GDC Prioritises Refugee Dentists for Exams
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- Published: Monday, 27 January 2025 10:32
- Written by Peter Ingle
- Hits: 972
The GDC have demonstrated that when they have the will, that they can both deliver on promises, and act quickly.
Within days of GDC Chair, Lord Harris, outlining the measure in his message about the GDC’s ambitions for 2025, changes have been made to bookings for the ORE exam. Dental professionals with refugee status will now receive priority access to the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) booking system.
With this new policy, candidates who provide evidence of their refugee status will receive priority booking for up to two attempts at both parts of the ORE. They will have access to a dedicated booking window before general bookings open. Priority bookings for refugees will open two weeks ahead of the general booking windows for the April 2025 sittings.
The GDC has concluded that refugees face multiple barriers to registration, which include difficulties accessing documentation, providing evidence of their qualifications, and the inability to return to their home countries to practise.
Without exam places, these dental professionals cannot register to practise in the UK, potentially leading to skills degradation and financial inequality. The new policy aims to address the unique challenges these professionals face when seeking to practise dentistry in the UK.
Stefan Czerniawski, Executive Director Strategy, at the GDC, said: "We recognise the distinct challenges faced by refugee dental professionals in their paths to registration. By providing priority exam access, we’re helping skilled professionals restart their careers and provide much needed dental care in the UK at a time when their expertise continues to be in high demand.
To be eligible for priority booking, candidates must provide evidence of their refugee status as recognised by the Home Office. This includes individuals granted refugee status under the UN Convention, humanitarian protection, and those admitted under specific resettlement schemes such as those for Afghanistan and Ukraine.
The GDC have come under repeated fire for their management of the ORE process and the resulting bottleneck in all overseas registrants of all circumstances being able to join the UK register. They said in their announcement that they are also actively working to expand overall ORE capacity through ongoing procurement efforts.
The situation to register as a DCP is unchanged, those with a relevant overseas DCP qualification will need to apply for individual assessment to register. Following closure of the previous loophole, applicants cannot use a dentists’ qualification to apply for registration as a DCP.
The priority places for refugees are expected to represent a small percentage of the overall number of seats.
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