IMG in the UK

Started by whiteswan
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whiteswan

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10+ Year Member
Hey guys! Hope some of you can help me!! 🙂

I'm a 5th year Med student from Brazil (non-EU, but my Italian citizenship is supposed to be officialised by the end of next year) and I intend to practise Anaesthesiology in England at some point, so I'm thinking about my options and trying to find out which would be the best way:

1. Applying for a Foundation post in the UK and progressing from there until being able to work as an Anaesthesiology consultant - from what I've seen, it seems to be harder than ever for IMGs to get training posts, right? What are my real chances, is Anaesthesiology too hard to get in there?

2. Getting my specialty training in Brazil and going to the UK afterwards - is it possible to be recognised as an Anaesthesiologist, does the RCA have accrediting tests? I understand there's a shortage of training posts now, but is there a shortage of consultant jobs too?

Thank you 🙂
 
If you get Italian citizenship you shouldn't have too much of a problem getting a job in the UK. Anaesthetics isn't particularly competitive.
 
Hey thanks a lot for your answer 🙂
May I ask you something else?
I read there's a frantic run for ST posts and that if you can't get one you're kind of lost, career-wise, is that real or is it an overstatement?

Thanks again
 
Well if you don't get an ST post then you could do SHO locuming or teach anatomy at a med school for a year but apart from that I'm not sure what you could really do. A lot of people can't get an ST job in their chosen specialty and go into another one instead. Some only apply for their chosen specialty and don't get it so have to reapply the next year, apart from what I said I have no idea what they do for that year.
 
well guys, to get a residency spot in UK, shouldn't you pass PLAB exams? just like USA residancy: to get training spot in USA you should pass USMLE Steps....
 
PLAB isn't the same as the USMLE and a lot of people don't need to take it to practice here.
 
if it wont trouble you, would you please be kind and tell me a bit more about that.... I knew that everybody who wants to practice medicine in UK should take PLAB.

thanks beforehand 🙂
 
lukazo said:
if it wont trouble you, would you please be kind and tell me a bit more about that.... I knew that everybody who wants to practice medicine in UK should take PLAB.

thanks beforehand 🙂
Click to expand...
only IMGs not everyone....and if you can prove you have EC rights (ie from another EU country, resided there, etc etc...complicated law stuff that I will soon know) you can skip the PLAB even as an IMG
 
coralis said:
only IMGs not everyone....and if you can prove you have EC rights (ie from another EU country, resided there, etc etc...complicated law stuff that I will soon know) you can skip the PLAB even as an IMG
Click to expand...

thanks for reply. well, just for interest: is PLAB harder then USMLE ? I mean for IMGs.
 
lukazo said:
thanks for reply. well, just for interest: is PLAB harder then USMLE ? I mean for IMGs.
Click to expand...
that only depends on the person taking it. Some say it's the hardest in the world (the PLAB) some say it's the same stuff like Step 2 and it's no biggy
 
I've heard that even passing PLAB IMGs find it very hard to find residency places in UK. is it that hard to do it? I guess it depends on speciality, some are more competitive, some are less.... but imagine you passed PLAB but didin't get the place, what do you do in this case?

thanks for answer 🙂
 
and one more thing. as I was told by SDN administrator, and as it seems to be so, here aren't many British residnts or fellows, so does anybody know any kind of british forum like sdn, so I could ask there my questions? 🙂
 
lukazo said:
and one more thing. as I was told by SDN administrator, and as it seems to be so, here aren't many British residnts or fellows, so does anybody know any kind of british forum like sdn, so I could ask there my questions? 🙂
Click to expand...

www.newmediamedicine.com/forum

In general they will have no idea what you need to do as a non-UK citizen though and even a lot of med students have no idea about job applications until they are 4th or 5th year and even then most only know about foundation jobs, not ST and beyond. It is mostly people talking about getting into med school.
 
well thank you 🙂 it's still better then nothing at all. I found a IMG subforum at www.newmediamedicine.com/forum. I'll take a look in depth in a while. btw, I noticed you are in England. are you still in med school or have you graduated already? 🙂
 
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