In the last few decades the UK has opened its doors to medical practitioners of all specialities and nationalities in an attempt to increase medic numbers and to expand the pool of experience and specialities within the UK itself. With the need for doctors, nurses, emergency staff and specialists increasing dramatically along with the rising population, many graduates and young doctors opt to work in the UK to gain experience in an English-speaking region or to broaden their medical horizons. Moreover the push for young medical graduates within the UK to advance quickly to areas of specialty has increased as the government seeks to provide adequate medical coverage for the UK population. As such the opportunities for international medical practitioners and young British graduates to gain places in medicine within the UK are widespread and diverse.
Although the National Health System (NHS) and the British government have made recent changes to legislation which can make it harder for international medics and young graduates to gain placements quickly, the infrastructure that has been put in place ensures that the right people get the right jobs and right training – therefore making the experience more worthwhile for everyone involved: the doctors, the supervisors, and the patients. Changes to the clinical attachment scheme in April of 2006 have now made it compulsory for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) to obtain a work permit before being able to work within the UK. This has been done to ensure that the attachments and positions on offer are first offered to UK and EEA graduates. Having said this, the demand for highly qualified and motivated medics has not decreased, and many IMGs are still finding the UK is a great place to launch their careers as highly specialised individuals.
Although the National Health System (NHS) and the British government have made recent changes to legislation which can make it harder for international medics and young graduates to gain placements quickly, the infrastructure that has been put in place ensures that the right people get the right jobs and right training – therefore making the experience more worthwhile for everyone involved: the doctors, the supervisors, and the patients. Changes to the clinical attachment scheme in April of 2006 have now made it compulsory for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) to obtain a work permit before being able to work within the UK. This has been done to ensure that the attachments and positions on offer are first offered to UK and EEA graduates. Having said this, the demand for highly qualified and motivated medics has not decreased, and many IMGs are still finding the UK is a great place to launch their careers as highly specialised individuals.