Work and employment in the UK. Medical education in the UK Postgraduate education for doctors in the UK

Aleksey Bogdanov, a former Minsk doctor who works as an anesthesiologist in the UK, shares his experience.

I ended up in England almost by accident, although before that I studied English quite seriously (special residency), and then I was an assistant at the department. The courses held quite a long time ago in Moscow with the participation of foreign doctors were the impetus that sent me to "study" in England. At first I passed the European exam, and after passing it, I decided to take English as well.

The latter was much more difficult than the first, but broke through. And the prospect of returning at that time was no longer very attractive - at home everything was falling apart and there was no gap (I'm not sure that it is visible even now, but I may be mistaken). In short, I began to look for a job - so I found and continue to work as an anesthesiologist (though not of the highest, but of the middle level).

It is quite easy to get to England to study in any specialty, especially if you have strong English. You just need to write to the appropriate college (surgeon - with surgery, anesthesiologist - with anesthesiology, and so on), get papers and pass exams. Here is a small snag - passing this exam (in English it is called PLAB) is not so easy and not even easy at all. Here, not only our knowledge of English, but also a test of basic knowledge of medicine, and no matter what we say, we are far from ahead of the rest, the demand here comes from textbooks accepted all over the world - that is, American and English.

After passing the exam (if you're lucky), you need to find a job. Since we come here “to study”, we do not need a work permit and we can stay in the country on a study visa for up to 5 years.
After completing the study period and passing the English qualification exams (also not an easy task), you can try to find a permanent job (that is, already with permission from the authorities).

Theoretically, one can apply for the highest positions, but the reality is somewhat different. Immigrants from Eastern Europe have to compete with Indians who both know English better and studied from English textbooks, and the mighty Indian diaspora will not leave its own in trouble ... In short, getting a job as a consultant (or senior specialist) is difficult.

There are alternatives - a mid-level specialist, which is not the best, since the salary is lower, and other little things of a moral nature. But nevertheless it is quite real.
As far as I know now, the most promising situation is for anesthesiologists and nurses. True, the problems of employment of nurses are not very familiar to me, but I know for sure that their shortage is simply desperate - they are recruited wherever they can (Philippines, Finland, Australia, and so on). In short - my advice is to learn English if you decide to look for work in English-speaking countries!

Many citizens of the Russian Federation leave for the UK to work. The former metropolis receives labor migrants from all over the world - both low-paid and highly qualified specialists. Employed Russians can be found throughout the European state - from Northern Irish cities to the Scottish Isles. But mostly England attracts our compatriots as a place of work. We will find out if there are jobs and vacancies in England for Russians in 2020.

Working in the UK is the dream of a considerable number of Russian citizens. Moreover, labor migrants are attracted not only by London, as one of the largest financial and economic centers of the planet. Russian speech can be heard from foreign workers throughout the United Kingdom. However, the majority of Russians who find jobs do not aspire to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, but to England.

To work only with a visa

As in all Western countries, Foggy Albion has strict rules for foreign workers. It is not forbidden to enter the UK for employment. However, you must first obtain a work visa. Such documents are issued to residents of Russia only if there are good reasons. And without them, getting a job in the former empire will not work.

Key requirements for employees from the Russian Federation

• Work visa and work permit.
• English proficiency. Language skills are tested according to the common European classification (CEFR). Level B1 or higher required. Knowledge of the language is confirmed by an appropriate certificate.
• Qualifications (in cases where a job is sought under programs for qualified specialists).

The main requirements for a British employer

• Post a vacancy for which a Russian worker is applying for in the local labor market.
• Confirm the absence of responses to the vacancy from suitable specialists from among the local residents.
• Obtain a special license or sponsorship certificate to hire a foreigner.

Gift: 2100 rubles for housing!

A citizen who has received a work permit undertakes:

• Carry out only those activities that are specified in the permit.
• To support himself and his dependents under his care without the use of public state aid funds.
• Meet the established age criteria.
• Good command of English.

Work permits are issued for a fixed period - from 1 month to 5 years, but not more than the term of the employment contract. However, for entry into a European state, they are valid only for six months from the date of receipt, then it must be extended.

How to find a job in England

Before you start applying for a British visa, you should take care of finding a potential employer. Finding suitable vacancies and jobs for Russians in England in 2020 is quite realistic. Even work in London for Russian-speaking citizens is always available. Employment offers also come from regions far from the capital.

Job search is available on the following sites:

• recruiting agencies.
• Specialized Internet resources (including Russian-language ones). Among them:
• Sites for job search in specific fields of activity. For example:
• (for IT-specialists).
  • http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/ (for medical professionals).
  • http://www.nannyjob.co.uk/ (for nannies).
  • https://www.caterer.com/ (for employees of the hotel and restaurant business).
  • https://www.prospects.ac.uk/ (for students).

• Electronic pages of British enterprises.
• Forums, social networks.
• Online versions of printed publications where job offers are published.
• Newspapers with vacancies.
• Employment centers in the British territory. In a socially oriented island state, such centers operate everywhere.

Demanded professions in Britain

Who will not be left without work in Foggy Albion in the coming years? The list of promising positions is as follows:

Specialty	Approximate number of vacancies per year	Average hourly wage (in pounds sterling)
Housekeeper, nursing assistant	825 thousand	8
Marketing and Sales Manager	585 thousand	22
Nurse	554 thousand	16
Education Assistant	488 thousand	8
Preschool and primary education teacher	430 thousand	22
Retail and wholesale manager	422 thousand	11
Communication and Information Technology Manager	326 thousand	24
Software Specialist	325 thousand	19
Office Manager	293 thousand	16
Financial manager, chartered secretary	280 thousand	29

Also, the areas of employment and professions in demand in the monarchical power should be considered:

• Logistics (purchases, transportation, packaging, auxiliary work in a warehouse, etc.).

• Trade (administrators, sales assistants, cashiers).
• Transportation, car service (drivers, car wash workers).
• Hotel business, public catering (cooks and their assistants, waiters, cleaners).
• Domestic staff (nannies, governesses).
• Ancillary work, working specialties (harvesters, loaders).
• Factory work.

In addition, bankers, builders, engineers, IT specialists, PR specialists, medical workers and social workers are regularly in demand in the UK.

How much are UK workers paid?

Professions	Average annual salary (in thousands of pounds sterling)
Broker	133
Head, senior official	107
Marketing and Sales Director	83
Financial Manager	76
Doctor	69
Economist, statistician	61
Development Manager	53
Physicist	50
Senior specialist of an educational institution	49
IT specialist, IT project manager	48-49
Train/tram driver	47
Electrician	47
Realtor	44
Architect	43
mechanical engineer	43
Mechanical engineering specialist	41
Estimator	41
Programmer, software development specialist	40-41
Dentist	40
Chartered and Certified Accountant	38
Installer	37
Veterinarian	37
Paramedic	36
Psychologist	36
crane operator	35
School Inspector	31
Obstetrician	29
PR Specialist	29
Driving instructor	28-29
social worker	28
Nurse	26
Interpreter	25

Less than 10 thousand pounds sterling a year in the kingdom receive:

• Hairdressers.
• Cashiers.
• Catering workers.
• Cleaners and servants.
• Waiters.
• Bar staff.
• Animators.

Benefits of Employment in the United Kingdom

Why is it so attractive for Russians to work in the UK in general and in England in particular? The main advantages of employment in the island state:

1. Employment in one of the strongest world economies.
2. Possibility to apply for permanent residence after 5 years of stay on a work visa. And in the future - to become a citizen of the country and get a British passport.
3. Low unemployment rates.
4. Stable growth of employment of migrants.
5. High salaries.
6. Social benefits.
7. Legal safety of work.
8. The solution of labor conflicts strictly according to the law.

Complying with the laws

It is important to remember that a law enforcement power requires the same of its citizens. Foreign workers must strictly comply with all visa regulations. Chief among them:

• Live and work strictly within the framework of the received work visa.
• If the entry document does not give the right to work (for example, a tourist or visitor visa), this condition should be followed.
• After the expiration date of the visa, you must:
• Or leave the country immediately.
• Or extend the document.
• Or, if allowed, apply for permanent residence.

The latest developments related to Brexit will certainly affect the British labor market. For example, the kingdom is considering the possibility of employing EU citizens only with a work permit. More importantly, within a decade after the referendum on leaving the European Union, the real income of citizens is expected to decline. It is assumed that the most serious damage will affect the working population. Pensioners will be more effectively protected from the upcoming cuts.

British hospitals will need up to 3,500 new doctors a year to deal with the shortage.

Medical education is one of the most sought after in Europe and the USA. Many doctors from the Commonwealth countries dream of going to work, training or internship in the UK, is this possible? Of course yes!

The process of recognizing your qualifications and obtaining a license is quite laborious and lengthy.

There are several types of licenses in the UK:

• Provisional registration- conditional (temporary) registration, entitles those who have received a higher medical education to work for one year after graduation before receiving full medical registration (Foundation Year 1 posts).
• Full registration- full medical registration gives the right to work independently in any position in the NHS. Required for those wishing to work as a family doctor.
• Specialist registration– medical registration of a specialist allows a doctor to work independently both in a public and private clinic.

If you have not completed an internship, you will first receive a temporary registration for a 12 month internship, and then you can apply for a full registration.
In order to apply, you must prove that you have the knowledge and skills to work as a doctor in the UK. To do this, you need to pass the PLAMB (Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board) test.

Only those who already have a medical diploma issued by one of the higher educational institutions are allowed to take the test, while the educational institution must be listed in the Avicenna Directory database.

If you are a graduate of one of the institutions listed below, you must contact the General Medical Council by email before taking the test. [email protected] and check if you are eligible to take the test:

• Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy
• St Petersburg State Medical Academy
• St Petersburg State I.P Pavlov Medical University
• St Petersburg State Pediatric Medical Academy
• Lugansk State Medical University

One of the main requirements for confirming a medical diploma in England is fluency in English. Before taking the PLAB test, you must provide an IELTS certificate with a score of at least 7.0, and you must receive at least 7 points in all sections of the test.

The PLAB test consists of 2 parts:

Part 1. It is given on the computer and consists of 200 questions / tasks for which 3 hours are allotted. You can take this test any number of times, the main thing is that your IELTS certificate is valid at the time of passing it.

Part 2. Called Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) or an objectively structured clinical exam, it consists of 12 parts (station) for each 5 minutes. You can read more about the exam on the General Medicine Council website at: http://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/plab/advice_part2.asp#Content. The test can only be taken in the UK.

You will have only 4 attempts to pass this exam within 3 years after passing the first part. If you fail, you will have to retake IELTS and the PLAB Part 1 test.

Within 3 years after passing the second part of the test, you must obtain a license or take the test again.

As a result, you will get the following procedure:

1. pass IELTS on 7.0

2. translate with a certified translator and notarize the diploma (put an apostille), as well as documents confirming the internship

3. take the PLAB 1 test

4. take the PLAB 2 test (in the UK)

5. receive registration. If you did not pass the internship, or passed, but for some reason the documents you provided did not satisfy them, you will receive Provisional registration, or Full registration - if you passed the internship and provided the relevant documents.

Jobs for doctors in Britain

Jobs for doctors in Britain. medical practice

Most doctors in the UK work in the hospital system, family health centers or public medicine. Some find work at universities teaching students or doing research. There is close cooperation between universities and hospitals.
Medical training in the UK is designed to meet the needs of the NHS (National Health System) and may differ from similar systems in other countries in duration and structure. This structure is currently undergoing significant changes.

Special training

Special training is divided into two parts - general professional and basic special. During training, doctors work in the NHS system. Upon receiving such registration, doctors become SHOs (see Glossary). This title is usually given for two or three years, and is one of the levels of general professional training. At this time, preparations are underway for exams in various royal colleges according to specialization. This is the usual condition for advancing to a higher stage, which is called specialist registrar (SpR) grade. The training programs for this level differ depending on the specialty, and training can take from 4 to 6 years.
During specialized training, all doctors are invited to scientific programs to understand the methodology of scientific research. Many receive diplomas or degrees, but this is not a requirement for a higher position. It is up to the respective college to decide whether time spent on research will be protected against specialized training.

Consultants

Not teaching and the highest post in the gradation of the hospital. Consultants have full responsibility for their patients, as well as training and educational care for doctors in lower positions in their teams. By law, anyone entering into such a post must be registered in a special register of the Medical Council (GMC).

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Permanent prof. preparation is a process of continuous professional development to maintain professional knowledge in accordance with the latest achievements of science.

Where to begin?

Registration
Before you can work in a clinic in the UK or write prescriptions, you must obtain a medical registration. The registration process is different for foreign professionals.

There are four different types of registration:

Conditional
Limited
Complete
Special

Conditional registration is given to UK-trained doctors to work for one year after graduation before being granted full registration.
Limited registration entitles foreign doctors to work in the NHS system in training positions (PRHO, SHO, GP registrar (England only), specialist registrar). In the near future, limited registration will be canceled, after which doctors from abroad will immediately receive either full or conditional registration.
Full registration gives the right to work in any position in the NHS without the supervision of a superior colleague. Full registration is required for doctors wishing to work as a family doctor.
Special registration allows doctors to work without higher oversight in both the public and private sectors.

Medical license to practice medicine

The Medical Council is changing the registration system for doctors. Currently, every doctor entitled to practice in the UK is entered in the medical register. This system is being revised, each doctor included in such a register will receive a medical license.
The license will be of a general nature, without specifying a specialization. Also, it will not have any restrictions or conditions. Any restrictions or conditions will be entered into the register, which is currently the case.

Registration for doctors from countries outside the European Union

Doctors whose qualifications are listed as recognized medical schools by the World Health Organization (WHO) are eligible for registration with the Medical Council. To do this, it is necessary to demonstrate objective evidence that the doctor has the necessary knowledge and skills to work in the UK healthcare system. The doctor must have an appropriate primary qualification, as well as medical experience or a completed internship of at least 12 months. Also, the successful completion of two tests is usually required: the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB). First, doctors receive a limited registration for 12-18 months, which is then renewed. Limited registration can be renewed within 5 years. However, it is possible to apply for full registration during this time. For this, a prerequisite is a minimum of 12 months of work as a SHO or registrar.

Alternative way to get medical registration

Obtaining registration without passing a medical exam is possible in one of the four options below:

1) for doctors who have received the opportunity of post-qualification training at one of the royal medical colleges.
2) for doctors who have passed the basic specialty examination with a result that satisfies the relevant medical institute in the specialty (for example, parts 1 and 2 of the MRCP exam).
3) for doctors who have received the post of specialist registrar.
4) for doctors applying for specialized registration on the recommendation of the relevant committee for specialized training based on qualifications obtained abroad.

The specifics of the work of foreign doctors includes frequent practices and specializations in various clinics around the world. Every doctor knows that the same manipulation is carried out differently not only in different states, but also in neighboring clinics. A different approach to the diagnosis and interpretation of tests, the appointment of treatment and management of the patient makes it necessary to constantly exchange knowledge and experience.
Nowadays it is impossible to become a world-class doctor without knowledge of European and British medicine in particular. No matter what specialty you work in, a 2-4 week internship in an English hospital will help you not only learn new treatment methods, get to know your colleagues, but also integrate into the global healthcare system.

Internship in Britain- this is a big step forward on the career ladder, new patients and their gratitude, knowledge that you can pass on to your colleagues. And it doesn’t matter what level of English you have, because the doctor will always understand the doctor (Latin unites us all). British clinics are waiting for you to practice, which is called "Attachment doctor".
The second offer of British clinics: you can come to work as a doctor with a salary..
Helpful Hint: In order to work as a doctor in the UK, foreign doctors are required to obtain a license. We advise you not to trust companies offering to find you a job in the UK without first obtaining a license.
To obtain a license, it is very important to correctly submit documents and pass the initial registration. It is at this stage that it is decided whether you should take the exam and what degree you will be awarded. Our organization helps in this process.

After that, there are two options:

1. Your experience was recognized and given a work permit (salary from 48,000 pounds per year). In this case, all you have to do is take the IELTS test (see our dedicated section).
2. You have been given an exam. In this case, you take IELTS and PLAB (see our dedicated test section where we provide dedicated prep material).

We are ready to help you at any stage and answer all your questions. WE WISH YOU SUCCESS!

Glossary of some terms

Consultant - the highest position in the UK healthcare system, bearing full responsibility for the work of his subordinate colleagues.
CPD/CME- continuous professional development, continuous medical education.
CV ( curriculum vitae) - a resume, a document required when looking for a job, containing a structured description of career, education and other information.
EEA European Economic Area - the European Union, consisting of 25 countries (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom) - as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
GMC The General Medical Council is the regulatory and licensing body for the medical profession in the UK.
GP General Practitioner - family doctor, therapist. The entire UK population is registered with a family doctor.
IELTS International English Language Testing System is a language test, part of the registration process with the Medical Council.
NHS The National Health Service is the UK public health system.
PLAB test Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board - an exam that tests medical competence and language knowledge in a specialty, is used in the registration process with the Medical Council.
PRHO Pre-Registration House Officer - a post of doctor who has completed his basic medical education and works for the first year with conditional registration until full registration is received.
Royal Colleges Medical royal colleges and their faculties - Royal College, separate commissions responsible for specialized education in medicine in the UK.
SHO Senior House Officer - a senior medical post with full registration, undergoing specialized training.
SpR Specialist Registrar - a senior medical post above SHO with full registration, passing the highest specialization.
WHO World Health Organization - World Health Organization dealing with health issues.