Eligibility criteria.

Full, limited or provisional registration with the General Medical Council or Medical Council of Ireland.

You must not be not currently suspended or removed from medical practice.

You must not be subject to disciplinary proceedings anywhere in the world.

That's it!

If you are not registered in the UK or Ireland, you cannot sit the exam

This seems daft and discriminatory to me and I have raised the matter with the College.

This has had no effect and the College does not intend to change the eligibility criteria.

However, it is working on the creation of an International Diploma in O&G.

This will be suitable for doctors anywhere in the world.

At the time of writing (2008) there is no fixed timescale for its introduction.

There used to be a requirement to have done 6 months in a recognised O&G job.

This was abolished in 2006.

If you haven't done a post-graduate job in O&G, make sure you get plenty of reading done.

It would help to attend a few antenatal and gynaecological clinics.

It would also help if you have some idea of what is done at colposcopy, hysteroscopy and laparoscopy.

Visits to the colposcopy clinic, outpatient hysteroscopy clinic and day case theatre would help.

A few visits to the sexually transmitted disease clinic would also help.

If you can, do a course in family planning and take the DFFP / DFSRH examination.