Document Detail


Barriers and facilitating factors in the professional careers of international medical graduates.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20633219     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVES: Social and cultural diversity are increasingly important characteristics of the medical professional workforce. Every year, substantial numbers of international medical graduates (IMGs) seek jobs outside the countries in which they were educated. This article concerns IMGs who enter the Netherlands as refugees or as spouses of Dutch citizens. As their non-European medical qualifications are not considered equivalent to the Dutch qualifications, they are required to undertake additional medical training. Because little is known about their professional careers, we set out to identify the barriers that confront and the facilitating factors that support IMGs before, during and after their supplementary medical training.
METHODS: We invited 58 IMGs who had successfully completed their additional medical training requirements in Maastricht, the Netherlands (1996-2007) to participate in in-depth interviews. They were identified by the university's Institute of Medical Education and from its alumni database.
RESULTS: Thirty-two IMGs participated and reported a range of issues affecting their attempts to practise medicine in the Netherlands. Reported barriers included difficulties in accessing information on complementary medical education and lack of (financial) support. Perseverance was reported to be essential. Financial and social support were also reported as facilitating factors. Lack of command of the Dutch language and age were seen as barriers to securing employment and entrance to specialisation.
CONCLUSIONS: The barriers identified have major implications for IMGs wishing to practise medicine in the Netherlands. Better support to overcome the difficulties inherent in migration and career change will result in better trained and acculturated doctors who will be more motivated to contribute to society.
Authors:
Elisabeth G W Huijskens; Afshin Hooshiaran; Albert Scherpbier; Frans van der Horst
Related Documents :
16179619 - Teaching medical students diagnostic sonography.
10290069 - One hospital's solution to the shortage of coders.
9756459 - Acquired multidrug-resistant tuberculosis--buenaventura, colombia, 1998.
8725479 - A review of canadian forces search and rescue technician medical training and operation...
7669709 - How uniform are post-graduate training programs in medical oncology in the european union?
17019919 - Hospitalists in medical education: coming to an academic medical center near you.
16801659 - Erasmus darwin (1731-1802): neurologist.
12010929 - Nice: guessing is not guidance. national institute for clinical excellence.
589349 - Psychological and social evaluation in cases of deliberate self-poisoning admitted to a...
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Medical education     Volume:  44     ISSN:  1365-2923     ISO Abbreviation:  Med Educ     Publication Date:  2010 Aug 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-07-16     Completed Date:  2010-12-10     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7605655     Medline TA:  Med Educ     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  795-804     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 5000 AS Tilburg, the Netherlands. ingehuijskens@hotmail.com
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Age Factors
Clinical Competence
Communication Barriers
Education, Medical, Graduate / organization & administration*
Employment
Female
Foreign Medical Graduates*
Humans
Language
Licensure, Medical*
Male
Middle Aged
Netherlands
Refugees
Religion

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  The influence of language family on academic performance in Year 1 and 2 MBBS students.
Next Document:  Privacy, professionalism and Facebook: a dilemma for young doctors.