Helping new doctors with refugee status

Dr Mona Aquilina, chair of the RCGP Later Career and Retired Members group, discusses how you can help doctors with refugee status

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on the RCGP

International Medical Graduates (IMGs) with refugee status, based in London, can access help to prepare them to work in the NHS via the ‘Building Bridges’ programme which is organised by the Refugee Council and the Refugee Assessment and Guidance Unit at London Metropolitan University. Many of these doctors come from war-torn countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Since March 2020 the Refugee Council has switched to meeting virtually. The weekly meetings presented a lifeline to isolated professionals to share what it was like to live and work in a pandemic when many of the IMGs’ professional UK exams were delayed and disrupted. 

Making a difference

Extra support has been provided, including additional weekly meetings, to help with exam preparation. Attendee numbers have increased as virtual access meant that some doctors found it easier to attend meetings.

Tutors help their students with communication and consultation skills, as well as by sharing their knowledge of NHS and UK culture; this has helped many junior doctors pass exams, move into working in the NHS and flourish – a vital development in a time when their expertise is so much in demand.