So You Qualified Abroad

'We recognise that the journey for you as an overseas medical graduate (OMG) through GP training is likely to be more difficult than for a UK graduate, and so the primary aim of this book is to help you navigate that journey. We hope that through this book we will equip you to be a better UK general practitioner than you might otherwise be. An inevitable by-product of that will be improved success in postgraduate exams. Hopefully you will also experience the enhanced job satisfaction that comes from a sense of a job well done. You will also be better equipped to improve your own continuing professional development (CPD) and so provide better patient care, and satisfy the requirements of appraisal and revalidation.' From the Introduction There is significant evidence that OMGs may well find some aspects of training more difficult. The challenges faced can be broadly divided into three categories - cultural complexities, doctor and patient expectations, and language barriers. Between 2010 and 2012 OMG candidates for the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) were fifteen times more likely to fail than white UK graduates (failure rate 65% compared to 4.5%). In 2012, however, a quarter of the UK general practice workforce was made up of people who qualified overseas. This book provides invaluable assistance and expertise for both individuals and educators. It is full of ideas, helpful tips, tricks and sound advice on areas such as consultation style, language, culture, communication and ways to succeed in UK assessments. It also equips readers with the skills to improve their own continuing professional development, provide better patient care, and satisfy the requirements of appraisal and revalidation. It complements any initiative GP schools and universities have on offer, expanding on areas requiring more detail, and is an ideal manual for all OMGs, particularly those wanting to become general practitioners in the United Kingdom. It is also highly recommended for those just starting or having recently completed their GP training. Medical educators and other healthcare professionals will also find this book enlightening.