'I have been seeking support for mental health issues. Will this affect my ability to practise?'

Receiving mental health treatment should not be a bar to obtaining GMC registration if you are fit to practise. On the contrary, showing that you are being proactive about dealing with your health issues will be seen as a positive.

The GMC recognises that doctors experience mental health conditions, and are only interested when a doctor's mental illness puts patients at risk. In order to grant registration, the GMC wants to see that doctors have insight and seek independent advice and treatment – and don't simply rely on their own assessment.

As a student, telling your medical school about any serious health problems that could affect your training will show that you have insight and awareness – and will also allow your medical school to support you in seeking help and managing your condition.

See also the GMC's mythbusters about common misconceptions students have about their mental health.

'I am applying for provisional registration. What do I need to disclose to the GMC?'

When applying for GMC registration, you will be required to make a declaration of fitness to practise.

In the last two years we have received a number of calls from final year students enquiring about whether they need to inform the GMC of previous cautions or convictions.

The GMC's advice on declaration of fitness to practise provides detailed information on what you will and won't have to include when requesting provisional registration.

We advise that it's always best to be honest from the outset, with both your medical school and the GMC. If even a minor incident comes to light that you should have declared, you will face really serious questions about your honesty and the level of your insight into what happened.

How can we help?

How can we help?