Types of College Membership

Doctors who have passed all three parts of the MRCOG exam are eligible for full College Membership. Doctors joining the College are admitted by the Council. They are awarded the right to use the designatory letters MRCOG.

Learn more about RCOG Membership.

Fellowship is not awarded to recognise completion of any training or length of membership. It is a mark of senior status given to those who have contributed to the speciality, furthering the standards of practice and research.

Election to the Fellowship

Fellows are elected each year from the Membership and should normally have been Members for at least 10 years and have made a significant contribution to O&G through research, teaching or publications. Fellows are entitled to use the designatory letters FRCOG.

All retired Fellows and Members can automatically join the Retired Fellows and Members Society and continue to enjoy many of the College’s benefits.

If you have retired from all forms of medical practice, please contact us in writing by email: membership@rcog.org.uk . We will then send you a cessation declaration form to update our records.

• Learn more about retired RCOG Fellows and Members.

Associates are medical practitioners working in the field of women’s healthcare overseas. Associates have medical degrees but do not hold the MRCOG. Becoming an Associate offers a formal link with the College and an opportunity to support our activities.

Learn more about RCOG Associates.

Honorary Fellows are distinguished people outside the medical profession who are elected by RCOG Council. Honorary Fellows may use the designatory letters FRCOG. 

Individuals who don’t have a College membership but who, in the eyes of the Council, have contributed to the advancement of the science or practice of O&G are eligible for a Fellowship ad eundem. By furthering the interests of the speciality, they may be nominated for this Membership and may then use the designatory letters FRCOG.

For more information about Fellows ad eundem, including how to nominate someone, please see the Fellowship ad eundem guidelines and nomination form.

Fellowship honoris causa is awarded to individuals who aren’t yet members of the College but who can demonstrate:

• The highest level of dedication and achievement in clinical care, or
• The highest level of support to the development of women’s healthcare services, or
• The highest level of work/support for the RCOG
• Fellows honoris causa are entitled to use the designatory letters FRCOG.

For more information about Fellows honoris causa, including how to nominate someone, please see the Fellowship honoris causa guidelines and nomination form.

For doctors in training who have passed their MRCOG Part 1 and Part 2 exams, the College offers Trainee membership. All trainees will be registered with us on the Trainees’ Register. Once they pass MRCOG Part 3, they will be eligible for full Membership.

Learn more about Trainees.

The College organises a Diploma exam for doctors training to become general practitioners (family doctors) who wish to include O&G as part of the service they provide. Doctors who complete the training programme and satisfy the exam requirements are entitled to use the designatory letters DRCOG after their name.

Affiliates are individuals working for the benefit of women’s healthcare who wish to be linked with the activities of the RCOG but do not hold a medical degree. While not an exhaustive list, this category includes:

• Embryologists
• Assistant practitioners and perioperative care workers
• Ultrasonographers
• Members of specialist societies
• Scientists and research academics
• Midwives
• Nurses

We are working on developing a new and improved Affiliate category. Details of the new offering will be available soon.

Med students who are considering a career in O&G are encouraged to register with us free of charge. The RCOG provides information on careers fairs, academic and med school events, as well as other relevant information on our specialism.

Doctors completing their foundation training and junior level doctors with less than 18 months of O&G training are encouraged to register with us free of charge. This option is open to doctors who are seeking to pursue a career in O&G but who are yet to be appointed to a specialty training programme and who have not yet passed their Part 1 exam.

The RCOG provides information on careers fairs, national recruitment, links to the RCOG trainees’ site, access to the newsletter, as well as other relevant information on our specialism.