For doctors, the UAE licensing path has one big fork early on: are you applying as a General Practitioner (GP) or as a specialist/consultant? Specialists are assessed primarily on postgraduate qualifications and experience, often with an oral assessment. This guide covers the GP route — the written Prometric exam that most internationally trained doctors without a recognised postgraduate specialty sit first.
The GP category in one paragraph
A GP license lets you practise general outpatient medicine in clinics, urgent care and general practice settings. It is the standard entry point for doctors with an MBBS (or equivalent) plus internship and some general clinical experience. The authority depends on the emirate — DHA for Dubai, DOH for Abu Dhabi, MOH for the Northern Emirates (how to choose) — and the GP exams across the three are closely aligned in content and difficulty.
Eligibility: the common bar
Commonly reported requirements for the GP category (always verify the current PQR for your authority — the fine print moves):
- MBBS or equivalent medical degree from a recognised institution
- Completed internship (typically one year)
- Post-internship clinical experience — commonly around two to three years in a general/clinical setting; some authorities show flexibility for strong recent graduates, others do not
- Active medical license and Good Standing Certificate from your home country
- DataFlow verification of degree, internship, license and experience — the slowest step, start it first (DataFlow guide)
Exam format
- Around 150 single-best-answer MCQs over roughly three hours, computer-based at Prometric centres worldwide (exam-day walkthrough)
- Clinical-scenario questions — a presentation, findings, and "what is the most appropriate next step / most likely diagnosis / best initial investigation?"
- No negative marking; results are pass/fail and cut-offs are not officially published — most preparation providers advise training to a consistent 70%+ on timed mocks
- Up to three attempts in the typical case, with a waiting period between attempts
What the paper covers
The GP exam samples the breadth of general practice. Expect the weight to sit across:
- Internal medicine — the largest block: cardiology, endocrine (diabetes dominates), respiratory, GI, renal, infectious disease
- Emergency presentations — chest pain, sepsis, anaphylaxis, trauma basics, the "do not miss" diagnoses
- Paediatrics — fever, vaccination schedules, growth, common infections
- Obstetrics and gynaecology — antenatal care, common complications, contraception
- Surgery — acute abdomen, pre/post-operative care, common electives
- Psychiatry, dermatology, ophthalmology, ENT — lighter but reliably present
- Ethics, safety and documentation — consent, confidentiality, prescribing safety
Two preparation truths follow from this blueprint. First, guideline currency matters: questions track international, evidence-based guidelines — if your daily practice has drifted from them, the exam will find out. Second, breadth beats depth: a brilliant cardiologist who has not touched paediatrics in five years fails GP papers; the exam rewards the safe generalist.
Budget and sequence
End-to-end — authority application, DataFlow, Prometric fee, then registration and license activation — doctors commonly report totals in the AED 3,000-4,000 range depending on authority, before preparation costs. The sequence that avoids wasted money: confirm eligibility against the PQR → start DataFlow → prepare while verification runs → book Prometric when mocks say ready → pass → activate.
Preparation strategy
- Weeks 1-2: diagnose. One full timed mock, cold. Doctors are the most over-confident candidate group on these exams — the cold mock is the correction.
- Weeks 3-6: rebuild by system, weakest first. Daily scenario MCQs, and read every explanation — the distance between "plausible option" and "most appropriate next step" is where marks live.
- Weeks 7-8: simulate. Full 150-question sittings, one-minute-per-question pacing, flag-and-return discipline. Review each mock as long as you sat it.
Myndaq's UAE GP course is built on this plan — case-style MCQs across medicine, surgery, emergency and paediatrics with an AI tutor that explains the reasoning on every answer, plus full 150-question timed mocks.
Informational guide, current as of July 2026. Categories, experience rules and fees vary by authority and change — confirm the current PQR on the official DHA, DOH or MOHAP portal before applying. Specialist/consultant pathways differ substantially from the GP route described here.