricula
and associated assessments, put them into practice and
review them. Having people with educational expertise in
a medical education unit can help this process.
156 It must be clear who is responsible for the day-to-day

management of parts of the curriculum, such as courses
and placements, and how those responsible report to
higher management levels. Medical school teachers and
other education providers and their staff should be involved
in managing their own areas of the curriculum, and should
be represented on medical school committees and groups.

157 The medical school must have agreements with the other
education providers who contribute to the delivery of the
curriculum. These should specify the contribution, including
teaching, resources and the relevant curriculum outcomes,
and how these contributions combine to satisfy the
requirements set out in Tomorrow’s Doctors.
158 The four UK health departments have the role of ensuring

that NHS organisations work with medical schools so that
students receive appropriate clinical training.
Domain 8 – Educational resources and capacity
Standard
159 The educational facilities and infrastructure must be
appropriate to deliver the curriculum.
Criteria
160 Students will have access to appropriate learning resources
and facilities including libraries, computers, lecture theatres,
seminar rooms and appropriate environments to develop
and improve their knowledge, skills and behaviour.
161 Facilities will be supported by a facilities management plan

which provides for regular review of the fitness for purpose
of the facilities with recommendations and improvements
made where appropriate. When reviewing facilities, medical
schools should include their suitability for students with
disabilities.

162 There will be enough staff from appropriate disciplines, and

with the necessary skills and experience, to deliver teaching
and support students’ learning.
Evidence
n medical schools’ facilities management plans

n data on facilities usage
n internal quality management reports.

164 Medical schools must have a plan for the management
of resources and facilities. This plan should map to the
curriculum to ensure that resources and facilities are
effectively used. The plan should also provide for the
regular review of facilities to ensure they are still
appropriate. Facilities should be accessible for students and
others with a disability. Students must be able to comment
about the facilities and suggest new resources that should
be provided, and schools should consider these comments
and feed back their conclusions.

165 The four UK health departments have a duty to make

facilities in NHS hospitals and other premises available
for students to receive clinical training. Resources will be
covered in the agreements between medical schools and
other education providers who contribute to the delivery
of the curriculum. The agreements will set out the process
by which the medical schools can be clear about the
allocation of the financial resources received to support
undergraduate medical education.
166 Students must have opportunities to develop and

improve their clinical and practical skills in an appropriate
environment (where they are supported by teachers) before
they use these skills in clinical situations. Skills laboratories
and centres provide an excellent setting for this training.
167 Learning in an environment that is committed to care,

based on evidence and research, can help medical students
to understand the importance of developing research and
audit skills to improve their practice. It also helps to make
sure that those responsible for their learning are aware of
current developments in clinical theory and practice.

Domain 9 − Outcomes
Standards
168 The outcomes for graduates of undergraduate medical 168 See
Appendix
education in the UK are set out in Tomorrow’s Doctors. All
3, Related
medical students will demonstrate these outcomes before documents:
graduating from medical school. 15, 17
169 The medical schools must track the impact of the outcomes
for graduates and the standards for delivery as set out
in Tomorrow’s Doctors against the knowledge, skills and
behaviour of students and graduates.
Criteria
170 The programme of undergraduate medical education
employs a curriculum which is demonstrated to meet the
outcomes for graduates.
171 The programme requires that graduates are able to

demonstrate the outcomes.
172 Quality management will involve the collection and use

of information about the progression of students. It will
also involve the collection and use of information about
the subsequent progression of graduates in relation to the
Foundation Programme and postgraduate training, and in
respect of any determinations by the GMC.

173 Students must have access to analysis of the results of

assessments and examinations at the school.
Evidence
n medical school quality data − including data from

staff, other education providers and students, and data
concerning the progression of graduates
n documentation that demonstrates the use of this
information in quality management.

Appendix 1 –
Practical procedures for graduates
Diagnostic procedures
Procedure Description in lay terms

1 Measuring body temperature … using an appropriate recording device.
2 Measuring pulse rate and blood pressure … using manual techniques and automatic
electronic devices.
3 Transcutaneous monitoring of oxygen Applying, and taking readings from, an
saturation electronic device which measures the
amount of oxygen in the patient’s blood.
4 Venepuncture Inserting a needle into a patient’s vein to
take a sample of blood for testing, or to give
an injection into the vein.
5 Managing blood samples correctly Making sure that blood samples are
placed in the correct containers, and
that these are labelled correctly and
sent to the laboratory promptly and in the
correct way. Taking measures to prevent
spilling and contamination.
6 Taking blood cultures Taking samples of venous blood to test for
the growth of infectious organisms in the
blood. Requires special blood containers and
laboratory procedures.
7 Measuring blood glucose Measuring the concentration of glucose in
the patient’s blood at the bedside, using
appropriate equipment and interpreting
the results.
8 Managing an electrocardiograph Setting up a continuous recording of the
(ECG) monitor electrical activity of the heart. Ensuring
the recorder is functioning correctly, and
interpreting the tracing.

Diagnostic procedures (continued)

9 Performing and interpreting a 12-lead Recording a full, detailed tracing of the
electrocardiograph (ECG) electrical activity of the heart, using a
machine recorder (electrocardiograph).
Interpreting the recording for signs of
heart disease.
10 Basic respiratory function tests Carrying out basic tests to see how well the
patient’s lungs are working (for example,
how much air they can breathe out in one
second).
11 Urine multi dipstick test Testing a sample of urine for abnormal
contents, such as blood or protein. The urine
is applied to a plastic strip with chemicals
which change colour in response to specific
abnormalities.
12 Advising patients on how to collect a Obtaining a sample of urine from a patient,
mid-stream urine specimen usually to check for the presence of
infection, using a method which reduces the
risk of contamination by skin bacteria.
13 Taking nose, throat and skin swabs Using the correct technique to apply sterile
swabs to the nose, throat and skin.
14 Nutritional assessment Making an assessment of the patient’s state
of nutrition. This includes an evaluation of
their diet; their general physical condition;
and measurement of height, weight and
body mass index.
15 Pregnancy testing Performing a test of the urine to detect
hormones which indicate that the patient
is pregnant.

Therapeutic procedures

16 Administering oxygen Allowing the patient to breathe a higher
concentration of oxygen than normal, via a
face mask or other equipment.
17 Establishing peripheral intravenous Puncturing a patient’s vein in order to insert
access and setting up an infusion; use of an indwelling plastic tube (known as a
infusion devices ‘cannula’), to allow fluids to be infused into
the vein (a ‘drip’). Connecting the tube to a
source of fluid. Appropriate choice of fluids
and their doses. Correct use of electronic
devices which drive and regulate the rate of
fluid administration.
18 Making up drugs for parenteral Preparing medicines in a form suitable for
administration injection into the patient’s vein. May involve
adding the drug to a volume of fluid to make
up the correct concentration for injection.
19 Dosage and administration of insulin Calculating how many units of insulin a
and use of sliding scales patient requires, what strength of insulin
solution to use, and how it should be
given (for example, into the skin, or into
a vein). Use of a ‘sliding scale’ which links
the number of units to the patient’s blood
glucose measurement at the time.
20 Subcutaneous and intramuscular Giving injections beneath the skin and into
injections muscle.
21 Blood transfusion Following the correct procedures to give
a transfusion of blood into the vein of a
patient (including correct identification of
the patient and checking blood groups).
Observation for possible reactions to the
transfusion, and actions if they occur.

Therapeutic procedures (continued)

22 Male and female urinary catheterisation Passing a tube into the urinary bladder to
permit drainage of urine, in male and female
patients.
23 Instructing patients in the use of devices Providing instructions for patients about
for inhaled medication how to use inhalers correctly, for example,
to treat asthma.
24 Use of local anaesthetics Using drugs which produce numbness and

prevent pain, either applied directly to the
skin or injected into skin or body tissues.
25 Skin suturing Repairing defects in the skin by inserting

stitches (normally includes use of local
anaesthetic).
26 Wound care and basic wound dressing Providing basic care of surgical or
traumatic wounds and applying dressings
appropriately.
27 Correct techniques for ‘moving and Using, or directing other team members
handling’, including patients to use, approved methods for moving,
lifting and handling people or objects, in
the context of clinical care, using methods
that avoid injury to patients, colleagues, or
oneself.

General aspects of practical procedures
Aspect Description in lay terms

28 Giving information about the procedure, Making sure that the patient is fully
obtaining and recording consent, and informed, agrees to the procedure being
ensuring appropriate aftercare performed, and is cared for and watched
appropriately after the procedure.
29 Hand washing Following approved processes for cleaning
(including surgical ‘scrubbing up’) hands before procedures or surgical
operations.
30 Use of personal protective equipment Making correct use of equipment designed
(gloves, gowns, masks) to prevent the spread of body fluids or
cross-infection between the operator and
the patient.
31 Infection control in relation to Taking all steps necessary to prevent the
procedures spread of infection before, during or after a
procedure.
32 Safe disposal of clinical waste, needles Ensuring that these materials are handled
and other ‘sharps’ carefully and placed in a suitable container
for disposal.

Appendix 2 – What the law says about

undergraduate education
UK law
1 The powers and duties of the GMC in regulating medical

education are set out in the Medical Act 1983.
2 From the introduction of the licence to practise, graduates

who hold a UK primary medical qualification (PMQ) are
entitled to provisional registration with a licence to practise,
subject to demonstrating to the GMC that their fitness to
practise is not impaired.
3 Standards for the delivery of the Foundation Programme, 3 See GMC, The
New Doctor
and outcomes for the training of provisionally registered
doctors seeking full registration, are published under the
title The New Doctor.
4 UK PMQs include degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and

Bachelor of Surgery awarded by bodies or combinations of
bodies recognised by the GMC. These are the organisations
or combinations that may hold qualifying examinations.
(Also, valid UK PMQs may be held by individuals who were
awarded these qualifications by bodies that were at the
time, but are no longer, empowered to award PMQs.)

European Union law
5 European Directive 2005/36/EC allows European Union

(EU) nationals who hold an EU PMQ or specialist
qualification to practise as doctors anywhere in the EU.
6 Article 24 of the Directive says the period of basic medical

training must be at least six years of study or 5,500 hours
of theoretical and practical training provided by, or under
the supervision of, a university. From the introduction of
the licence to practise, ‘basic medical training’ is the period
leading up to full registration with a licence to practise.
7 The EU Directive says basic medical training must provide

assurance that individuals acquire the following knowledge
and skills:
‘Adequate knowledge of the sciences on which medicine is

based and a good understanding of the scientific methods
including the principles of measuring biological functions,
the evaluation of scientifically established facts and the
analysis of data.’
‘Sufficient understanding of the structure, functions and

behaviour of healthy and sick persons, as well as relations
between the state of health and physical and social
surroundings of the human being.’

‘Adequate knowledge of clinical disciplines and practices,

providing him with a coherent picture of mental and physical
diseases, of medicine from the points of view of prophylaxis,
diagnosis and therapy and of human reproduction.’
‘Suitable clinical experience in hospitals under appropriate

supervision.’
These quotes have been taken from EU Directive 2005/36,

Article 24.

Appendix 3 – Related documents
Undergraduate medical education: Outcomes
1 Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Intercollegiate Group on Nutrition.

Proposed Learning Objectives for the Undergraduate Medicine Nutrition
Curriculum. 2008. www.icgnutrition.org.uk
2 The Education Committee of the Anatomical Society of Great Britain

and Ireland. ‘A core syllabus in anatomy for medical students − Adding
common sense to need to know.’ European Journal of Anatomy. 2007; 11
(Supplement 1): 3-18. www.anatsoc.org.uk
3 Association of American Medical Colleges and Howard Hughes Medical

Institute. Scientific Foundation for Future Physicians. 2009.
www.hhmi.org
4 Behavioural and Social Sciences Teaching in Medicine (BeSST).

Psychology Core Curriculum for Undergraduate Medical Education.
Awaiting publication. www.heacademy.ac.uk/besst
5 Heads of Academic Departments of Public Health in the United

Kingdom (HOADs) (original authors D Chappel, G Maudsley, R Bhopal
and S Ebrahim, and re-edited by Stephen Gillam and Gillian Maudsley).
Public Health Education for Medical Students – A guide for medical
schools. Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of
Cambridge. 2008. www.phpc.cam.ac.uk
6 von Fragstein M, Silverman J, Cushing A, Quilligan S, Salisbury H,

Wiskin C. ‘UK consensus statement on the content of communication
curricula in undergraduate medical education.’ Medical Education. 2008;
42:11:1100-1107. www3.interscience.wiley.com
7 International Association for the Study of Pain. Outline Curriculum on

Pain for Medical Schools. 1988. www.iasp-pain.org
8 International Centre for Drug Policy. Substance Misuse in the

Undergraduate Medical Curriculum. 2007. www.sgul.ac.uk
9 Joint Committee on Medical Genetics. Learning Outcomes in Genetics for

Medical Students. 2006. www.geneticseducation.nhs.uk
10 Maxwell S R J, Walley T. ‘Teaching safe and effective prescribing in UK

Medical Schools: a core curriculum for tomorrow’s doctors.’ British
Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 2003; 55:496–503. www.bps.ac.uk
11 Medical Schools Council. Outcomes of the Medical Schools Council Safe

Prescribing Working Group. 2007. www.medschools.ac.uk
12 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, Education

Packages, 2009. www.nice.org.uk
13 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. National

Undergraduate Curriculum in Obstetrics and Gynaecology,
Report of a Working Party. 2009. www.rcog.org.uk
14 Royal College of Psychiatrists. Report of the Royal College of

Psychiatrists’ Scoping Group on Undergraduate Education in Psychiatry.
2009. www.rcpsych.ac.uk

15 Scottish Deans’ Medical Education Group. The Scottish Doctor.

Learning Outcomes for the Medical Undergraduate in Scotland:
A Foundation for Competent and Reflective Practitioners. 2008.
www.scottishdoctor.org
16 Stirrat G M., Johnston C., Gillon R., et al. ‘Medical ethics and law for
doctors of tomorrow: the 1998 Consensus Statement updated.’ Journal
of Medical Ethics. 2010, 36: 55-60. jme.bmj.com
17 The Tuning Project (Medicine). Learning Outcomes/Competences for

Undergraduate Medical Education in Europe. Medical Education in
Europe (MEDINE), the University of Edinburgh, Education and Culture
DG of the European Commission, Tuning Educational Structures in
Europe. 2008. www.tuning-medicine.com
18 World Health Organisation World Alliance for Patient Safety. WHO

Patient Safety Curriculum Guide for Medical Schools. World Health
Organisation. Awaiting publication. www.who.int
Undergraduate medical education: Delivery
19 Association for the Study of Medical Education. Series of publications on

Understanding Medical Education. From 2006. www.asme.org.uk
20 Hugh Barr. Undergraduate Interprofessional Education. General Medical

Council. 2003. www.gmc-uk.org/education

21 British Medical Association Medical Students Committee.

Whistle-blowing. 2008. www.bma.org.uk
22 British Medical Association Medical Students Committee and Medical

Schools Council. Medical school charter. 2006. www.bma.org.uk
23 Department of Health (England) and UK Centre for the Advancement of

Interprofessional Education. Creating an Interprofessional Workforce: An
Education and Training Framework for Health and Social Care in England.
2007. www.caipe.org.uk
24 General Medical Council. Assessment in undergraduate medical

education. 2011. www.gmc-uk.org/education
25 General Medical Council. Clinical placements for medical students. 2011.

www.gmc-uk.org/education
26 General Medical Council. Developing teachers and trainers in

undergraduate medical education. 2011. www.gmc-uk.org/education
27 General Medical Council. Guidance on UK medical education delivered

outside the UK. 2008. www.gmc-uk.org/education
28 General Medical Council. Patient and public involvement in

undergraduate medical education. 2011. www.gmc-uk.org/education

29 General Medical Council and others. Gateways to the Professions.

Advising medical schools: encouraging disabled students. 2008.
30 General Medical Council and Medical Schools Council. Medical Students:

Professional Values and Fitness to Practise. 2009.
31 Christine Hogg. Patient-Centred Care: Tomorrow’s Doctors. General

Medical Council. 2004. www.gmc-uk.org/education
32 Jan Illing and others. How prepared are medical graduates to begin
practice? General Medical Council. 2008. www.gmc-uk.org
33 Medical Schools Council. Guiding Principles for the Admission of Medical

Students. 2006. www.medschools.ac.uk
34 Medical Schools Council. Recommendations on Selection of Students with

Specific Learning Disabilities, including Dyslexia. 2005.
www.medschools.ac.uk
35 Medical Schools Council. The Ten Key Principles for joint working between
the Universities and the NHS. 2004. www.medschools.ac.uk
36 Medical Schools Council, the Council of Heads and Deans of Dental

Schools, the Association of UK University Hospitals and the Higher
Education Occupational Physicians Group. Medical and Dental Students:
Health clearance for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV and Tuberculosis. 2008.
www.medschools.ac.uk

37 Anne Tynan. Today’s Disabled Students: Tomorrow’s Doctors. General

Medical Council. 2006. www.gmc-uk.org/education
38 World Federation for Medical Education. Basic Medical Education: WFME

Global Standards for Quality Improvement. 2003.
www2.sund.ku.dk/wfme
Postgraduate medical training
39 Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the UK health departments. The

Foundation Programme Curriculum. 2010.
www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk
40 General Medical Council. The Trainee Doctor. 2011.

41 Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board. Educating

Tomorrow’s Doctors – Future models of medical training; medical
workforce shape and trainee expectations. 2008.
www.gmc-uk.org/about/PMETB_publications_archive.asp
42 Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board. Patients’ Role in

Healthcare – The future relationship between patient and doctor. 2008.
www.gmc-uk.org/about/PMETB_publications_archive.asp

Medical education and training: all stages
43 Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. Health Inequalities Curriculum

Competency Project. 2009. www.aomrc.org.uk
44 British Medical Association. Equality and diversity education. 2008.

www.bma.org.uk
45 British Medical Association Board of Medical Education. Doctors as

teachers. 2006. www.bma.org.uk
46 British Medical Association Medical Education Subcommittee. Role of

the patient in medical education. 2008. www.bma.org.uk
47 Andreas Hasman, Angela Coulter, Janet Askham. Education for

Partnership. Developments in medical education. Picker Institute Europe.
2006. www.pickereurope.org
48 NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement and the Academy of

Medical Royal Colleges. Medical Leadership Competency Framework.
2008. www.institute.nhs.uk
Medical practice
49 Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. A Clinician’s Guide to Record

Standards. 2008. www.rcplondon.ac.uk

50 British Medical Association Equal Opportunities Committee. Career

barriers in medicine. 2004. www.bma.org.uk
51 British Medical Association Equal Opportunities Committee. Disability

equality in the medical profession. 2007. www.bma.org.uk
52 British Medical Association Equal Opportunities Committee and Patient

Liaison Group. Disability equality within healthcare: the role of healthcare
professionals. 2007. www.bma.org.uk
53 General Medical Council. Confidentiality. 2009.

www.gmc-uk.org/guidance
54 General Medical Council. Consent: Patients and doctors making decisions

together. 2008. www.gmc-uk.org/guidance
55 General Medical Council. Good medical practice. 2013.

56 General Medical Council. Good practice in research and Consent to

research. 2010. www.gmc-uk.org/guidance
57 General Medical Council. Good practice in prescribing medicines. 2008.

58 General Medical Council. Personal beliefs and medical practice. 2008.


59 General Medical Council. Raising concerns about patient safety. 2006.

60 General Medical Council. Treatment and care towards the end of life:
good practice in decision making. 2010. www.gmc-uk.org/guidance
61 Ros Levenson, Steve Dewar, Susan Shepherd. Understanding Doctors:

Harnessing Professionalism. King’s Fund and Royal College of Physicians.
2008. www.kingsfund.org.uk
62 Medical Schools Council. The Consensus Statement on the Role of the

Doctor. 2008. www.medschools.ac.uk
63 NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. Improvement Leaders’

Guides. 2007. www.institute.nhs.uk
64 Royal College of Physicians. Doctors in society. Medical professionalism in

a changing world. 2005. www.rcplondon.ac.uk
65 Royal College of Physicians. Palliative Care Services: meeting the needs of

patients. 2007. www.rcplondon.ac.uk
Higher education
66 Quality Assurance Agency. Code of practice for the assurance of academic

quality and standards in higher education. Various dates for sections.
www.qaa.ac.uk

Appendix 4 – Glossary
Appraisal A positive process to provide feedback on the

performance of a student or a member of staff to
chart their continuing progress, and to identify
their development needs.
Assessment All activity aimed at judging students’

attainment of curriculum outcomes, whether
for summative purposes (determining progress)
or formative purposes (giving feedback). An
‘examination’ is an individual assessment test.
Clinical tutor or Any doctor or other healthcare professional

clinical supervisor responsible for the supervision or assessment of
a student on a placement.
Curriculum A detailed schedule of the teaching and learning

opportunities that will be provided.
Elective A period of clinical experience that is chosen by

the student and is often taken outside the UK.
Examiners All those responsible for marking, assessing or

judging students’ performance, regardless of
the terminology used in any particular medical
school.
Integrated teaching A system where the clinical and basic sciences

are taught and learned together. This allows
students to see how scientific knowledge and
clinical experience are combined to support
good medical practice.

Other education Organisations involved in the delivery of

providers undergraduate.
Placement A structured period of supervised clinical

experience and learning in a health or social care
setting (including community health services
and non-NHS settings).
Primary medical A first medical degree awarded by a body or

qualification (PMQ) combination of bodies that is recognised by the
GMC for this purpose, or that was empowered to
issue PMQs at the time the degree was awarded.
Revalidation The regular demonstration by doctors that they

are up to date, and fit to practise medicine.
Scheme of The examinations and assessments that make

assessment sure all students have successfully achieved
and demonstrated the knowledge, skills and
behaviour set out in the curriculum.
Self-directed A process in which students are responsible for

learning organising and managing their own learning
activities and needs.
Student A period during which a student acts as assistant

Assistantship to a junior doctor, with defined duties under
appropriate supervision.
Student-selected Parts of the curriculum that allow students

components (SSCs) to choose what they want to study. These
components may also offer flexibility concerning
how, where and when study will take place.
Endnotes
1 See High Quality Care for All – 4 Primary prevention of disease

NHS Next Stage Review Final is understood to refer to the
Report. prevention of disease onset.
Secondary prevention of
2 The term ‘other education disease is understood to refer
providers’ means organisations to the detection of disease
involved in the delivery of in symptom-free individuals.
undergraduate medical Tertiary prevention of disease
education outside the medical is understood to refer to
school itself, including their the prevention of disease
staff, GP tutors, clinical progression, and to palliation or
tutors, NHS staff, and others rehabilitation.
in the local health economy
or independent sector with 5 The term ‘placement’ means a
specific roles in educational structured period of supervised
supervision. clinical experience and learning
in a health or social care
3 ‘NHS organisations’ includes setting (including community
acute, primary care and mental health services and non-NHS
health organisations, and the settings).
boards and authorities which
oversee their work.

6 The terms ‘clinical tutor’ and 10 When acting as a Student

‘clinical supervisor’ mean any Assistant, a student must not
doctor or other healthcare carry out any procedure or
professional responsible for the take responsibility for anything
supervision or assessment of a which requires provisional
student on a placement. registration and, from the
introduction of the licence to
7 This includes universities and practise, a licence.
non-university bodies with
appropriate degree-awarding 11 ‘Examiners’ here means all
powers that are recognised by those responsible for marking,
the GMC. assessing or judging students’
performance, regardless of
8 A Student Assistantship means the terminology used in any
a period during which a student particular medical school.
acts as assistant to a junior
doctor, with defined duties
under appropriate supervision.
9 A generalisable assessment
is one where candidates’
scores are not influenced by
specific circumstances such
as variability in examination
conditions or examiners.

Index
Note: Numbers refer to page numbers

E
A educational resources and capacity of
academic outcomes 14–18 medical schools 72–74
academic support equality, diversity and
and guidance 61, 63–64 opportunity 41–44
admissions policies 45–47 ethical responsibilities of doctors 25–26
assessment see curriculum design, European Union law, undergraduate
delivery and assessment education 83–84
examiners 58–59
C
career advice 61, 65 F
clinical placements 52–55, 63 fitness to practise 9, 10, 33–35, 46–47,
clinical presentations 20 62, 68
clinical records 21–24 disability, ill-health 65
clinical supervisors 69
Code of practice for the assurance of G
academic quality and standards in Gateways to the professions: advising
higher education, QAA 38, 59 medical schools, encouraging
communicable diseases 66–67 disabled students, GMC 46
communication skills 21–22 GMC, responsibilities 8–9
confidentiality 24, 67–68 Good medical practice, GMC 4, 6, 7, 12,
consultations with patients 19, 21 14, 25, 33, 35, 53, 66, 92, 99, 100
curriculum design, delivery and
assessment 47–60 I
clinical placements 52–55, 63 ill-health, disability 65
feedback and assessment 56–59 information, effective use
Student Selected Components in medical context 24
(SSCs) 50–51
L
D leadership 14, 28
diagnostic procedures 77–78 legal aspects of professional duties 26
disability 9, 43, 65–66, 69 legal aspects of undergraduate
and fitness to practise 43, 65–66, 69 education
diversity, and opportunity 41–44 EU law 83–84
duties/professional role of doctor UK law 82
Good medical practice, GMC 4 licence to practise 34, 35, 82, 83

M Medical students: professional values and

medical education fitness to practise, GMC and MSC 34,
documents 85–91 62, 68
PMQs 9, 82 multi-professional team working 27–28
medical emergencies, care in 22
medical practice, documents 92–93 N
medical research, scientific method 18 NHS organisations
medical schools knowledge of 28
admissions policies 45–47 responsibilities 11, 33, 72
assessment see curriculum design
equality, diversity and O
opportunity 41–44 occupational health 41, 52, 54
fitness to practise Office of the Independent Adjudicator
policy 10, 34, 62, 68 101
resources and capacity 72–74 outcomes for graduates 5, 14–29, 57–58
responsibilities 10 academic 14–18
staff 60 assessments 48–49
teachers, trainers, clinical doctor as practitioner 19–24
supervisors and assessors 69 doctor as professional 25–29
see also standards for teaching, doctor as scholar/scientist 14–18
learning and assessment quality management 75–76
medical students
assessment see curriculum design, P
delivery and assessment pastoral support and guidance 61, 63–64
equality, diversity and opportunity 41–44 patient-centred care 25
disability 43, 65–66, 69 patients
fitness to practise 9, 13, 33–35, 62, 68 consultation with 19–22
health 65–67 presenting information to 23, 81
pastoral support and guidance 61–64 safety and protection 28–29, 31–35
progression, reporting of 68, 75–76 population health 17, 28–29
responsibilities 13 postgraduate medical training,
selection 45–47 documents 90
welfare needs 61, 64 practical procedures 23
diagnostics 77–78
general aspects 81
therapeutics 79–80

practitioners, role 19–24 social sciences, concepts of health/illness 16

prescribing 23 standards for teaching, learning and
primary medical qualifications (PMQs) 9, 82 assessment 30–76
procedures see practical procedures curriculum design, delivery and
professional development 26–27 assessment 47–60
professional duties of doctors equality, diversity and opportunity 41–44
in relation to students 12 evaluating outcomes for graduates/
psychological concepts of quality management 75–76
health/illness 15 management of teaching 70–74
quality assurance, review and
Q evaluation 36–40
quality assurance, review and safety of patients 31–35
evaluation 36–40 student selection 45–47
students, see medical students
R Student Selected Components
reasonable adjustments 41, 64 (SSCs) 50–51
reference documents support
medical education 85–90 for students 61, 63–64
medical practice 92–93 for educators 69
postgraduate medical training 90–91
registration 34, 35 T
provisional 35 teaching and learning, medical
respect for patients and others 25–26 students 26–27
responsibilities team working 27–29
of doctors 12 training for teachers, trainers, clinical
of GMC 8–9 supervisors and assessors 69
of medical schools 10, 32, 69 therapeutic procedures 79–80
of NHS organisations 11, 33, 74
of students 13 U
see also fitness to practise UK law, undergraduate education 82
S
safety and needs of
patients 25–26, 28–29, 31–35
scientific method in medical research 18
scientific role of doctor 14–18

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.gmc-uk.org
Telephone: 0161 923 6602
General Medical Council, 3 Hardman Street, Manchester M3 3AW
Textphone: please dial the prefix 18001 then

0161 923 6602 to use the Text Relay service
Join our conversation

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format, please call us on 0161 923 6602 or email us
at [email protected].
© 2009 General Medical Council
The text of this document may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium providing
it is reproduced accurately and not in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged
as GMC copyright and the document title specified.
ISBN: 978-0-901458-36-0
Cover illustration by Geoff Hardie
The GMC is a charity registered in England and Wales (1089278)

and Scotland (SC037750)
Code: GMC/TD/0914

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What are the four domains that doctors must meet standards in?

What are the four domains that doctors must meet standards in?

What are doctors' responsibilities regarding patient safety?

What are doctors' responsibilities regarding patient safety?

Tomorrow’s Doctors

Outcomes and standards for

The duties of a doctor registered with

n Provide a good standard of practice and care.

l Keep your professional knowledge and skills up to date.

Communication, partnership and teamwork

l Treat patients politely and considerately.

l Listen to, and respond to, their concerns and preferences.

n Never discriminate unfairly against patients or colleagues.

General Medical Council | 01

02 | General Medical Council

Appendix 1 – Practical procedures for graduates 77

General Medical Council | 03

Doctors must be capable of regularly taking responsibility See Appendix 3,

Medical schools equip medical students with the scientific

In Good medical practice the GMC states: See GMC,

Putting patients first involves working with them as partners in

It is not enough for a clinician to act as a practitioner in their

04 | General Medical Council

In Tomorrow’s Doctors, we cover these themes under three

Graduation is an early threshold in doctors’ careers. New See Appendix 3,

General Medical Council | 05

Professional regulation has changed dramatically since the See GMC,

For this edition, among a number of important changes, we have

We realise that meeting these outcomes and standards will be

06 | General Medical Council

Today’s undergraduates – tomorrow’s doctors – will see See GMC,

Professor Peter Rubin

General Medical Council | 07

1 The GMC, the medical schools, the NHS, doctors and

2 The GMC is responsible for:

a Protecting, promoting and maintaining the health and

08 | General Medical Council

h Recognising, continuing to recognise or no longer

General Medical Council | 09

3 Medical schools are responsible for:

a Protecting patients and taking appropriate steps to

10 | General Medical Council

4 NHS organisations3 are responsible for:

a Making available the facilities, staff and practical

General Medical Council | 11

5 Doctors are responsible for:

a Following the principles of professional practice that 5a See GMC,

12 | General Medical Council

6 Students are responsible for:

a Their own learning, including achieving all the

General Medical Council | 13

Outcomes for graduates

Overarching outcome for graduates

7 Medical students are tomorrow’s doctors. In accordance 7 See GMC,

Outcomes 1 − The doctor as a scholar

8 The graduate will be able to apply to medical practice 8 See

a Explain normal human structure and functions.

14 | General Medical Council

f Demonstrate knowledge of drug actions: therapeutics 8f See