British Somali Medical Association, home
Donate Join
A talk on integrating international medical graduates, at a BSMA event

IMG programme

Support for Somali doctors trained abroad, from the UKMLA and PLAB exams to GMC registration and a first post in the NHS.

Running now Past courses

Running now

Free and online. Registration links are posted on our Instagram before each session.

  • Weekly UKMLA Revision Course

    High-yield, exam-focused revision built on the official GMC MLA content map, one specialty at a time: 13 weeks and more than 18 specialties. For candidates preparing for the UKMLA or PLAB. Every Sunday from 4 October to 27 December 2026, on Zoom and recorded.

    FreeAutumn 2026
    Timetable, autumn 2026

    Sundays, 2pm to 3pm unless stated. Session details and timings can change; we post updates on Instagram.

    DateSpecialty
    Gastroenterology (6pm to 7pm)
    Cardiology
    Respiratory
    Endocrine
    Renal
    Neurology and ophthalmology
    Obstetrics and gynaecology
    Psychiatry
    Musculoskeletal, rheumatology and dermatology
    Paediatrics
    Haematology and oncology
    Emergency medicine
    General surgery, perioperative care and ENT

  • PLAB 1 revision

    Structured teaching on high-yield PLAB 1 topics with practical clinical insight, led by doctors working in the NHS. The series opened in August 2026 with endocrinology and gastroenterology. On Zoom, with recordings for registered participants.

    FreeSince August 2026

  • BSMA Journal Club

    Critical appraisal, case presentations and practical guidance for IMGs, including GMC guidance. Open to doctors and other healthcare professionals.

    FreeSince May 2026

Past courses

Since 2019, courses and talks on exams, registration, finding a first post and settling into the NHS.

Every past event, in our Archive

  1. UKMLA crash course: a free one-day online course on high-yield topics, taught by specialists. A second crash course, on obstetrics and gynaecology and neurology, followed in the spring.

  2. A National Conference panel on the challenges and opportunities for IMG doctors and allied health professionals.

  3. The IMG Prep Course: a series of talks on OET and IELTS, PLAB 1, PLAB 2, GMC registration and CVs.

  4. IMG doctors joined our foundation teaching series alongside final-year students and foundation doctors.

  5. Monthly catch-ups for international medical students and graduates: an hour with a guest speaker, questions and networking.

  6. Our third International Medical Graduate course, held live online.

  7. The second course, in Birmingham, at Birmingham Medical School with iMed Birmingham: GMC registration, exams, a first job and specialty applications, with interview practice and OSCE stations.

  8. Our first International Medical Graduate course, led by Dr Hafsa Ahmed, to ease the move into the NHS.

Questions about the IMG programme?

Exams, GMC registration, finding a first post, or joining a session: email us and the IMG team will get back to you.

Email info@thebsma.org

IMG Leads

The programme is run by the BSMA's IMG Lead, a member of the committee.

The committee
  • Dr Mohamed HersiIMG Lead, 2025 to date
  • Dr Ladan Yusuf HassanIMG Lead, 2023 to 2025
  • Dr Hafsa AhmedIMG Lead, 2018 to 2022

Trained abroad and coming to the UK?

Associate membership is free for Somali doctors and medical students based abroad.

Join the BSMA Contact us