ByadminThe Medical Europe project brings value to doctors and pharmacists aiming to work in Poland
As the healthcare in post-Soviet countries remains weak and disrupted, many doctors think about building up their professional careers in the EU where Poland might be one of the most opportunistic. The Medical Europe project assists to doctors, dentists, and other medical professionals who want to build up their careers in Poland. Irina Bizhovets, head of the EUROMED Foundation office in Ukraine, tells how the project works.
– Irina, would you please tell us about the project, when it was started, and how was it growing and transformed?
The project started in 2016, and its main goal at the beginning was to give doctors from the countries of the former USSR the opportunity to exchange expertise when traveling to Poland. We arranged it with the representatives of Polish hospitals and our medical tourists could watch the routine work of Polish colleagues. Such practice evolved mutual interest on both parts – the managers of Polish healthcare and our medical tourists.
After a while, we became interested in the ways a non-EU doctor could apply for a job corresponding to his expertise in Poland and were walking through the options. In practice, obtaining the right to practice in Poland is a complex process. To start with, one must prepare a package of documents, including an apostille and sworn translations. In addition, he needs to pass language and nostrification assessments. The next stage is a postgraduate internship and final exam. After that, the doctor is approved for practice in Poland and can either attest to qualification or enter residency.
Passing these stages on their own, doctors face some issues related to the application for assessments which are difficult to pass without prior training. It became clear that doctors would need assistance at all those stages of confirming their diplomas to simplify the procedure.
Currently, Euromed provides a full-service package for medical practice approval and dentistry in Poland, including:
- assistance in application for language and nostrification or verification assessments;
- in-depth medical language courses;
- preparation training for the nostrification or verification assessment;
- assistance in postgraduate internship and employment;
- training course for the final medical exam;
- assistance in employment.
– How many doctors have successfully passed all the exams and got a license for medical practice in Poland with the help of the Europe Medical project?
We have helped more than 500 doctors currently working in Poland who used our services at the beginning of their career emigration. Our tutors prepared them for the language and nostrification assessments. For the doctors, we ensure the environment where they are diving into pre-training without bureaucratic disruptions on the side of the application process.
In the beginning, we had preparation training for most experienced doctors, but later the students in the final year of study have grown in number to half of all trainees. That shift was due to the simplified internship arrangements and employment afterward in Poland, where we have many well-paid internship options. Moreover, a young doctor can choose any specialty once he passed the final exam.
The effectiveness of our courses is proven by statistics where 97% pass the language test on their first attempt, and 75% pass the nostrification assessment.
– To clarify the procedure for simplified employment of foreign doctors in Poland. What is your assistance to doctors?
A simplified employment procedure for doctors has been available for a year. Such don’t require diploma approval, however, for a period of 5 years, without permission to extend the contract. The Polish authorities expect that in 5 years a non-EU doctor must learn the language and confirm a diploma.
As the war in Ukraine has started, the Polish Sejm has adopted the law on simplified employment of Ukrainian doctors, and original documents are not required for submission to the Ministry of Health anymore, as it is enough to provide clear copies. Secondly, Ukrainian doctors receive the so-called conditional permission to medical practice without speaking Polish.
We immediately used this opportunity and found hospitals ready to hire non-speaking Polish Ukrainian doctors. For those who crossed the border with Poland after February 24, we provide employment services free of charge and assist in applying to the Ministry of Health, employment arrangements, and job interview offer.
– How many doctors have been employed under the simplified procedure and what are the working conditions?
We have 72 doctors who received conditional permission for medical practice and they are working now, and 40 more are waiting to be approved. Often, hospitals provide accommodation for foreign doctors, Polish language courses, and pay salaries despite they incur large expenses. Thus, the administration ensures that employed doctors occupy their role for at least six months.
When we clarify the terms to doctors, some of them reject the opportunity, as they do not want to take the risk to stay with the employer for six months, as it might be not worthy. Others are not happy with the salary, which is impacted by such factors as professional expertise and speaking Polish.
The doctor who speaks Polish has a minimum rate of 1,500 euros for a fixed working day, those who do not speak Polish are paid 1,000 euros maximum. The overtime is paid extra, for sure, but usually, our doctors are allowed to take extra hours only after three months of work.
– What are the conditions for getting the services from the Medical Europe project for doctors and dentists?
If a doctor, dentist, or other healthcare professional requests our services, we sign a contract including all the details. Our student chooses a package of services, for example, pre-training and application, language courses, nostrification training, internship arrangement, or pre-training for the final exam. There is a wide choice of options.
Training takes place in modules and includes full-time and remote study. We provide all the necessary materials, but success depends on the effort. If a doctor learns the lectures from our tutors (in person or online) and completes all the assignments on a regular basis, he will succeed at the exam.
