Gaps in practice and what they mean for your licence

What a gap in practice is

The PQR defines a gap of practice as a period without clinical experience or practice in your field.

The extra requirements below apply when the gap is more than three years.

A gap of three to five years

You complete CME/CPD credits and a period of clinical training. The number of credits depends on your profession and on how long the gap is.

From three to less than four years, the training is 6 months. From four to less than five years, it is 8 months.

The training takes place in a health facility recognised by the authorities. In surgical specialties you also keep a logbook during it.

After the credits, you pass the authority's licensing exam. UAE nationals and children of Emirati women do not sit this exam.

A gap of more than five years

In general, applicants who are not UAE nationals cannot apply for a licence after a gap of more than five years.

For UAE nationals and children of Emirati women the limit is ten years. A gap of five to ten years needs 12 months of training.

For UAE nationals, national service does not count as a gap.

Exams after a gap

After a gap of more than three years, an international exam or registration no longer exempts you from the authority's exam, unless you are a UAE national.