Do you have enough work experience to land a healthcare job abroad?

Overseas doctors in countries like the UAE must have a minimum of five years of professional experience from their home country, while nurses must have at least two to three.

After long hours of studying, countless exams, hospital rotations, and clinical internships, you’re finally ready to put your healthcare degree to good use and take on actual work in the hospital. If you’re aiming to gain that experience overseas, you might need to be a little bit more patient as some healthcare regulators in other countries require a few years’ work experience in the medical field before you can land a job. 

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The National Health Service (NHS), the United Kingdom’s largest healthcare employer that hires a diverse range of healthcare workers worldwide, usually recommends overseas doctors to have at least two to three years of practice, post-graduate training, and certain internships to work in the UK. Meanwhile, overseas nurses need to have a registered nurse license and at least one year of work experience to have a chance to be shortlisted in the NHS. 

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), overseas healthcare professionals require work experience in the home country to qualify. For example, registered nurses must have at least two to three years of relevant work experience. On the other hand, specialist roles require more extensive consulting experience.

In other countries like the United Arab Emirates, overseas healthcare professionals need more work experience. Doctors need a minimum of five years of work history, while nurses require at least two to three. If you’re aiming for specialty roles, you need to have been in practice for at least eight years.

While this might sound discouraging for medical workers with limited work experience, don’t fret because there are many ways to gain relevant healthcare work experience:

Volunteer for medical missions. Medical mission trips allow healthcare workers to put their knowledge and skills to good use, and ultimately make them better practitioners, while at the same time help the less fortunate without access to healthcare. 

Find entry-level positions that do not require work experience. There are medical facilities that are willing to hire new nurse graduates. Fresh graduates may want to look into becoming a nurse for private clinics, academic institutions, residential nurses, or in-home care.

Find a supported internship or program supported by your school. Schools may have internship programs that may be useful to develop industry knowledge and nursing skills. Sometimes, internships can lead to a network of connections and future jobs. 

Explore related positions. While it’s great if your first job is a nurse, it may not always be the case for some new graduates. For others who are struggling to secure a job as a nurse may want to consider other related positions such as lab assistants or data-entry clerks. These roles can give fresh graduates some industry knowledge, which may be useful in their nursing careers. 

Having these initiatives on your resume will increase your credibility and highlight your commitment to your medical career. Once you feel confident enough, you can try looking for jobs that fit your skills and work experience on TrueProfile.io, a healthcare career platform which works alongside a POEA accredited agency to provide Filipino medical professionals around the world with the opportunities they need to secure a lucrative career abroad.

Simultaneously, you must collect all the basic requirements, which include either a 1×1 or 2×2 ID picture, a PSA-authenticated birth certificate, a resume, college diploma, transcript of records, employer contract, marriage contract (if applicable), NBI clearance, a passport (valid for at least six months), as well as licenses and certifications. You must also apply for a working visa once the employer offers the job. 

All these documents must be verified, which you can easily do with the help of TrueProfile.io. Through its blockchain technology, you no longer need to verify your documents over and over again when you apply. By signing up to become a member, TrueProfile.io offers its members several career solutions, including a free digital CV that can be shared with employers, regulators, and recruiters, and can also be showcased on social media. 

For interested applicants, simply create an account on TrueProfile (https://member.trueprofile.io/register), build a myTrueProfile page, and then set contact settings to the ‘Recommended’ option to attract new career opportunities.

To know more, visit https://www.trueprofile.io/.