Free CPD Courses for IMG Doctors: Which to Take for Your NHS Application
Updated: 20 hours ago
Open almost any NHS person specification and you will see the same words again and again: teaching, audit, leadership, clinical governance, safeguarding, communication. Shortlisters score your application against each one. If you cannot show evidence, you lose the mark.
The good news? You can start building that evidence today, for free. Here is a simple guide to which CPD courses to take, and how to use them in your NHS application.
Why CPD courses matter for IMG doctors
Many international doctors have the experience but not the language. They have taught students, improved a process or led a team, but they do not know how the NHS describes it, so they leave it out or write something generic. A good course fixes both problems: it teaches you how the topic works in the NHS, and it gives you the words to describe your own experience.
Courses also show shortlisters that you take your development seriously, especially if you have not yet worked in the NHS.
Match the course to the person specification
Here is how the most common criteria map to our free courses:
"Evidence of teaching" → Teaching Skills for Doctors
"Involvement in audit or quality improvement" → Clinical Audit and Quality Improvement
"Leadership and management skills" → Leadership and Management for Doctors
"Understanding of clinical governance" → Clinical Governance
"Knowledge of GMC Good Medical Practice" → Understanding Good Medical Practice
"Probity and professional integrity" → Professionalism and Probity
"Safeguarding" → Safeguarding Adults and Safeguarding Children
"Effective communication" → Communication Skills
"Commitment to equality and diversity" → Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
"Understanding of confidentiality and information governance" → Confidentiality, Information Governance and AI
"Interest in research" → Research for Beginners and Research and Critical Appraisal
"Reflective practice" → Reflection, Appraisal and Revalidation
Never worked in the NHS? Start with Working in the NHS: Ward Essentials, which explains how wards, handovers and teams actually work.
Where to start if you only have a week
Working in the NHS: Ward Essentials for the basics of NHS working life.
Teaching Skills for Doctors, because teaching is on almost every person specification.
Clinical Audit and Quality Improvement, so you can describe a project properly.
Clinical Governance, a common interview topic as well.
How to use a course in your application
Do not just list the course. Show what you learned and how you used it. For example:
"I completed a course on clinical audit and quality improvement, which helped me understand the full audit cycle. I then used it to plan a re-audit of medication charts on my ward and present the results to the team."
Put the course under "Courses and CPD" on your CV and in the training section of your NHS Jobs or Trac form, then use it as evidence in your supporting statement. Our free NHS supporting statement examples show how to do this for every common criterion.
What you get
18 short online courses, written simply with worked examples
Free to study, at your own pace
A short quiz at the end of each course
An optional certificate with a verification link that employers can check
The courses are independent and not accredited by the GMC or a Royal College. They help you learn and present your evidence; they do not replace mandatory training or accredited courses such as ALS.
Need help turning it into a strong application?
Our £35 CV Review & Rewrite Package includes a complete CV review and rewrite, two supporting statements for NHS posts you choose, and guidance for future applications. Email cvreviewexperts@gmail.com or visit our Services page.
Frequently asked questions
Are the courses really free?
Yes. All courses are free to study online. A certificate of completion is optional.
Do NHS shortlisters value online CPD courses?
They value evidence that matches the person specification. A course is most useful when you explain what you learned and how you applied it.
Which course should I do first?
If you have not worked in the NHS, start with Working in the NHS: Ward Essentials. Otherwise, start with whichever criterion on your target person specification you have the least evidence for.
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