Publication: Impact of International Medical Graduates on the UK Healthcare System: Current Contributions and Future Challenges
Date
2024
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kathmandu University
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The Professional And Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) examination and the
International English Language Teaching System (IELTS) represent pivotal evaluations
for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) aspiring to pursue medical vocations
within the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS)
leans significantly upon the expertise of medically trained professionals hailing from
abroad, a fact further underscored by the substantial composition of IMGs within
its workforce. The prevailing aftermath of the persistent pandemic has magnified
the preexisting deficit of medical practitioners in the nation, thereby compounding
the existing challenges. The intersection of circumscribed temporal constraints
governing language proficiency assessments and the restricted worldwide capacity
for the placement of IMGs has served to exacerbate this conundrum. This dual-
pronged challenge has led to a noteworthy contraction in the pool of qualified
physicians eligible to practice within the UK, thus catalyzing a climate of upheaval.
These circumstances carry implications not solely for the medical workforce but
also reverberate on the psychological equilibrium of these professionals. The
exigencies imposed by their geographical separation from their homelands,
coupled with the formidable task of surmounting the hurdle of examinations within
an environment fraught with adversities, have underscored the urgency for timely
and strategic intervention. Given the intricacies of this situation, the relevant
governing authorities bear the imperative of instituting proactive measures to
alleviate the predicament faced by these aspiring medical candidates. The call for
timely interventions resonates strongly, aimed at ameliorating their predicament
and restoring a semblance of equilibrium to this intricate situation.
KEY WORDS
International english language teaching system (IELTS), International medical
graduates (IMGs), National health service (NHS), Medical workforce, Pandemic,
Professional and linguistic assessments board (PLAB)
Description
Gautam A,1 Sakthivel J,2 Rahman FA3
1Teesside University, School of Health and Life Sciences
Department of Nursing and Midwifery
Tees Valley Middlesbrough TS1 3BX, United Kingdom
2The Urgench Branch of Tashkent Medical University
Uzbekistan
3Amala Institute of Medical Sciences
Thrissur, India
Keywords
International english language teaching system (IELTS), International medical graduates (IMGs), National health service (NHS), Medical workforce, Pandemic, Professional and linguistic assessments board (PLAB)